Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-10-11
POLITICS EXPENSIVE
Mr.. Tafts Brothers Put Up for Him
Literally.

L
Mr.. Tafps Brothers Put Up for Him
Literally.
Washington, Oct. S.-The sum Of
$265,000 collected and spent in the
campaign for President Taft's renom-
ination through his Washington head
quarters was partly accounted for to-
day by Representative William B. Nc
Kinley Of Illinois, the presidents COM
paign manager, in testimony before the
senate investigating committee. Mr.
Mckinley said the Taft family" COM
prising Charles P. Taft, Henry W. Taft
and Horace Taft, brothers Of the pres
ident gave $150,000. The campaign, he
declared, had cost FIVE times what was
anticipated.
when We started out we expected
to spend about s5O,00O," he told the
committee.
The chief contributors TO the Taft
fund with the respective amounts as
given by Mr.. Mckinley were:
John Hays Hammond $25,000; An
drew Carnegie $4,000; E. T. Stotes-
bury. Philadelphia, $4,000; "Mr. Kel-
sey" and "Mr. Patton Of New York,
described as friends Of the president"
$4,000; Richard Kerens, st. Louis,
ambassador to Austria Hungary, $5,-
900; Senator w. Murray Crane, s5,-
600; Secretary Knox, $4,000 and $1,000
each, by Attorney General Wickersham
former Senator Nathan B. Scott and
A. c. James
Mr.. McKnley's records were read
from small penciled memorandums
which he dug out Of trouser pocket.
He told the committee they were all
he had to show for the handling Of the
big fund except books kept in the head
quarters that covered $134,000 spent
directly for ordinary campaign pur-
poses. Mr.. Mckinley declared his
memory was not good enough to recall
all the purposes for which money went
out.
Mr.. Mckinley said he did not know
the total amount that had been spent
for President Taft In the entire cam
paign.
The amounts given by the respective
members Of the Taft family were not
furnished by Mr.: Mckinley nor did the
committee ask for further particulars.
Mr.. Mckinley, though sharply ques-
toned by members of the committee
today, could give no information as to
the Taft funds raised in the different
states. He declared he did not even
know the names Of men in charge Of
affairs in many states.
The balance of the big fund for
which he had no records had "dripped
out" in the different state campaigns,
he said. The contributions to the state
campaigns by the Taft national head.
quarters were given as follows:
West Virginia $4,000; Maryland $10,-
900 to $4,000; Ohio $4,000; Illinois,
$4,000; Maine $4,000; Texas $4,000;
Indiana $4,000; Iowa $4,000; Kansas
$4,000; Kentucky $4,000.
Mckinley and Ormsby McHarg, the
latter contest manager for Colonel
Roosevelt in the primary fight, held the
witness stand throughout the after
noon. Mr.. McHarg accounted for the
expenditure Of $25,000 or $1,000 by the
Roosevelt committee in the southern
states where contests were brought He
denied that any money had been spent
to influence delegates or that he knew
Of the use of any money in this way
either before or at the Chicago conven-
ton.
Mr.. Mckinley admitted freely that
the Taft campaign committee had paid
the expenses Of delegates to the Chi
cago convention, procedure that both
he and Mr.. McHarg said had been q
"long standing custom"
do you know anything Of the use
Of money at the Chicago convention to
change delegates?" asked Chairman
Clapp.
Nothing would want to swear to-"
said Mr.. Mckinley, smiling.
Chairman Clapp asked both Mr.. Nc
Harg and Mr.. Mckinley If they knew
of an alleged underwriting" Of the
Roosevelt campaign by men who were
said to have pledged s2,OOOO,ooo or So
100000 to secure Colonel Roosevelt's
nomination.
ITS an absurd yarn" declared Mr..
McHarg.
Mr.. Mckinley when later called to
the stand, answered the same question:
"I think that silly story just as
Mr.. McHarg said"
A long examination Of President
Taft's re-convention campaign man
ager drew little more from him than
the original statement he had given
the committee. Senator Pomerene In
timated that Mr. Mckinley was a poor
| business man but the latter insisted
that 1t had been impossible to keep
track Of campaign receipts or expendi-
lures.
The detailed expenses at Washing
ton headquarters sworn to by Mr.. NC
Kinley are as follows:
Printing and mailing literature $780,
600; telegraph, telephone and postage
$4,000; campaign buttons and hth-
ographs $4,000; advertising and news
service $4,000; speakers expenses,
travelling and special trains $4,000;
expenses Washington headquarters s7'-
900. The cost of President Taft's cam
paign tour to Ohio was borne by the
campaign committee, he said.
Mr.. Mckinley said no money was
sent by the Washington headquarters
to Massachusetts, for the primary fight
there. Ormsby McHarg said the pre-
liminary work he did in behalf OF Colo
mel Roosevelt was undertaken at the
request Of William L. Ward Of New
York, who asked him to make a sur
vey Of the country to ascertain the SEN
timent of the people" Later Mr.. NC
Harg said he took up the work of or