Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-08-26
CHARGES AGAINST
STANDARD OIL co.
Wholesale Investigation by
Clapp Committee May
Follow.
HEARsTs CHARGES.
LaFollette Sticks to His Guns-ln-
sists That Amended Resolution go
Through.

Washington, Aug. 26-Whether the
Clapp committees investigation shall
include merely a probe OF the charges
and counter charges that Standard Oil
funds swelled the Roosevelt campaign
fund of 1904, or shall extend to a
wholesale investigation into the allie
cations that the Standard Oil Com
pany controlled legislation in Congress
was the crux of the situation which
confronted the Senate today. That the
Clapp committee has all power to
delve into the campaign contributions
charges, without special authorization,
was admitted. Moreover, Senator
Clapp made it plain that the moment
he can get into communication with
his colleagues, now nearly all out OF
the city, he will plan complete VEN
tllatlOn OF Cne Wdtter.
But specific authorization is neces-
sary to enable the committee to lnves-
tigate any relations which the Stand
ard Oil Company may have had with
legislators; to consider the so-calied
"Archbold letters made public by Will
liam Randolph Hearst and to investi-
gate the congressional and state cam
paign funds in view of charges that
Standard Oil money played an i'm
portant part in the results.
In the Senate, no one was quite
clear as to the ultimate effect OF the
Penrose-Reed-P -Poindexter resolution,
should Senator La Toilette succeed IN
forcing it's passage. The measure, as
originally introduced by Penrose,mere-
ly' directed the Clapp committee to
take cognizance of his statements on
the Senate floor, that John D. Arch
bold, of the Standard Oil Company,
contributed $125,000 to the Republican
fund of 1904. Then Penrose and Arch
bold appeared before the Clapp COM
mittee and new charges were devel-
oped that President Roosevelt had
approved receipt of this alleged con-
tribution, that he endeavored to con-
ceal it by letters directing its re-
turn subsequent to that time it had
been expended in full, that his manag-
ers sought additional help from the
oil trust, and that when this was not
Forthcoming, the administration got
back" by the antitrust prosecutions.
These new allegations resulted in
a series of amendments to the origin
al Penrose resolution-to require a
probe of all campaign contributions
from 1904 to date; to require produc-
ton of all correspondence, If any, be-
tween John D. Archbold and members
of Congress; between Colonel Roose-
Welt and Archbold; between Colonel
Roosevelt and members of Congress,
and between Perkins and Roosevelt.
Perkins name was brought into the
case of Senator Penrose's insistent de-
mand that there be some investigation
of the amounts ]. Pierpont Morgans
former partner, had contributed to the
Roosevelt pre-convention campaign.
Amendments which would result IN an
airing of all of this correspondence
have already been adopted. Whether
they will remain attached to the res
olution was problematical. The res
olution itself is merely pending.
1t has developed opposition from
several quarters--from the Roosevelt
adherents, who regard the bringing IN
of Perkins name as deliberate at
tempt to embarrass the Colonel and to
make the investigation a partisan
one, and likewise from the "tories,
or standpant republicans, who are
fighting the resolution, technically on
the grounds that is is unconstituti-
onal, but really because they believe
an airing of the matter may endanger
chances of Republican success this
fall. Many Democrats also take the
view that the Senate has no right tc
investigate how a President was elect
ed.
Senator La Toilette stuck to his
guns today. He insisted that the
resolution go through, as amended
declaring that the people were. en-,
titled to full information.