The Washington herald., 1912-08-24
Penrose VS.. Roosevelt.

The Presidential campaign of 1904
bids fair to become famous-or infa-
mous-with respect to the contributions
for the same, as whether by Roosevelrs
consent or not, large sums of money
were contributed by corporations. Some
of the money went to State committees
and some to national, but all of it was
designed to help Republican tickets.
That Roosevelt actually knew that the
Standard Oil Company or Mr.. Arch
bold, of that company, aided in his
election, no one except Mr.. Roosevelt
and perhaps Mr.. Cortelyou can tell. Mr..
Roosevelt published a letter to Mr..
Cortelyou demanding that any contribu-
tons from the Standard Oil people"
be returned. Mr. Cortelyou is on record
in Senate inquiry, having testified that
he has no recollection of receiving any
contribution from the Standard Oil
people in that campaign
Mr.. Penrose acknowledges receiving
$4,000 from Archbold for the Penn
sylvania campaign. There seems to be
no way ont of this, for, through Mr..
Hearst, the public has the documents.
Having acknowledged what he cannot
help, he goes on to charge that this
$4,000 was succeeded by $4,000 given
TO the National Committee and used for
Roosevelt's election with his knowledge
and that Treasurer Bliss asked for
more, but could not get it. There is
difference between acknowledging and
charging. In the one case we have
proof, in the other nothing but PEN
roses. word. Penrose's word may be
very trustworthy in personal affairs,
but in politics his affiliations have not
been, of the extreme confidence inspir-
ing kind. However, it is apparent from
Roosevelt's letter to Cortelyou that he
heard of a contribution to the Ma
tional Committee by Standard Oil
people" but did Cortelyou return this
money at Roosevelt's request, or did
Bliss ask for more? This is what the
public may never know. Treasurer
Bliss,ea man whose word was worth 100
per cent in financial affairs, might clear
the muddle But he is dead
So far as the fight between Penrose
and Finn is concerned, the latter
doesn't pretend to be reformer. It'll
is quite evident that both Finn and
Penrose were on such terms of political
intimacy with Mr.. Archbord. of the i
Standard Oil Company, as are incom-
patible with "disinterestedness" in pol
itics; the connection is obvious. Finn
has one complaint in this matter He
was not so Strong" with Archbold as
Penrose was, Hence his rage then, bot
tied up until now.
Now, as to the Hartman contribu-
ton in 1904. When all the cant and
hypocrisy are squeezed out of that sit
uation, If will be found that Roosevelt
knew well enough that any large sums
spent for the State campaign in New
York would help him, too. 1t is i'm
possible practically TO differentiate.
Large sums spent for Republican
candidate for Governor, for example,
cannot all be used in persuading DEM
ocrats TO vote for this man alone. Le-
Ultimately such money would be spent
in advertising, speakers, manning the
polls, &c.-all useful for all candidates
on the same ticket. Illegitimately, of
course, there is an infinite number of
ways of using this money for elections,
but even then the national ticket may
be the gamer as well
Until the Archbold affair is straight
ened out. the public will suspect that
Roosevelt was cognizant of that aid to
his campaign, and assented to it