Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-10-05
Candidate Denies Soliciting
Contributions to His 1904
Campaign Fund or That
He Made Promises.
STOPS QUESTIONS
WITH EXPLANATION
Intersperses His Testimony
With Characteristic State
ments in Which He At.
tacks His Accusers.

washington, u. g., Oct. At asked
no man to contribute to the campaign
fund when was elected president OF
the United States and wish to reiter-
ate that Mr.. Bliss and Mr.. Cortelyou
both assured me that no promise had
been made as return for any cOntri-
button. Neither they nor any one else
having authority. asked me to actor
refrain from acting in any manner be-
cause any contribution had been made
or withheld.
Gentlemen could put it more
|sweepingly?"
In these words Col Theodore Roose.
vent summarized his testimony today
at the close Of the first part OF his
hearing before the Clapp committee
Of the senate investigating campaign
funds.
The colonel specifically denied that
he ever asked for contributions to
his 1904 campaign fund; or that he had
known of any contribution by j. r..
Morgan
To those unequivocal statements hA
added again that he had ordered thA
return to the Standard Oil Co., OF any
!cuntyfbutfUn~ IT, Might have made In
1904; and that he did not believe
Cornelius N. Bliss had ever demanded
q contribution from John ID. Arch
bold or from any corporation by any
methods of extortion. s.s
Col. Roosevelt did not deny that
corporations had contributed to the
1904 campaign. He said his letters
and published statements had always
acted In good faith but he specified
that no such contributions have ever
been obtained under any suggestion
that the administration would reward
the givers with special favcrs.
Attacks Penrose and Hllics.
Col. Roosevelt's testimony bristled
with characteristic statements. Sen
ator Penrose should be driven from
the senate" he declared because OF his
acknowledged friendliness with Stand
ard Oil interests Charles d. Hilles
and Congressman Bartholdt should he
forced to prove their statements that
the Roosevelt primary campaign funds
this year had amounted to $3.000,000
or $4,0OO,0O0 or should be driven out
Of public life
He declared, AS had Senator Dixon.
his campaign manager. Wednesday.
that the senate committees activities
had thus far been directed sclelv to.
ward the Roosevelt camraign funds
and that no attention had been paid
to other candidates. He was assured
by Senator Clapp that the representa-
tives of other candidates would al be
called before election"
The principal part Of Col. Roose.
velt's examination before the commit.
tee concerned the $4,000 Standard Oil
contribution to the republican nation.
al campaign fund of 1904. John D.
Archbold has testified that he made
such contribution to the late Cor
nelius N. Bliss; Geo. r. Sheldon, treas
urer of the committee In 1908, and
this years also, has testified that Mr..
Bliss records showed such contri-
button; Geo. B. Cortelyou, chairman OF
the committee in 1904. has sworn that
no such contributions were received,
and Col. Roosevelt has said that he
gave repeated and expressed instruc-s
tions to both Mr.. Bliss and Mr.. Cortel-
you that II such contribution were
made it was to be Immediately re-
turned. Witnesses have told the COM
mittee they knew Of no record of such
a contribution having been returned
and Charles H. Duell assistant treas
urer for the committee in 1904, told
the committee yesterday he did not be-
lieve Mr.. Bliss kept information OF any
contributions from Mr.. Cortelyou.
Colonel Breakfasts With Loeb.
Col. Roosevelt breakfasted with
William Loeb, Jr., formerly his priv
ate secretary and now collector OF GUS
toms at New York, before going to the
senate Office building where the hear
ings Of the committee are held.
Several hundred people were lined
up in the corridors of the building two
hours before the time set for the hear
Ing, hoping to get into the little COM
inittee room, with it's capacity for
about 100. Hundreds of others packed
the doorways and surrounded the
building, to see Col. Roosevelt enter
Seats had been reserved by Chairman
Clapp for George Reid, Australian
high commissioner and Lady Reid,
who had been Roosevelt's hosts
abroad.
A murmur OF applause, eliminating
In a cheer greeted Col. Roosevelt as
he entered the building about fiye