The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-22
TWO SENATORS
DENY TRUTH Of
NULHALL TALE
Nelson and Clapp of Mime
sofa Take the Stand After
Hearing Names Read Into
Lobby Record.
NO RECOLLECTION
OF THE LOBBYIST
Some of the Letters Refer
to the Alleged Activity of
Former Congressman
Watson of Indiana.

WASHINGTON, July 21.-Two sena.
tors, Nelson and Clapp, Of Minnesota
took the stand tonight before the com,
mittee of their colleagues investigating
the "lobby'' and denied the truth of
statements made by Martin NJ. Null
hall, former political worker, accelera-
tor of congressional opinion and all
around field worker for the National
| Association of Manufacturers.
In letters read into the record today
| Mulhal1 told Of his conversations with
| Senator Nelson--a member of the lobby
committee-in relation to the rejection
early in 1909 of bill amending the
Sherman antitrust act, by a senate
| subcommittee Of which Mr.. Nelson was
| chairman. Mulhal wrote to F. G..
Schwedtman, secretary to James W.
Van Cleve, president of the associa,
ton, that he had seen Senator Mel
son, and that the senator had told him
what transpired in his subcommittee
Witness Confused.
He swore on direct examination by
Senator Cummins that Mr., Nelson had
suggested that the association send a
copy of the subcommittee adverse
report on the bill to the president,
g Mr.. Roosevelt In one letter Null
hall spoke of being introduced to Sena-
tors Clapp and Nelson, and talking with
both men about recent decision under
the Sherman act.
Questioned closely by Senator Cum
Minis Mulhall first swore he had been
told by Mr.. Nelson what had occurred
in the committee, even to how it's mem
bers voted on the proposed amendment;
pursued further, he agreed that pos
sibly he had not received such infor-
nation, and then switched again and
declared that if he had reported that
he had received such information it
must be correct.
''I have no recollection Of seeing Mr..
Mulhall or talking to him about this
bill, and I certainly would not have
talked to him about what transpired
before the Judiciary committee" said
Senator Nelson tonight.
Does Not Recall Him.
F'It is possible that he may have
stepped inside my Office and gotten them
from my clerk. Mr.. Hicks, my clerk,
says that he cannot recollect ever hav-
ing seen Mulhall in our room. So far
as the report is concerned you all know |
that Mr.. Mulhall could get these reports |
from the document room. / have no |
recollection Of ever meeting Mr.. Null |
hall or talking to him on these sub |
jects or anything else. Ever since Mr.. |
Mulhall appeared here before the COM
mittee I have been racking my brain
to think or recall If l ever saw him or
had talk with him. There is a pos
sibiEty that I may be mistaken. I
mustache then and perhaps that may
account for the fact that I do not
recognize him now. ;"
''I have not the slightest recollection
of ever having seen Mulhall, and GER
tainly l have no recollection that SEN
ator Nelson introduced NE to him in
this room,' swore Senator Clapp. "It
is clear in my mind that if l had |
would have recollected it.''
Statements i'm Letter.
The Nelson matter came up when
Senator Reed introduced a letter dated
September 20, 1909, to Senator Nelson,
from Schwedtman.
90 sent in my card to Senator Knute
Nelson of Minnesota, who made the
adverse report as chairman, to the
senate on the amendment. of the Sher-
man law,' read the letter. "The sen.
ator came out and took mo to his room
and gave me complete statement of
what took place in the judiciary com
mittee before they made their adverse
report. ,
Senator Nelson was not In the room at ,,
he time and Senator Cummins decla red :
hat he had been requested to ask that {
III letters bringing in Mr.. Nelson's name ;
DC read at once. Two others were put on /,
he other to an anti-injunction bill which
lid not figure In the later testimony ,
Upon examination Mulhal said he be- =
'ame acquainted with Senator Nelson at | :
lie time he wrote the first letter.
II was sent there by MIR. Emery the =
,hjef lobbyist for the associa tlon," he y
aid. Senator Nelson's report on this y
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