Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-07-23
PROBERSHEAR NAM.
PLOT ON CABINET
MuIhaI Letters Tell of Plan for
Representation.
CONGRESS CONTROL WAS AIM
Alleged Correspondence With Manu-
facturers' Cites Promises of Aid
From Legislation - S7oo,ooo
Fund Raised.


Washing.01s, ss.siS 1S.-The amazing
extent OF the political power enjoyed
by the National Association Of Manu-
faeturers during the presidential cam
paign of 1908 was disclosed to the SEN
ate lobby investigating committee by
Col. Martin n. Mulhall Wednesday.
Martin NJ. MulhAl. self-styled lob
byist for the association. swcre to the
authenticity OF nearly 400 letters
which told of these plans and brought
in the names OF. such men as former
Presidents Roosevelt and Taft, the
late Vice-P President Sherman, former
Speaker Cannon, former Senators Aid
rich. Hemenway. Foraker, and others;
Arthur l.. Vorys, Ohio manager Of
the Taft campaign in 1908. and Frank
H. Hitchcock, one time chairman Of
the Republican national committee
and postmaster general in Mr. Taft's
cabinet.
Muihall testified, too, that the Ma
tional Council for Industrial Defense.
an organization allied to the National
Association OF Manufacturers, had
raised between 100000 and 100000
year to be used in opposing legisla
ton its members did not like. He
said this information came from col
lector for the council, and that he
had no personal knowledge of it. ex-
cept that he had been paid for politi-
cal work from such fund.
The committee was greatly interest
ed in letter which Mulhall swore he
wrote to Schwedtman on April 16.
1908. II told of a conversation Null
hal had In Washington with former
Representative Watson of Indiana. in
which the latter described two
hour interview at the White House be-
tween Mr. Roosevelt and himself.
In part the letter read:
He (Watson) said he was invited
to the White House at $3.50 .. m, and
was with the president until 1880 p.
m. The president wished him to call
so they could talk over the legislative
program for the balance o. this SEES
sion. the president knowing that he
represented Speaker Cannon and the
other leaders OF the house and senate.
He stated that the main reason of
the call was that Speaker Cannon.
Vice-President Fairbanks and several
other leaders wanted TO find out how
the president stood in relation to a
third term. He stated that there we're
four things the president wished.
First, that congress would stay in SEES
sion until the 18th of May to receive
the governors of the different states
coming to Washington on that day;
second to amend the Sherman law;
third, to have congress vote for four
battleships. fourth. to pass a child's
labor Law for the District of Columbia
which would be a model law for the
states in general.
The president wished to know IL
Mr.. Watson knew or had met Mr.. Van
Cleave Mr. Watson told him he had
and that he knew Mr.. Van Cleave
we'll, and other manufacturers who
wefe in touch with Mr.. Van Cleare.
He stated that he talked along these
lines with the president and finally
the president did not press to have
Tue OuGEindu bitl puSSSu at Auih SOSeioh
Of congress
Il have had several interviews with
Speaker Cannon. James S Sherman.
Mr. Littlefield. Mr. Bartholdt and sew
eral others leaders of congress in the
last ten days. and allsof those gentle
men assure me that there will be no
labor legislation at this session of con-
gress.'
On Tuesday Colonel Mulhall told of
ending shoe strike in st. Louis, and
| OF $4,000 he claimed was raised in
Indiana for Watson campaign.
During the day Senator Reed intro
duced memorandum which Mulhall
said was black list" of congress.
men. Mulhall thought it had been pre-.
pared by former Representative Wat.
son. II follows:
Watson Here's a list for you to
| knock out:
I Caudier Miss Rrauficy w C.