The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-06-30
Expose Of Greatest Political
Machine in the History Of
the Country Will be
Investigated.
| MANUFACTURERS LOBBY
Congressional Probe Of the
Story, Sold to Newspaper,
by Agent Of Natl Ass n
of Manufacturers.

WASHINGTON, June Congress
took the first step today in what prom
ises to be an expose OF one Of the
greatest political machines in the his
tory OF the country when Chairman
/ Oyerman OF the senate lobby investi-
! CATION called an executive meeting OF
the committee to consider the snnaz-
ing confession Of Martin w. MulhaH,
agent Of the National Association Of
Manufacturers. Just before the meet
ing Oyerman ANNOUNCED that the COM
mittee had already subDoenaed Null
hall to appear when the committee
again takes up It's sitting July and
after the legislative sessions further
subpoenas for every witness directly
connected with MulhalIs narrative
will be issued. John Kirby, Jr., presi-
dent and guiding light OF the Nation-
al Association Of manufacturers men
toned repeatedly by Mulhall is to be
among the first witnesses to be called.
1--WE will sift the whole affair to the
bottom" declared Overnan. We will.
call every man named by Mulhall no
matter whether they IRE present or
=
past congressman or business men. !
don't want to express any opinion as
to the truth ofMulhall's story but 1t is
so circumstantially correct that It
raust be threshed minutely"
When the subpo6naes are issued to-
day by the committee they will be GER
tain to name men in public life all ac-
cused by Mulhall of having been chief
instruments of the manufacturers asso-
citation in getting their particular
legislative pets put through con-
eress. The senators and representa-
lives who Mulhal1 said "the associa-
ton had no difficulty in reaching and
influencing" number some OF the most
prominent men In the country and less
er lights, notably ey-members OF the
house. who Mulhall says had their
campaigns financed by the association
stretch from the Atlantic to the Pa
cific. Oyerman said he expected to
receive all the documents which Muf
hall alleges will support his charge.
The documents done up in relative
form by Mulhall purport to show tne
y N. A. OF Nj. with membership OF 4,
600 who employ 100000 workers ane
with capital OF $10,0o0,ooO,ooo MAJ
for a decade attempted to force legis
lation favorable In various ways.
some instances, according to the mar
rative, money was poured into th
treasures of state organizations TO an
election of men favorable to the asso
citation. Another feature is tnat wv
men trailed Samuel Gompers, pres'
dent Of the American Federation OF la
Dor for many months in an effort .
bribe him to betray unionism an
cease all labor legislation In Washlne
ton. Mulhall says that five thousan
dollar bribe was turned down p
Campers and that afterwards Jon
Mitchell and Frank Morrison, vac
president and secretary OF the associs
tion were vainly approached WI
bribes. Mulhall's statement ana ~
letters contain reference to yarlou
conditions, notably in Maine ana y
diana. Mulhall asserts that he TOO
part in the 1906-07 Maine congresslol
al election in which he worked IS
the election OF Chas. E. Littlefield. Id
tlefield posed as a temperance cano
date that election. Mulhall declares
some sections of Littlefeld's distri'
y wliiskey was freely used to keep OPP
.sition voters too drunk to 60 10 u
/ polls and that one of Lttlefield's ma
ayers told him that 135 democrats ma
been in vacant Ice house In the
cinity of the bay and that they ne
been kept drinking the whole az
through. Mulhall says the congre
eional campaign cost the associate
here about $4,000.
According to Mulhall the n A. OF
sought to and frequently did IN Y
q years he represented 1t, control u
appointment of representatives on t
commission of labor and judicial
Mulhall also makes the charge tn
the N. A. Of M. was altogether respo
sible for the tariff commission, esta
lished during President Taft's adm
istration. He declared the followil
were rewarded for work done or to q