South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-07-22
Would Have Done as Well as
Van CIeave or Parry Accord
ing to Letter introduced by
MuIhaII.
SENATORS DENY THEY
EVER met WITNESS
Colonel Once Had a MuStaChe
So Nelson Admits That This
May Account For His Failure
to Remember.

WASHINGTON, July 21.-Two
senators, Nelson and Clapp of Min
nesota. Monday night took the stand
before the committee of their col
leagues investigating the lobby and
denied the truth of statements made
by Martin NJ Mulhan. iBrmer politi-
cal worker, accelerator of congress
sional opinion and all around field
worker for the National Association
of Manufacturers.
In letters read into the record Mon
day Mulhall Monday told of conver-
sations with Sen. Nelson, a member
of the lobby committee, in relation to
the rejection early in 1909 in a bill
amending the Sherman antitrust act
by senate subcommittee of which
Mr. Nelson was chairman. Mulhall
wrote 10 +. G. Schwedtman, secretary
TO James w. Van Cleave, president of
the association, that he had seen Sen.
Nelson and that the senator had told
him what transpired in his sub-cOm-
mittee. He swOre on direct eXamina-
tion by Sen. Cummins that Mr.. Nelson
had suggested that the association
send a copy of the subcommittee
reverse report on the bill 10 the presi-
dent. Mr.. Roosevelt. In one letter
Mulhall spoke of being introduced to
Sen. Clapp by Mr.. Nelson and OF
talking with both men about a recent
decision under the Sherman act.
Questioned closely by Sen. Cum
minis, MulhaIl first swore he had been
told by Mr.. Nelson what had occur
red in the committee even to how its
members voted on the proposed
amendment; pursued further he
agreed that possibly he had not re-
ceived such information and then
Il ! 4
he had reported that he had received
; correct.
Sen. Nelson i'm Denial.
II 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 tran
spired before the judiciary commit
tee" said Sen. Nelson Monday night.
1T is possible that he may have step
ped inside of my office and gotten
them away from my clerk. Mr..
Hicks, my clerk, who was with me
then and with me now. says he can
not recollect ever having seen Mr..
Mulhall in our room. So far as the
report is concerned you all know
| that Mr.. Mulhall could get these re-
ports from the document room.
/ have no recollection of ever meeting
Il
] these subjects or anything else. Ever
since Mr.. Mulhall appeared here be-
! fore the committee I have been rack
( ing my brain to think or recall If /
! ever saw him or had a talk with him.
| There is a possibility that / may be
mistaken. l understood that Mr..
| Mulhall had a mustache then and
! perhaps that may account for the fact
| that l do not recognize him now"
II have not the slightest recOllec,
| tion of ever seeing Mulhall and GER
| tainly L have no recollection that Sen.
! Nelson introduced me 10 him in his
room" swore Sen. Clapp. 1T is very
clear in my mind that if 1 had 1
would have recollected it,"
Tells of Meeting.
The Nelson matter came up when
| Sen. Reed introduced a letter dated
! Jan. %, 1903. from Mulhall 10
Schwedtman. Il sent in my card
to Sen Knute Nelson of Minnesota.
who made the adverse report, as
| chairman. TO the senate upon the
amendment Of the Sherman law"
read the letter. '"The senator came
out and took me to his room and gave
me a complete statement of what
| took place in the judiciary committee,
| before they made their adverse re-
port
Sen. Nelson was not in the room
at the time and Sen. Cummins de-
| clared that he had been requested 70
ask that all letters bringing in Mr.
Nelson's name be read at once. Two
| others were put in the record, one re-
| ferring to the same bill, the other TO
an anti-injunction bill which did not
| figure in the later testimony.
Upon examination Mulhall said he
came acquainted with Sen. Nelson at
the time he wrote the first letter 'T
was sent there by Mr.. Emery. the
chief lobbyist for the association" he
said.
Sen. Nelson's report on this bill
was made three days before your
call; you do not mean TO say that you
! influenced him ?" asked Sen. Cum
Minis.
No sir not at all
MulhalI is Peeved.
Sen. Cummins pressed the witness
as TO the statement that Sen. Nelson
had given him information about
what occurred before the bill was re-
| ported adversely. Mulhall was Ger
| tain that he had got such information
| then was not clear on that and
| later showed signs Of anger You
don't expect me 10 remember com
plete details Of conversations like
that which occurred so long ago" he
asked.
i would be very much surprised If
you did" said Sen. Cummins dryiy.
Mulhall sat near the left OF the
witness chair while Sen. Nelson made
his statement He listened closely To
every word.