Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-08-27
PENROSE AND THE ARCHBOLD
CHECK
[Philad adelphia Inaulrer. ]

HnlldQelpnld InQuuTeT.I
In 1904 John ID. Archbold sent a
check for $25,000 to Boies Penrose.
A magazine without a conscience and
a yellow newspaper or two deliberate
ly manufactured, eight years later, out
of that incident a base libel. Without
the slightest regard for truth they
labored in session and out to induce
the people to believe that here was an
underhand transaction between a
United States senator and one of the
leading minds of the Standard Oil
Company.
That ugly falsehood was malicious
ly forged for political purposes in 1912.
1t is now in use in various parts of
Pennsylvania in the anti-Penrose cam
paign.
With the remark that the man who
debases himself to the level where he
can bring himself to resort to this
sort of campaigning gives a most
striking example of the depth of po-
litical depravity to which it is pos
sible for n reckless partisan to sink,
we shall pass on to the rapid annihili-
tion of the line.
1t is an easy task. For particulars
and full corroboration of what we are
about to say, see the testimony sub
mitted in 1912 before a subcommittee
of the United States Senate commit
tee on privileges and elections. The
subject under inquiry was that of po-
litical contributions in general.
In 1904 Theodore Roosevelt was the
candidate of the Republican party for
President. In that campaign the Re-
publican National Committee collected
huge sums of money by way of po-
litical contributions. Corporation aft
er corporation gave thousands upon
thousands. The late r. II. Hartman
raised a very large amount-"My dear
Hartman" as Roosevelt used to write
to him. John d. Archbold, for the
Standard, gave s125,000 in all.
1t had been the custom for national
committees to help State committees.
The chairman of the Republican State
Committee of Pennsylvania was Boles
Penrose, then high in favor with
Roosevelt. Chairman Penrose ap-
piled to the National Committee for
funds. 1t was agreed with Mr.. Arch
bold that out of the $125,000 he was
to contribute $4,000 should go to
Pennsylvania for the Roosevelt cam
paign in this State.
Now you have the whole story
briefly told. Mr.. Archbold sent his
$25, 900 to Chairman Penrose, 1T was
receipted for by Penrose as chairman,
and the money was used strictly for
campaign purposes-for the benefit of
Theodore Roosevelt
We have no good word to say for
the custom under which corporations
used to swell the treasures of po-
litical committees. Suffice 1t to say
that 1t was the custom of years. What
is more, contributions were not as a
rule confined to a single political
party. They were made to the Demo-
cratic organization as well as to the
Republican. In those days nothing
much was thought of this easy meth
of of raising campaign funds for it
had had the sanction of many a year.
We have advanced since 1904, when
the campaign chests of Mr. Roosevelt
were largely filled with corporation
money Now such contributions are
prohibited by law. But there was
no law on the subject in the Roose-
Welt campaign, and the $3.50 sent
by Mr. Archbold for the Roosevelt
canvass in Pennsylvania had no spe-