New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-29
Roosevelt Consulted
Platt as Real Power

that Mr.. WINS showed you at one time
during the examination the docuHeh'
which he stated was a report OF the
Clam committee. He asked you wheth-
or YOU believed in the truth OF that
rerort because il was the official re-
mort Do YOU remember that? Al
do.
O.-Do you remember his asking tnat
question:: "If you found the name OF
Mr.. Charles Taft in this report as nav
inc contributed $4,000, would you nave
any doubt of that?" Ayes.
O.-And your answer! assume
that YOU are reading from the ofhcial
report? Al remember that answer,
O.-And his answer: 81 am reading
from the official report? Al do re-
member it. -.
MIR. Bowers read several pages OF
the testimony of Elmer Dove. secretary
OF the campaign committee in lsO4, be-
for, the Clapp committee. HIS pur-
nose was to show that the list of con-
tributions as furnished to that commit
tee was inaccurate in many respects.
"You made the witness believe, said
Mr.. Bowers to Mr.. WINS, that II was
the report of a committee, and ne as
sented as he has the right to straight
along in this case, to anything that MI
WINS stood for. Ii was not the report
of a committee. propose to show that
the Clapp committee never mace any
report whatsoever except very small
resume in the end of the testimony
Accuses Wins of Deceit.
Mr.. Bowers went on to pound MI
WINS for "deceiving the Colonel, and
remarked: al had not the slightest
doubt that he was reading from the
official report. II was not until | read
the report that evening that saw the
real situation. II it appears that the
fund was under s2,000,00O and 1t APP
pears that it was s3,4OO,0O0 IN the NC
Kinley contributions of 1898 and l9oo,
we will get before this jury what are
the true facts and we will not nave the
Jury misinformed by reason of the com
plete confidence of my client in the
gentleman that examined him..
"To your statement that he was mis-
led" Mr.. Wins replied, 81 read to him q
copv of this document. presented 1t
10 him. | read the title of it, read the
list. and | asked him if he had any
doubt whether such contributions had
been made, and he voluntarily testihed
that they amounted to S3,OOO,OOO and
that he had got that information from
MIR. Cortelyou. ! did not ask him for
il. He volunteered it. | misled no
body. and | will not stand here, II the
Judge will permit me, in the position OF
a man who has attempted to mislead
as astute a witness as this. | call your
honor's attention to this-that Mr..
Roosevelt said that he knew more about
that business than the committee ala
knew more about it than all OF them
did"
After a wordy wrangle as to just
how far Mr.. Bowers could go in cor
recting the previous testimony OF the
Colonel, counsel asked: "Do you desire
to make any corrections"
"My conversation with Mr. Cortel-
YOU" Roosevelt answered, was sub
stantially to the effect that he told me
that he had received or expended
can't say whether it was receipts or
expenses he said-but that we had re.
ceived or expended in the campaign OF
1904 about half Of what was received
or expended when Mr.. Mckinley was
first elected President. in 1898. And
was mistaken in using the word 80
600. 900 in connection with the 1904
campaign. I had 100000 associated
in my mind with that conversation.
but the statement was in effect that the
receipts and expenditures had been
about S3,500,000 in 1895 and some
where in the neighborhood Of sl,SOO'-
600 in 1904"
Named National Officers.
Q.-What was the fund that was
held By Mr.. Cortelyou or Mr.. Bliss
AIR. Cortelyou was the chairman Oh
the national committee. Mr.. Bliss was
the treasurer Of the national commit
tee.
Q.-On this particular occasion they
were appointed at your request! A
They were appointed at my request.
Q.-What were the reasons when
actuated you in asking the national
committee to appoint these gentlemen
to these respective Offices? A-ihe
fact that knew them intimately, that
had absolute trust in their proDity
and integrity and that | knew they
would be incapable of doing anything
base or of making any promises or
commital of any kind sort or descrlp-
tion in any way Of securing executive
or legislative action in return for any
contribution whatsoever.
Q.-Now | want to take up another
question with you. Some correspon-
dence has been put in evidence since
| last talked with you on the witness
stand. between you and Mr. Platt, con-
corning the franchise tax bill. You
have testified as to your relations with
/ Thomas c. Plat, as to your correspon-
dence with him, as to the intercourse
: between you and as to the continual
visits that YOU made to him in the way
of taking breakfast with him in the
! CITY of New York and as TO your con-
sulting with him on the important acts
/ of YOUR administration. whether they
were in the way of making appoint
ments or legislative action. Am |