Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-10-16
STRONGARMING
METHODS USED
TO GET FUNDS
CONTINUED FRoM PAGE one

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE
compulsory" obviously meaning that
II is not legally compulsOry-but they
proceed to state that they are in
formed that there is to be a pcrma-
nent organization "of force through
out the country" This permanent or
ganiZation is to keep tabs on the fed
eral officeholders. A record is to be
made "of the loyalty" of those ap-
pointees who contribute, and of the
"dislOyalty" of those federal office
holders who decline to contribute to
the Wilson campaign fund. This mere
ly notified federal offceholders on
the authority of the national Demo-
cratic executive committee, that If
they do not contribute" 10 per cent
of a years salary to tn Wilson cam
paign fund they will he marked down
by the Wilson permanent organization
as disloyal
The instructions to the strong arm
squad go ahead to point out that II Is
n violation Of the civil service law TO
write letter to a postmaster demand
ing money for campaign purposes or
to call upon the postmasters I'm the
pcstoffiCe and asl; for n subscription
to the campaign fund. The strongarm
squad is directed. therefore, to avoid
writing TO federal authorities or call
ing upon them in their offices but Is
advised to seek private appointments
with the federal officeholdars; to find
them at their homes or to catch them
when they are temporarily off tho Job.
To Keep Out of Prison.
With this explanation of the legal
difficulties in their way. the strong
arm squar is admonished OF pro
ceed intellieentlv along these lines"
ard to contrive sin a legal way TO So
licit the federal officehol1ers.
There are several sections of the
federal statutes, the spirit of which, If
not the letter, is clearly violated by
the procedure planned under the aus
pices Of the national Democratic exc
cutive committee.
Section 11S of the United States
criminal code. which embodies Section
II of the civil service act. deals with
one phase of this matter.
Section 119 of the United States
criminal code. which embOdies Section
IL of the civil service act. deals with
another phase of IL. 1t is tins latter
section to which the trainers of the
Democratic extortion scheme specific
ally refer in their instructions to the
str ongarm squad
Sections 12O and 121 Of the United
States criminal code. which embody
sections 13 and IA OF the civil service
act. refer to other phases OF the
matter
1t is obvious that the men who de-
veloped the scheme for the national
Democratic executive committee. and
who are endeavoring to operate 1t, had
these provisions Of the law in mind,
and have sought deliberately to find
the technical loophole which will en-
able them to contravene the spirit and
the purpose of the statute and yet
escape the punishment of a $4,000 fine
or Imprisonment for three years or
both.
Mccormick "Sunfishcs'.
Vance Mccormick. chairman of the
Democratic national committee yes
terday virtuously denied the charge
that the Democratic organization WAS
attempting to extort campaign funds
from postmasters and other federal
officials by a ! 0 per cent political as
sessment. Today he admits the charge
but tries to explain 1t. Tomorrow he
may have to explain his explanation.
in view of further conclusive and con-
firmatory evidence which has reached
the Republican national committee.
When Mr.. McCormick's attention
was directed to the charge that the
Democratic campaign committee,
through Il. Bonna Ridgway. a men,
Der of the Democratic national finance
committee and chairman of the Demo
cratic central committee of Texas, was
atteinptingsto hold up the postmasters
OF the country by collecting "contribu-
tions" of 10 per cent OF their annual
salaries under the threat that record
would be kept Of those who proved
loyal" by contributing and of those
who proved 'disloyal' by refusing TO
contribute, Chairman Mccormick said: |
These charges are the most arrant
nonsense and are absolutely untrue.
They are In line with the campaign Of
Misrepresentation that the Repub-
licans have been making from the
start"
Today, having learned that copies
of tho "shakedown" letter were in