The Coconino sun., 1918-10-11
DESPERATE DEMOCRATS.

Hon. Jonathan Bourne, Jr., gives out the following statement from Washington:
 According to a news article in the Portland Oregonian of September IT, 1918, the Democratic National Com mittee is soliciting congressional cam paign contributions from both Repub- licans and Democrats who are officers or stockholders in shipbuilding com panies engaged in building ships for the government and depending upon future contracts from the same source. If this has been done, it is reprehensible in the highest degree. If this has been done in Oregon, it has doubtless been done in every other sec tion of the country where government contracts have been let. Direct and personal solicitation of partisan con tributions from a concern having a war contract is the grossest kind of utilization of the war for partisan po- litical purposes.
 "There could be no criticism of ac- ceptance of voluntary campaign con- tributions from individual Democrats to a Democratic campaign fund, even if those contributors had government contracts. But direct solicitation of contributions is an entirely different thing, particularly when the solicita- tion is directed to Republicans as we'll as Democrats. Solicitation of funds in that manner leaves the necessary inference that the contributions are expected because the men have gov ernment war contracts, rather than because they believe in the principles and practices of the Democratic party. .r
 "Perusal of the letter sent to off cers and stockholders of shipbullding companies will show that it IS not only an attempt to get a rake-off from gov ernment contracts, but is a repetition of the false claim that only Demo- crats are 100 per cent American. Here is the language of the letter as pub lished by the Oregonian:
 "Tt is incumbent upon every citi- zen to make an extraordinary effort to uphold the policies of our great President, which can be done only by electinp to the Senate and House of Representatives those who are 100 per cent American, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AIMS OF THE ADMIN ISTRATION.
 "A broad, comprehensive educa-, tional campaign is being conducted throughout the country. 1t IS neces- sarily expensive.
 "'You are now given an opportunity to do something real, and we hope you will make an early contribution with the knowledge that what you will do will help place the national admins tration in a position to increase its ef- forts in the prosecution of the war.
 Although the plea is ostensibly Tor the election of Senators and Represen- tatives who are 100 per cent Ameri- can, the funds are to be used only TOT the election of Democrats, so the nec- essary inference is that only Demo- crats are 100 per cent American. The money will be used to re-elect Champ Clark, Kitchin, Dent, Hayden and other Democrats who fought the se- lective draft law, without which tnis war could not have been conducted for a week by American troops.
 "The statement that you are now given an opportunity to do something real is an implied assumption that men who have bought Liberty Bonds, paid war taxes, contributed to the Red Cross and conserved foodstuffs, have done nothing real until they contribute to the Democratic campaign fund.
 "The whole letter and the manner of its distribution, if the press reports are correct, is base perversion of war business for partisan political ends. It is an insult to more than half of the voters of America. It is a misrepresentation of the Republi- cans in Congress. It is one of the most reprehensible attempts ever made by political party to exact toll from government contractors. This action of the Democratic National Committee should be severely rebuked by the voters in the November cleo tious.0