The sun., 1918-09-16
HEARST And SWAMI
ACCUSED BY CHILDS
Fusion Chairman Says Talk of
"Slush Fund" Was SIMS
ter Propaganda.
MITCHEL'S NAME CLEARED
Scheme to Keep Self-respect-
ing Citizens Out of Campaigns
Failed. Letter Asserts.

William Hamlin Childs. who was
chairman of the Fusion Committee OF
ESQ that worked for Mayor Mitchell last
year. and who with William Sulyer and
Josiah T. Newcomb was indicted for Al
legged Irregularities In reporting cam
paign contributions. has sent q letter to
the other members OF the committee fell
lowing the decision last week OF Supreme
Court Justice Finch sustaining a writ
or habeas corpus, thus annulling the in
dictments.
After reciting the circumstances OF the
indictments and quoting from the de-
cision OF Justice Finch. who said: HE
(ChiIdsD has done nothing for which he
Is indictable. even assuming that the
facts are true, and the Grand Jury was
without jurisdiction" Mr.. Childs's letter
ran:
''Mr. Sulzer was paid $4,000 for
speeches. Mr.. Mischa Applebaum of the
Humanitarian Society was paid $500
for speeches. concerts and plan OF cam
paign. Both these items appeared in the
report of the city publicity committee
under the head of speakers. meetings,
&C.. as one item of 500. The in
dictments were based solely upon the
contention of the District Attorney that
the names of Messrs. Sulzer and Apple
baum should have been mentioned in
connection with this item. There was
no charge of transportation of money
or OF improper expenditure OF funds.
No Secrecy Attempted.
Personally. I was not a member Of
the city publicity committee. l did not
sign the report and have never seen II.
] made no suggestion as to the manner
in which the report should be made up.
] gave only one instruction about il and
that was that IL should receive the APP
prevail Of legal counsel before filing and
should be according TO Law in every de-
tail. 1t was submitted to our counsel
and he contends that II fully complies
with the Law.
There was no possible object in at
tempting to conceal the names Of Sulzer
and Applebaum. and their activities in
the campaign were known TO the press
and the general public. After all the
months of effort and expense by the Dis
trict Attorneys Office, the result Is a
vindication by the Supreme Court.
ut is apparent that the whole in
vestigation has from the hrst been a
sinister political propaganda In the per-
.onai interest Of the Hearst-Swann COM
bination. as a groundwork for this falls
State election. For when the investiga-
ton was started the State had not yet
escaped the menace Of Hearst's can
didacy. The Hearst press has contin-
uously misrepresented the Fusion COM
mittee of 1917 by almost daily reference
to its expenditures of slush fund.
There was no slush fund. as the Grand
Jury investigation has proved.
Errors of Democrats Ignored.
object OF this investigation Ia the atti-
tude OF the District Attorney regarding
the Democratic records. If II was the
disinterested desire OF the District At
torney 10 protect the community from
the evils forbidden by the corrupt prac-
tees act IL was his duty 10 investigate
the Democratic records as vigorously as
those Of the Fusion committee. But al
though he has had these records In his
possession since last January. having
obtained them by subpoena from Albany.
he has brought no proceedings in con-
nection with them. Our own expert ex-
animation Of them show that they are
full Of many technical II not serious ir-
regularities forbidden by law.
As chairman of your executive COM
mittee my job has been to bear the brunt
OF this outrageous political attack and /
have no regrets. Ny chief satisfaction
Is that Judge Finch's decision clears the
memory OF Mayor Mitchell. with whom
/ was proud 10 be associated. from the
imputation that he accepted the support
OF a campaign committee which was un-
scrupulous in its methods.
II warn the public spirited citizens OF
New York that this attack. which was
obviously designed TO frighten self-re-
speeding citizens from contributing to
or taking active part in future political
campo gns, was aimed not ut me. but At
them, and unless they are awakened to
the far reaching results OF such sinister
political propaganda and the aims Of Its
authors, IT will be serious for the best
interests OF the city and State"