Norwich bulletin., 1920-08-31
|COX'S $15,0OO,OO) FUND IS
 STILL INVISIBLE ID OTHERS
Extended Examination of Will H. Hays and Homer S.
 Cummings by the Senate Committee Failed to Throw Any Light Such Fund Both Declined to Discuss Details of Their Committee Financing rrs s

Chicago, Aug. 30.-An extended exa- 'minatlon today of Will H. Hays and Ho- mer $. Cummings, republican and demo- cratic national chairmen by the senate committee Investigating campaign ex- penditures failed to throw any light on the s15,o00,000 fund which Governor Cox charged the republican party was seeking to raise in an, attempt to cor rupt the American electorate and buy the presidency"
 The committee heard Representative M. D. Flood, of Virginia, chairman of the democratic congressional campaign committed, and Former Representatt ' e Joseph L, Rhinock of Kentucky, treas urer of the committee.
 Outstanding points in the maze of fig 'ures through which the committee strug- gled were:
 Testimony by Mir Hays that the re- publican national committees budget for the presidential campaign called for ex- penditure of $S,o79,oS7.20.
 Declaration by Mir. Cummings that. allowing for the increased cost of print ing, clerical hire, rents, transportati6n and all necessities of national cam palgn national committee should be able to stage "a fair, decent and stiff campaign with reasonable publicity" for $3,000, 900. With that amount of money need not worry over finances.
 MT. Hays also testified the republi- can national committee was seeking to raise approximately s1,OOO, 900 to be do- mated to state committees for their local campaigns, making a total of slightly more than s4.000,o00 in the republican campaign chest for all purposes
 Mr. Cummings declared he believed this amount was excessive and pointed to the 1916 campaign, saying he learned in his home state of Connecticut the re- publicans spent s25oooo in that year
 He considered this was too much for a commonwealth of that size.
 Both Mir. Hays and Mfr. Cummings refused to discuss details. of their com mittee financing, asserting that as chair men they had only general knowledge of such subjects and that the books anC I records of the committee treasurer!
 would have to be relied upon in tha respect. | Neither knew of any large individua contributions and Mir. Hays was rathe
 positive that the republican plan to linn
 it individual gifts to S1,000 was beini
 carried out successfully. He knew 0
 thirty-eight exceptions to the rule, tn largest being for $9,0o0.
 Mir. Cummings explained that the or ! V
 was poverty stricken when he assunie'
 that office and that he left to. his sue .cessor- s651 in cash and a net indebted ness of slightly more than $2oo,000. -'
 The two chairmen agreed that legisla l tion looking to federal control of presi
 dential campaigns was desirable. Sena : tor Pomerene argued that congress wa powerless at present because the su i preme court had held that presidentia electors were state officials. .+ | A suggestion that a constitutions amendment might be necessary to giv, congress oversight of presidential cam pagns brought from MT. Hays a proposa that the parties might unite Tn an effor 10 obtain such a change in the basic law Representative Flood estimated s22e, | 900 would be required by his democrati, congressional committee to conduct it; efforts properly, but presented figures t' show that he had received only sS,70o ii subscriptions.
 l Questioning of Representative Fioo, brought out that he had printed by thu public printer at Washington 1906, ,00I copies of speeches by democratic con gressmen. He had pledged his commit tee to pay $5,09S.16 for the printing, h. said. The speeches were being sent ou under congressional frank, thereby elim mating postage bills
 1 On questioning Mir. Cummings. Chair man Kenyon asked how much money i
 would take to buy the American cleo | torate.
 Harding couldn't be elected no mat
 ter how much money is spent in his be half" rejoined Mir. Cummings. Cover nor Cox did not say that the Americal electorate could be bought for SIS, 1000. 1 100000 but he did say an attempt wa
 being made to do so."
 l Fred W. Upham. republican nationa treasurer. will be the first witness tomor
 row. Senator Kenyon announced when tn | committee adjourned. He will he follow
 ed by Wilbur W. Marsh, denocrati 1 treasurer. .