New-York tribune., 1920-08-23

Senator Challenges Cox to
Substantiate Statement
That Republicans Seek
to Raise $l5,OOO,OO
Limit of $1,000 Said
Be Still i'm Effect
Welcomes Suffrage, but
Says 1t Won't Change
Result in Any State
From q Staf Correspondent

MARION. Ohio, Aug. Ex-senator
Warren G. Harding denied to-day the
charge made in recent speeches by
Governor James M. Cox that the Re-
publican party was attempting to buy
an "undcrhold" on the Presidential
election with campaign fund of S15,-
100000. The Republican nominee chal-
lenged the Democratic candidate to pro-
duce any evidence he can of the exist
ence of fund Of such proportions.
There is no foundation whatever for
the $150oo,ooo campaign funds story"
Senator Harding declared with heat
1T is perfectly ridiculous. I've got
the impression somewhere that it is
going to take two or three millions to
run the campaign. do know this: it
Is matter of a good deal of difficulty
to carry on the campaign the way we
want to with the means at hand.
$50 far as I know, the rule limiting
contributions to $1,000 is still in force
At the time of the Chicago convention
the national committee actually had to
borrow quarter of million dollars
to go on with the campaign. Of course.
1T is true that campaigns nowadays cost
more.
Silver Issue Swellcd Fund
"ln the national campaign Of TWENTY
tour years ago. when money was the
paramount issue, the late Senator Han
ma told me bankers and others poured
money in on the national committee,
At the end of the campaign the Re-
publlcans returned $1,000,00O to the
donors. The expenditures in that cam
paign totaled $2.000,oo0. On the other
hand, IN 1900 when the money issue was
not involved, Hanna had to get down
on on his knees and scratch for money.
100000 that year"
Senator Harding was asked about a
Democratic campaign assertion that the
$1,000 limit rule was being evaded by
men of wealth who gave $1,000 in their
own, names and mutples of that sum
IN . the names of employees and friends.
i haven't heard that story" Sena-
lieve it. Chairman Hays of the Re-
publican National Committee has
called upon the opposition candidate or
any one else to produce evidence of
the truth of the $15,O00,00O charge.
second Mr.. HavSs motion. We court
the fullest investigation"
The Republican nominee made this
DENIAL of the Cox charges on the porch
of the tiny white bungalow that has
peenl built in the rear of his head
quarters, next door to his home. as a
workroom for the newspaper CORE
spondents here. He strollad back there
late this afternoon with Captain Jo
scph Medill Patterson, one of the
editors of The Chicago Tribune, who
spent the afternoon with him.
"You know" said the nominee after
bit Of thought, "when I was elected
to the Senate the total Republican ex
nenditures were $4,000. When | made
the unfortunate run for Governor the
total campaign fund was $3S, 900, and
when we finished we had $4,000 left
in the treasury"
Discusses Effect of Suffrage
Another phase Of campaign expendi-
lures was touched upon when the
Senator was asked about the effect
that ratification of the Susan B. An
thony suffrage amendment to the Con-
stitution would have on the campaign.
"It won't make any change in our
plans" he said. "Of course, it means
increased work to reach these new
voters with literature. That means
more literature. 1t adds to the work.
am very glad to have it," Then,
smiling, the nominee said: "You know
l don't think suffrage is going to
change the political complexion of a
The Senator dropped a hint this
evening that his speech on the League
of Nations is to be delivered August 2S
to delegation from Indiana, and that
he will employ the Polish situation to
illustrate how Article X would have in
volved the United States in war with
Russia had this nation ratified the
Treaty of Versailles without reserva-
tions, as President Wilson demanded.
"1 won't anticipate that League of
Nations Speech" the nominee said.
when he was pressed for information
regarding it.
Colonel George Harvey. a weekend
Continued page three)