The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-06-02
Palmer in Open
Appeal to Brewers
Judge Bonniwell, of Philadelphia, Charges At
torneyGeneral With Astounding Abuse"
of Power in Boosting His Presidential
Boom; Wide-Open Saloons Are
"Winked At" by Depart
ment of Justice.
Leader of Anti Palmer Forces Who Distributed Stick
ers Seeking Nomination of McAdoo, Testi6es Lat
ter Said He Was Not Candidate and Did
Not Wish to Organize.


Washington, June IA. Mitchell
Palmer was charged today with an
astounding misuse" OF the depart.
nent Of Justice and other "machln-
cry" of the administration In boost
Ing his presidential boom In the
recent Pennsylvania democratic
primary fight by Judge Eugene C.
BonniWeIi, Of the Philadelphia
municipal court, leader OF the anti.
Palmer forces In Pennsylvania, be-
fore the senate committee lnvestl-
eating 'preconvention campaign ex-
penditures.
Charges that the campaign for the
nomination Of Atty. Gen. Palmer
had been conducted in Pennsylvania
with an open appeal to the dstll-
state were also made by Judge
BonniWell.
Mr.. Bonniwell VINO distributed stick
ers during the primary campaign seek
ing the nomination OF w. G. McAdoo,
said that saloons and bonded ware
houses in some parts of the state are
now running wide OPEN and that this
was proceeding under the eyes of de-
partment of justice and prohibition
enforcement officers of the federal gov
ernment appointed with "Palmers wise g."
"Scranton's own mayor admits
his city Is the wettest spot this
side of the Atlantic ocean," Bonnl-
well added. He charged internal
revsnue 3ssnts Under the domns
troled by Palmer, "Wlnked" at Vlo-
Iation Of the prohibition enforce
ment law In Pennsylvania. -e
Degradation of Law"
The witness charged that the Palmer
campaign in Pennsylvania had been u
sseyhu ctlx nd hos sing n dot inf1fi n
law. He added that the campaign he
conducted for Mr.. McAdoo had been
entirely the work of himself and his
colleagues and against the specific
personal refusal of Mr.. McAdoo to al
low his name to be used.
Mr.. Bonniwel said that at Scranton,
Pa, where the district attorney was
Mr.. Palmer's," the situation was par
ticularly bad with relation to open
violation of the prohibition law. He
added that men directly connected with
the liquor interests were among the
Palmer delegates to the national con-
vention elected at the recent prl-
maries.
Il organized campaign in opposi-
ton to Attorney General Palmer" Mr..
Bonniwell said. and | know all about
what was done in it and a great deal
about what the other side did"
There was McAdoo campaign in
PENNSYLVANIA Chairman Kenyon
asked.
Yes. sir. 1t was exclusively an acs
OF myself and associates" Mr.. Bonni-
well said Il met Mr.. McAdoo in
January. He took the position that he
was not 2 candidate. that he did NOT
n protested that the Palmer cam
paiEn was an astounding misuse of the
powers OF .sthe department of justice
and the internal revenue office and that
II was appearing as an administration
campaign.
Selling 8 Pet. Beer.
THE doors Of the bonded warehouse
in Pennsylvania are standing wide
open. Z Mr.. Bonniwell said The brew
cries are running every day and the
saloons are selling three per cent. beer.
THE Palmer campaign was a CHASTITY
and deba sing degradation of the law.
Its organization was an invitation to
violate the laws"
Men concerned in the sale of liquors,
he said. were leading the Palmer fight.
particularly i'll Scranton and Lacka-
wanna county"
you have the situation" he con-
tinued, "of every prohibition enforce
ment officer appointed with Mr.. Pal
mer's wise letting things go so bad that
communities were protesting and taking
J part in the fight.
How does all this enter the presiden-
tial primary" Senator Kenyon asked.
, why il was generally understood
that | would have won my campaign
in pennsylvania. had it not been for
this sudden unlocsening of liquor" Mr..
BonMwell said. When it became evil
dent that my friends would win. the
doors of the warehouse were opened
and the bars were let down"
Must have wanted to elect Palmer
president" Senator Reed observed
Mr. Bonniwell charged that the post
Office had held up letters he sent out
Mr.. Palmer personally were withdrawn
from the record.
Not a ProhlbitIonist.
Saloons are running wide open IN
"Are you saying that from the point
of view Of a man who believes in pro-
hibition?" Senator Reed inquired
NO; | am opposed to the eighteenth
amendment. but no man can defeho
violation Of law.
The most complete demonstration OF
the situation Mr.. Bonniwell asserted
was that whisky which was selling
for SIG quart when the Palmer cam
paign opened, was selling. freely when
the campaign was at its height for IS
a quart throughout the anthracite ter
ritory. !. ..
to let his name 90 on the ballot In
view Of the situation" He Hatly
refused, saying that the only decent
thlnu for democracy to do was to
let delegates 90 unlnstrueted to the
national convention"
EaIjInu to oct permission TO use
Mr.. McAdoo's name. Mr.. Bonnlweii
said his friends had endeavored to
uet voters 60 write his name In.
land we came within 200 votes OF I'll
beatlna Palmer In Philadelphia"
"Hnw much money did you spend
on It7" Chairman Kenyon asked.
~ wac making battle for ma
tlcnai committeeman" Mr. 6onnl"
, we'll replied, " and I'm frank TO say
that the MeAdoo work was great
benefit TO me-"
Asked as TO the use of money on the
other side. he said:
my advices are that $40 commit
teeman was paid in Philadelphia. From
Dauphin county the chairman wrote
me that the Pennsylvania fEht cost the
Palmer men between 100000 and SSoo,-
00A."
Here the committee objected on the
ground the witness was dealing with
"Tm not" Mr. Bonuiwen returned
The name Of my informant was Chas
b Sucker. They had eight or ter men |
employed in polling places in '0nnties
where there were hardly 1000 demo- |
cratic votes. Bruce Sterling was di- |
rectinc the fight"
This letter went to every federal |
officer in the state" the witness con- |
ttnued. turning over IN the committee |
document signed nv Joseph Willing !
NJ Philadelnhia 1T was a solicitation |
for funds for A. Mitchell Palmer. the /
PershinE ~. Pennsvlysnia
Palmer as Spectator
Attorney General Palmer appeared !
in the senate campaign investigating 1
committee room tcdav just before the /
Afternoon session Of the committee be-
gan. He was the first Of the presl-