Evening star., 1920-09-13
EDGE TELLS WHY cox
WAS NOT A WITNESS
Declares Senate Committee Should
Forget Governor and His
Utterances.

ATLANTIC CITY, September IA
Because the majority of the Senate
committee Investigating presidential
campaign expenditures considered his
testimony would produce no material
evidence" Gov. James NJ. Cox, demo-
cratic nominee for the presidency,
was not called before the committee.
Senator Walter E. Edge of New Jer-
sey, member of the committee, who
left the hearing before it ended at
Chicago Saturday, declared here yes
terday.
Il am very much interested in the
responsibility assigned the committee
and recognize the Importance of reg
ulatory legislation" Senator Edge
continued. IF the committee will
confine it's activities to that study
and forget Gov. Cox and his ut
terances. IT can and will serve very
useful purpose"
In reply to a statement by Senator
Reed last week Senator Edge said:
1T makes a considerable difference
whose OK is gored. Time after time
the Chicago newspapers have printed
statements purporting to come from
Senator Reed and others to the effect
that the Cox charges were estab-
lished. When. however, another mem
per OF the committee reviews the evil
NSACC anu AaAhly States IndI GOV.
Coxs unequivocal charges of sinister
Influences and corruption funds being
raised to buy the presidency have in
no way been proved, his action, in the
opinion or the Missouri senator. is
indecent
Il have no fight with nv friend
from Missouri in this regard. He is
entitled to his opinion. l have no hesi-
fancy in expressing mine. My state
ment certainly was clear enough as to
my intention of continuing my COM
! mlttee responsibilities, but am weary.
and l believe the country is likewise,
or permitting Mr.. Cox .or his repre-
sentatives to annex tHe committees
activities to this campa tsn alone. SEN
ator Kenyon, the chairman. is prepar-
ing the future program. and am con-
fdent it will include other phases of
| our responsibility.
PERSONALLY, l originally believed
| Gov. Cox should have come before the
committee and made, under oath, the
| charges that he delivered in his cam
because he was candidate for the
presidency, but quite the contrary, l
should think. But as his representa-
| tives failed. day after day. to estab-
lish any sinister plan and. beyond the
| existence Of padded quotas his
| charges were daily punctured.
| agreed with the majority that. beyond
| creating a further sensation, his pres
| enca before the committee would pro-
duce no material evidence.
while discussing the matter let me
make it clear that it is not my view
that our committee constitutes a
| court to try an issue and deliver
verdict. If that had been the case, of
| course, any statements. by members
| would have been entirely out of place.
| Our duty, as clearly outlined in the
! Senate resolution under which we are
| acting, is to investigate the size. char
acter and source of the campaign
funds. and recommend, If we so de-
| eide, remedial legislation which would
| regulate campaign collections and ex-
| penditures. Therefore, in discussing
| the progress of the committee, no
ethics, it seems to me, are involved.
again. Mr.. Cox's charges are pure
| ly Incidental, and if he had never
made them the first duty of the COM
mittee would have been to have
heard from the officers of both ma
| tional committees and allied organi-
cations. The former we have done.
| The latter as yet only as it has come
up in considering the Cox charges"