Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-09-02

/ into operation. The facts are simple
! and | have records to back them up.
June Il, Of this year, Harry NJ. Blair,
/ of my office prepared a tentative cam
] palgn fund plan which proposed abandon
ment of the plan previously adopted by
| the national committee to try to keen
| the limit of contributions down to ST 900.
/ This was in a document form. 101 which
/ Mr.. Blair prepared and which provided
/ that individual subscriptions of $1,000
and $4,000 be taken. Suggestions were
! made in this tentative plan for city
| quotas.
Mr.. Blair brought this plan to New
York where | was and proposed it but
it was promptly vetoed by the commit
tee. 1t not only was not adopted but
was hardly considered. The committee
! was determined TO try out the 81 900
plan. So far as | have been able to
learn only one copy Of this was ever
| sent out Of my office and it was prompt
y returned"
Officials of the Democratic national
committee testified Wednesday before
the senatorial committee investigating
campaign expenses that they brought no
evidence from Governor James VI. Cox
70 sustain his charges of q Republican
corruption fund but that they believed
the charges were true.
George White. recently elected chair
man of the Democratic organization,
and Wilbur Marsh, its treasurer. both
! backed their candidates assertions. and
| in addition Mr.. Marsh produced photo
graphic copies of subscription lists to
Republican book published By William
Barnes of the Albany. \. u, Evening
Journal, which he said indicated a viola
ton of the federal statutes forhidding
political subscriptions By corporations.
Original Lists.
Mr.. Marsh told Senator Kenyon chair
man of the investigating committee. that
the original lists were either in the
hands Of Governor Cox. or the depart
ment of Justice Asked why they had
not been turned over at once to the at
torney generals office as basis for
possible prosecutions. he replied:
We consider them an excellent cam
paign document Besides. We have had
them only about two weeks
We'll" Senator Kenyon said. '.if any
of the signers of these lists have violated
the law they ought to be jailed no mat
ter whether they are Republicans or
Democrats.
Other witnesses We're Farley P.
Christensen, presidential nominee of the
Farmer Labor party; Guy t. Scott,
treasurer of the Republican congress
sional and senatorial campaign commit
tees. and W. p. Jameson, holdover fl
nancial director of the Democratic ma
tional organization. Mr.. Jameson ap-
peared at a night session. which was
ordered in an effort to speed up the
hearings.
Democrats Have No Money.
Messrs. White and Marsh agreed that
the Democratic Golfers were practically
empty, but both hoped for better condi-
tions soon. They said that the party
as yet had no campaign committee. no
finance committee. and Mr. Marsh added
that the heads of bureaus had not yet
been appointed
Budget Not Corruptlng.
They agreed also that there was moth
ing in the budget Of $3.079, 900 presented
on Monday by VIII H. Hays. chairman
of the Republican national committee.
that was in itself evidence of a desire
TO corrupt the American electorate"
Mr.. Marsh thought the amount named
was not excessive for Republican cam
paign, but he said it would be far more
than was necessary for a Democratic
effort to elect a president.
Party Estimates for Campaign.
The officials differed as to the am
cunt needed for this years campaign BY
their party. Mr.. White made strictly
personal estimate of 50 100000. but Mr..
Marsh said that this was a high figure,
and that in the two months remaining
before election as good a campaign as the
1916 effort could be conducted for ST.
100000. He said he would be very
happy" with that amount at the disposal
of the national committee The evidence
confirmed previous assertions that the
1916 campaign cost the Democratic or
ganizatien $2.30o.000.
Barnes Book
The Barnes book attracted attention
through the day Mr. Marsh explained that
to his mind the suhscribtion list indicated
plan to collect large campaign funds lnde-
pendently of the regular Republican mach
inery He said there were severai organ
izatious engaged in similar work, ana at
the behest of Senator Kenyon he men
toned the National Young Mems he
publican league, the Southern Protect
i've Tariff association, the Iommittee
of American Business men, the American
defense society. and the Republican pub
licity association.
A. he mentioned each organization the
witness submitted letter from its hea6-
which he said bore ont his as
sertions, He protested that he did not
consider the Young Mems league respon-
sible in itself; that he thought the idea
md that the Democrats had one of their
,wn and hoped to revive 1t.
But we financed our league through
be national committee and whatever II
objected was turned In to the commit
ee." he said.
Continued on Page 1wol