Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-06-03
CONVENTION
EXPENSE PROBE:
* IS FEATURED BY
>.sS.22!s!l !l!!! BATTLE
PaImer'S P6r y Jania CAM
paign a nGhaStIy and De-
baSing Degradation OF
Law" One Witness Says,
NEWS OF IMPENDING
CLASH DRAWS CROWD
Senator Edge Refuses to
Attend Further Sessions;
Believes Data Gathered
Will Be Sufficient,

10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED WiREl
Washington. June 2 (by the AS
sociated Press. "A fiery. cross
table, verbal battle between Attor-
ney General Palmer and Eugene
c. Bonniwell of Philadelphia, brist-
ling with direct charges Of the mis-
use Of federal power to let down
the liquor bars during the Penn
sylvania presidential primaries on
the one hand and of attempted
character ssinauon' on the
other, marked senate Investigation
today of pre-conVcntion campaign
expenditures.
The attorney general appeared
unexpectedly in the committee
latter Mr.. Bouniwell had launched
a hroadside of charges, including
a sweeping assertion that the whole
Palmer campaign in Pennsylvania
had been a "ghastly and debasing
degradation OF law" Mr., Bonni-
well was recalled to the stand to
finish his testimony and Mr., Pal
mer, the first candidate for a
presidential nomination to appear
at the inquiry, took a seat across
the table from the witness who. 1t
was brought out, was a political
enemy of long standing
Hearing Room Is Crowded.
News of the impending verbal
clash before the committee spread
rapidly and the hearing room soon
was crowded, When Mr.. Benni-
well concluded, Mr.. Palmer re-
piled. opening his statement with
the charge that Mr.. Bonniwell had
employed character assassination
methods against him in Pennsyl-
vania for years, and concluding It
with the assertion that in Pennsyl-
vania Judge Bonniwell's word is
not evidence of fact"
Echoes of the combat had hardly
died away before new element
was injected into the committees
deliberations with the flat refusal
of Senator Edge, republican. New
Jersey 70 attefsi further sessions.
| In announcing that he had notified
| the chairmen of the full committee
and the subcommittee of his deci-
sion, the senator said he believed
approximate figures on all pre-con-
Ivention expenditures. had been OBJ
tanned and that further inquiry
would result only in the airing OF
"charges. counter charges, intima-
Itions and insinuations." lie added
that no federal law had been
broken as there was no federal
presidential primary law to break.
Before Mr.. Palmer appeared in
the committee room the committee
inquired into the activities of the
Plumb Plan league, made further
efforts to run down a presidential
campaign for w, Gg McAdoo and
/ had heard two officials of oil com
lpanies who had been mentioned IN
previous testimony as possible
large contributors to political cam
lpaigns
NIibi for Plumb Plan League.
Edward Keating. manager of the
Plumb Plan league, declared the
league had taken no part in any
pre convention political activity
had not contributed any money and
did not plan to participate in the
convention struggles. He added,
however, that it did seek to defeat
members of congress who voted for
the transportation act,
Mrs. Antoinette Funk of Illinois,
active in Liberty Loan drives ana
later for the democratic national
committee, declared positively that
no campaign for obtaining the
democratic presidential nomination
for McAdoo. direct or Indirect, eX-
listed, much to her regret.
II. f. Sinclair. New York, of the
oil company bearing his name, de-
clared he had made no campaign
contributions or been otherwise
active politically and Norman
Bridges. connected with the Do
heny oil interests. testified that he
had contributed 81, 900 to General
woods candidacy. but otherwise