The New York herald., 1922-11-21
REPUBLICAN FUNDS
MISUSED, IS CHARGE
State Committee VIII Demand
Accounting From Upstate
County Chairmen.
NOT SPENT FOR MILLER
Voters Simply Crazy Minded
Wards Explanation of
Defeat.
NOT SPENT FOR MILLER

The Republican State Committee. il
was learned yesterday, will demand
from It's upstate county chairmen. an
immediate accounting of tho funds dis
tributed before election TO reei-ct GOV.
Miller. The committee has good infor-
mation-in some cases direct evidence
that some of this money was not spent
at all.
A conference OF party leaders was
held yesterday at State headquarters in
West Thirty-ninth street. The first
question to be considered~wa Where
did the money go? According to one OF
the biggest men in the state organiza-
tion the cost of Miller's campaign was
equal to that of any Presidential cam
paign. The county leaders, he said. got
whatever they asked On election day
alone as much as s125 for single cleo
tion districts was sent up State to get
the vote out
Each county chairman VIII be obliged
to submit an itemized expense account
showing how every dollar was used.
The money was for printing, bill post
ing, postage automobiles, music, fire.
works. &C., all legitimate campaign ex-
penses, and some of it appears never
to have gone any further than the
pockets of local bosses.
After expense statements are filed,
certain upstate leaders will be asked
to appear before the committee and
explain things in person. It Is quite
probable, it was said, II misappropria-
tion of funds can be proved that sew
eral we'll known county leaders will be
publicly exposed In that case the
State organization will inform the
county organization that it will with
draw its support until a new chair
man is chosen.
Calls Voters "Crazy Minded
At yesterdays conference were
George X. Morris, State chairman;
William L. Ward. Senator James W.
Wadsworth. Jr., who has been men
in New York State; Theodore Roose-
velt Jr, Assistant Secretary of the
Navy; Charles d. Hilles. national COM
mtteeman: Richard w. Lawrence,
Bronx county leader. and Col. Lafa-
yette b. Gleason, secretary of the State
Committee.
Henry d. Curran, Republican candi-
date for Mayor In 1921, dropped in. but
said he came to see Senator Wads-
worth. who was his classmate at COL
lege. and for no political purpose.
After the conference Mr.. Morris said:
There has been no talk of reorgani-
zation, except In the newspapers. Just
now we are trying to find out where
we are al and to get our feet on the
ground again. There is nothing In the
rumor that my business Is going to
prevent me from continuing to be State
chairman.
Mr.. Ward said: "The talk about pun
ishing' anybody is all nonsense. The
state Committee cannot 60 into n
county and fire the local chairman The
Democratic success was statewide. not
only statewide but nationwide Ii ex-
tended u every locality The trouble
is the voters were crazy minded"
Some one remarked that the result
of the election reminded him of "a
straw vote in a lunatic asylum"
Party on Its Way Up.
"They wanted license" Mr.. Ward
continued. "They voted for license and
they had no use for a man like Miller.
who stood for law and order. There is
no reason to be unhappy over this cleo
ton, however. From now on the party
Is on its way UP. The other fellow
has the responsibility"
Senator Wadsworth said; "Smith will
have to make good If he can, on his
campaign promises. which will be n
tough job We will all profit by the
mistakes of the other side
Secretary Roosevelt was asked about
President Harding and Mrs. Theodore
Douglas Robinson, his aunt, on pro-
hibition and gave a typical Roosevelt
answer:
81 haven't asked the President" he
said. 81 haven't asked Mrs. Robinson
either. | am in the happy position OF
not knowing anything about it,