Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-01-09
Senator NelUbeuy Declares
His Innocence Before Senate

pressed to him the gratitude which !
feel. Not more than a half
dozen times did ] see Mr.. King
throughout the campaign, and each
time il was in the city of New York
He kept me constantly informed as
to the progress of the campaign in
which / was. of course. keenly in
terested On one or two oc-
casions questions of policy were dis
cussed between us, and in each in
stance the judgment of Mr.. King
controlled.
Sometimes Opposed Desires.
LAS l recollect the facts. in one or
two instances his action was the ex-
act opposite to what l felt was the
best thing to do. l do not mean to
say that l did not know generally
what was going on in Michigan.
had constant knowledge, so far as
Information was concerned, regard
ing the progress Of the campaign, but
had no direct participation in ii.
II knew. as u matter of fact, that
a campaign of publicity was being
extensively carried on, and realized
that such campaign must heces-
sarily cost a considerable amount or
money: but l did not have the faint
that actually was expended until
after the report was made public.
The cost of the campaign was about
sl95, 900. according to the report, ana
when | learned OF this amount l was
at once filled with establishment and
regret.
THE amount expended was large.
more than / had any idea was being
expended, and more than ought to be
necessary to eXpend in any ordinary
7 II.
nary campaign.
Regrets Large Amount.
Il shall not dwell upon the reasons
| which the committee thought imperial
lively demanded a campaign of news
paper publicity involving this ex-
penditure of money. l can only
! say that l regret exceedingly the fact
that so large an amount of money
was necessarily expended. / can fur
Their say that in the acquisition of that
! money, in the solicitation Of that
money, in the collection of that
money, in the use of that money
had nothing whatever 10 do. l knew
nothing whatever about it, not even
the amount of 1t.
Il make this statement not to es-
cape any responsi bility. but in order
| that the actual facts in the matter.
as l know them, may be presented to
the Senate. How the money was spent
in the state of Michigan, how the
books of account We're kept, who were
engaged in this work or what they
did l did not know; l do not know
now. except from the accounts of the
hearings which have been held and
the report filed after the primary.
Believes LAW Obeyed.
1T is and always has been my
| understanding that in so far as the
primary in Michigan is concerned, if
the cost is not borne by the candidate
| himself the committee in charge of
the campaign may spend whatever
amount it pleases for the eleven
enumerated objects which are set
forth at length in the Michigan pri-
| mary law. l therefore assumed from
the start. and l still believe, that the
law was carefully obeyed by this in
dependent committee, which had the
campaign for my primary election
Il made my statements under oath
to the Senate, as provided by law, in
the firm belief that they were 1uf and
fair statements of the absolute truth
and l so believe to this hour. l made
them without consultation and with
out legal advice. and with only the
same facts before me, l would make
exactly the same statements today
| that l made then.
Ignorant OF Fund.
"As to the campaign fund, the ques-
ton of its acquisition, or of its ex-
penditure, was never called to my at
| tention by any one connected with me
or the campaign committee, and when
stated that no money was spent
with my knowledge or consent, l en-
deavored to convey the same impress
sion which I now endeavor to make
clear, namely, that as for myself. l
was spending no money, and that l
knew nothing about the expenditure
of money in the campaign. 1 want
| to make this point just as strong as l
am able to do because it has been
limited that money which was con-
tributed, without my knowledge or
consent, by relatives and friends OF
mine, was subsequently. in some way,
directly or indirectly. repaid by me. or