Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-01-19

holidays following the armistice.
The primary election and the gener-
al election of 1918. occurred during my
absence from the state of Michigan.
In the carly fall Of 1917 began
20 receive visits and letters from
men active in public and political af-
fairs ia Michigan, urging me to be-
come candidate on the Republican
ticket for United States senator. ]
was not unmindful of the suggested
honor, and yet, fully realized that
certainly would not resign my COM
mission IN the navy to become a can
didate for any political office, and
that / could not take any personal
active interest in a campaign while !
continued TO be an officer on duty in
the United States navy.
While / was considering whether or
not it was my duty to become a
candidate for the United States SEN
ate ri the November election Of 1913,
said 90 Mr.. Allen Templeton, cit
lien Of Detroit, who was actively en-
gagged in q large industry in which |
was n stakeholder, and who was also
president Of the Detroit Board of
Commerce, that if l should decide to
become a candidate l hoped it would
meet with the approval Of my Detroit
business friends and associates, and
that 1 trusted that the campaign
might be looked after by business
men OF that description. This is as
far as ] had any direct competition
with the selection Of the committee
Of business men, whose management
of the campaign in my behalf | shall
remember with gratitude as long as
shall live.
King in Charge.
MIR. Paul II. King was induced to
accept the active management of the
campaign. The selection of Mr.. King
did not originate with me. 1t was
not ia any way arranged by me. !
knew lIr. King but~slightly. My last
contact with him had been in 1912,
when We were political opponents. l
was a supporter of Roosevelt and Mr..
King was supporter Of VIM. II. Taft
in that campaign. Mr.. King was sue
1essiul ia keeping me entirely out Of
Inc famous Bay City convention that
year, to which | had been invited to
De chairman by the state committee.
In my Judgment, Paul King is a
man OF the highest character, and
telling integrity, and when he had
been selected as manager of the sena-
oria campaign in Michigan, which
was done without the slightest knowl-
edge on my part, he insisted that be-
fore he VoIld even accept, much less
undertake to enter upon the work of
,Ae campaign, he should and must
earn Tor himself, because Of our diff
lcrcrCcs in 1912, whether or not his
management Of the senatorial cam
paign would be acceptable ia me. He
came TO New = ork, and We had brief
interview there. We did not discuss,
even Indirectly, a single detail of the
campaign.
recall that during the conversa-
,.on held at that time, Mr.. King in
answer to question as to how
much it had cost the friends of
Senator Townsend, whose campaign
Mr. King had managed, said it had
cost Approximately $4,000 and added
hat d, Che view of the situation then
existing in Michigan, he thought it
would cost my friends approximately
5UO0O To make a comprehensive and
,rcce- Col campaign. This is the only
amount Of money which, directly or
Indirectly, / ever Jheard mentioned in
connection with the senatorial cam
paign in Michigan, until after the pri-
mary election and the report of the
committee was filed.
I Gid not solicit or eXpend, directly
or indirectly, one single dollar in the
campaign for senator in Michigan in
1915. Nor did | know of the con-
le.5ut.ons made until afterwards.
The two statements which l made
under oath to the senate are abso-
lutely and wholly true.
The first is dated August ii, 1918,
and emitting the printed form with
which YOU are all familiar. and to
which I sincerely subscribed, wrote
III my own hand as follows:
"The campaign for my nomination
for United States senator, has been
voluntarily conducted by my friends
In Michigan. I have taken no part
in it whatever, and no contributions
or expenditures have been made with
my knowledge and consent"
The second, dated August %, 1918,
with the same omissions, and, in ad-
l.tion to the printed form to>which l
sincerely subscribed, / wrote in my
own hand as follows:
Under the head OF contributions;
"None with my knowledge and con-
sent" and under the head of disburse-
ments:
"None with my knowledge and con-
sent" / have read a general public
statement Of Paul II. King, concern
ng expenditures made by voluntary
committee Of friends, but these were
made without my knowledge or con-
sent"
As every senator knows, this form
refers only to campaign contributions