Evening star., 1924-10-08
LAFO[LETTE ASKS
c. 0. P. FUND PROBE
Sees Effort to Raise Money
to "Buy Election" Based on
malicious Libel"
By the Associated Press.

in an address here last night that he
had demanded an immediate and
searching investigation by the Sen
ate campaign expenditure committee
to determine whether the Republican
national committee is raising IAN
enormous slush fund" to be expended
"in buying the election of doubtful
States"
In telegram sent yesterday to
Senator Borah, Republican, Idaho,
chairman of the committee, the inde-
pendent presidential candidate said
he had urged him to issue subpoenas
for William NJ. Butler, chairman of
the Republican national committee;
w. r. Mellon, brother of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury; Edward L.
Stotesbury, a business associate of J.
p. Morgan; Joseph r. Grundy, presl-
dent of the Pennsylvania Manufac-
turers Association; Samuel NJ. Vauc-
lain of the Baldwin Locomotive
Works and S. D. Warriner, a Penn
sylvania anthracite operator.
Charges Malicious Libel.
Senator La Toilette told the Sem
ate committee chairman that he had
reason to believe "slush fund" of
four or five million dollars was being
sought, and that the campaign to
raise the money was based "on the
circulation of malicious slander and
libel"
To the audience which heard him
last night, the Wisconsin Senator
read a letter, which he declared was
being circulated by the ways and
means committee of the Republican
national committee for Pennsylvania,
and which, he added, was signed by
Mr.. Grundy On the letter head, ap-
pearing as members of the "execu-
tive committee" said Mr.. La Toilette.
appeared the names of Mr.. Stotes-
bury. Mr.. Vauclain and Mr.. Warmer,
while a dispatch from Washington
appearing yesterday in New York
newspaper, he said, stated that w.
T Mellon was assisting Mr.. Grundy
in raising 100000 in Pennsylvania
"for use elsewhere"
Assailx SIemp.
Senator La Toilette assailed c.
Bascom Slemp. President Coolidge's
secretary, reiterating charges made
on the floor of the House of Repre-
sentatives several years ago, while
Mr. Slemp was a member, that he
had sought campaign contribution"
for the Republican party from post
masters and others seeking Federal
appointments.
"There he (Slemp) sits today in
the White House, closer to the Presi-
dent than any other living man. sep
arated only by swinging door Mr..
La Toilette said. I'm all the history
of the United States no man with such
ii record that of Slemp has ever
been selected by President to act as
his confidential adviser and official
representative.
That is the man who, it appears.
is likely to be selected to handle this
hugh slush fund to buy the election
for Calvin Coolidge. The White
House-the official home of all the
great Presidents of the United States,
the symbol of the Nations Govern
ment-is to be drawn into this
hugh conspiracy to corrupt a Ma
why is Slemp to be selected to
handle this slush fund? I will tell
you. He has had wide experience in
'roundin up southern delegates to the
Republican national convention.
Everybody knows what this means.
Everybody knows that there has not
been a Republican national conven-
tion in a generation where the pur-
chase and sale of southern delegates
has not been an open scandal"
Reads Grundy Letter.
The letter signed by Mr.. Grundy
was addressed to citizens of Penn
sylvania," said Senator La Toilette,
who had read extracts from 1T, inter-
polatinG comments as he went along.
"The letter says" declared Mr.. La
Toilette. lis it not time that we, as
Pennsylvanians. look the political
situation squarely in the face and
call things by their right names? We
are confronted by the possibilities of
violent social and industrial revolu-
tion.
"Oh, what guilty consciences these
gentlemen have" interjeCted the Sena-
tor, mo one else in the United States
except perhaps the communists has
suggested such a thing. Every in
telligent man knows that the only
condition under which there can pos
sibly be a revolution in this country
is when the Government of this coun-
try becomes SO corrupted through
just such methods as are intimated in
this letter that the people as whole
lose all faith in the ballot and turn to
other and desperate methods Of re-
dress.
THE letter continues: We have in
la Toilette and Wheeler a Lenin and
Trotsky with a formidable band of
followers made up of the vicious,
ignorant and discontented element,
openly organized for battle
This means you," Mr.. La Toilette
told his audience "'You are vicious
says Mr.. Grundy. You are ignorant,
says Mr.. Grundy. You men who risk
your lives every day to mine Mr.. War
riher's coal, and you men who run
Mr.. Stotesbury's railroads: you men
who went to France and faced death
in the trenches, while Mr.. Warriner
and tMr. Stotesbury stayed comfort
ably at home and piled up their mil
lions of extortionate profits. You are
ignorant and vicious; Mr.. Stotesbury's
man Grundy says so.
They, says the letter, meaning
the vicious, ignorant and discontented
followers of La Toilette and Wheeler.
They will likely cast millions of
votes next November, perhaps. enough
to defeat the Republican party
This is the only truthful statement
in the entire letter. They know and
this letter is confession that Cool
idge is defeated today unless by the
corrupt use of huge sums of money
the election can be bought for the Re-
publican party.
This defeat of Coolidge continues
the letter, means long stride
toward national disintegration and
ruin. Are we going to ignore the
gravity of the situation or shall we
meet it by educating the ignorant,
improving the condition of the dis
contented and thwarting the aStiv-
tiles of the vicious emagogues?
Surely we should be moved to adopt
measures, immediate and strong,
which an enlightened self-interest
suggests
What are these strong measures
that enlightened self-interest sug-