Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-07-07

contributors, the committee TOOK
steps looking to possible action
against two of its witnesses; delayed
for a time into the expenditures on
behalf of Governor Pinchot in the
recent Pennsylvania primary, and
recalled Stayton for cross examina-
tion by Senator Golf, Republican,
laNest Virginia, on the basis largely
of information furnished the commits
sion by Mr.. Wheeler.
BY unanimous vote the investi-
| gators decided to refer to the district
| attorney of the District of Columbia
| the record of the hearings in which
| +. X. O'Connor, a South Philadelphia
magistrate, denied statements by
| Senator Pepper of Pennsylvania, and
, three Philadelphia newspapermen
that he had told them the organiza-
! ton of William S. Ware in the Key
| stone state senatorial race had
| sought to purchase his support.
The record will be transmitted
without any recommendation or sug-
| gestion from the committee but the
| district attorney will be expected to
| take such action as he may deem
! warranted.
Having repeatedly failed in its eff
| fort to have Representative NORM of
| Pittsburgh, Wares western campaign
manager in the Pennsylvani pri-
] maries. appear before it, the commit
tee directed the sergeant-at-arms of
| the Senate to proceed TO Morin's
| summer home at Atlantic City and
bring him to Washington under sub
| poena.
The hope of the committeemen is
| that Mr.. NORM will be here tomorrow
and they adjourned the hearing until
! that time. He tclegraphed Acting
| Chairman King yesterday he had
| been called to Atlantic City by illness
| in his family and Senator King i'm
mediately telesraphed him to come
to Washington today.
! The sergeant-at-arms also was d.
| rected to make another effort to find
! Thomas w. Cunningham, treasurer of
| the Pennsylvania Republican state
| committee, who is reported to have
| contributed $4,000 to the Ware Bedle-
| man organization. If he can be on
hand tomorrow the committee hopes to
| wind up the Pennsylvania end OF its
! inquiry at that time.
| Stayton was on the stand for more
| than an hour today and he and Senator
| Gof had a somewhat heated exchange
about the constitution and the Vol
! stead act. Stayton frankly stated his
| organization aimed through action at
! the polls to bring about first a modi-
! flcation OF the dry laws and ultimate
| ly repeal of the 18th amendment.
| I'VE want to get back to the time
! of jefferson and Washington" he said,
| and away from the time of Wayne &.
| Wheeler
| The wet leader agreed that the 18th
amendment had been adopted legally,
| but said it had not been ratified from
standpoint of good morals. Asked
| to explain, he pointed out that Ohio
{ had voted at a referendum against
ratification, but despite this the same
! legislature which ordered the referen-
| dunn voted for ratification.
The decision of the committee to
| withhold from publication the contri-
| buttons to the Anti-Saloon League
! prior to January /, 1925, was on a di-
! vided vote, with Senators King, Golf
| and McNary, Republican, oregon vot-
| ing for and Chairman Reed and Sena-
! tor LaF'ollette Republican, Wisconsin,
| against.
| The legislative committee Of the
| Anti-Saloon League filed with the
i committee statement giving two rea-
! sons why it objected to publica ton.
| The first was that it was not ethical
! to make public the names of donors
! without their consent and the second
because such sharp differences have
| arisen as to the proper manner of
| handling the liquor traffic that many
! contributors to-the funds of the Aati-
| Saloon League have objected TO the
publication of their gifts because they
| thought such publication would have a
! harmful effect upon their family, social
and business relations.
| When Captain Stayton presented the
| list for the wet organization, Senator
| King said that in accordance with its
| ruling in the Anti-Saloon League it
! desired contributors made only since
January l, 1925.
But I want the entire list 10 60 in
/ objected Stayton.
| In that case the committee will re-
ceive them" King said.