Evening star., 1926-06-09
Governor Is Questioned by
Senate Group on His
knowledge of Fraud.
HEARD OF TAMPERING
WITH VOTES, HE SAYS
Theodore Roosevelt Jr., Among
Those Present When Inves.
tigation Opens.
By G. GOULD LINCOLN.

BY 6. GOULD LINCOLN.
Diggins into the expenditures in the
Pennsylvana Republican senatorial
primary campaign which eliminated
with the nomination of Represent
ative William S. Ware. the Senate
committee today brought
out the fact that approximately $751;
600 had been expended for Gov.
Pinchot. including his own personal
contributions. and contributions to
the Pinchot committees in Philadel-
phia and Pittsburgh. The accounts Of
the county committees have not yet
been filed. it was testified.
The expenditures for Mr. Ware and
for Senator George Wharton Pepper
are not yet before the committee, ex-
cept for the statement of their per
sonal contributions. Mr. Ware expend-
ed himself something over $71 900 and
Senator Pepper, $4,000.
Pinchot Is Questioned.
Gov. Clifford Pinchot was the first
witness called to the stand at the
opening Of the investigation today
in the Senate ONCE Building. After
having been questioned at length in
regard to the expenditures made in
his own campaign, Gov. Pinchot was
asked:
What do you know Of attempted
election frauds in this election?"
The governor replied that 1t had
been reported in the newspapers that
election returns in Pittsburgh had
county commissioners, that they had
been held there an undue time and
the charge made that the returns had
been changed. He said he had no per-
sonal knowledge of this matter. II
was common talk, he said. that the
election in Pittsburgh was not held
on Tuesday. but on Thursday"
Vast Expenditures Charged.
When the inquiry by the Senate
committee began this morning. both
ent. They shook hands pleasantly
enough vixen they came face to face
In the committee room. Charges that
expenditures in the senatorial cam
paien, which was closely hooked up
with the race for the gubernatorial
nomination, had run into millions of
dollars-even as high as five millions,
were largely responsible for the ap-
pointment of the committee. The
seats in the committee room were
only about half occupied when the
hearing began. but filled up later.
Among those attending the hearing
were Col. Theodore Roosevelt, jr.,
looking In fine shape after his long
hunting trip in Asia: Mrs. Nicholas
Longworth. wife Of the Speaker: Mrs.
Clifford Pinchot, Mrs. Charles B.
Wood, aunt of Gov Pinchot; Mrs.
David A. Reed, wife of Senator Reed
Of Pennsylvania. and Cyrus E. Woods,
former ambassador to Japan, who was
the Pepper manager during the cam.
paign.
Governors COMMITTEES Report
Following Gov. Pinchot's testimony
about his own personal contributions
$43,767,31, p. S.. Stahlnecker, secretary
treasurer Of the Pinchot statewide
COMMITTEES; presented to the committee
a statement showing that committee
had collected $119.324,13. This In
cluded $4,000 contributed by Gov.
Pinchot and already contained in the
statement Of the governors personal
statement.
The Pirchot committee in Pittsburgh
had $5.sS5, including 81 900 given by
the governor himself, Col. Charles
G.. McGovern, Pinchot western man.
ager, testified.
Gov Pinchot told the committee
that the moneys raised for his cam
zation headquarters, for publicity, in
cluding newspaper advertising, for
watchers at the polls. for campaign
organizers and campaign literature
ard circulariZation. The money on
hand, he said. did not permit the en-
ployment of many watchers at the
polls.
Denies Workers Were Assessed.
Senator Reed Of Missouri, chairman
of the Senate committee, questioned
Gov. Pinchot at the start. and then
Senator La Toilette Of Wisconsin took
Gov. Pinchot If any employees Of the
State government had been assessed
for contributions to the governors
campaign.
They were not" declared Gov. Pin.
chot emphatically. He said that In the
past this had been a practice in Penn
syivania, but that he had announced
he would not stand for it.
Gov. Pinchot said he had made it
clear to the State employees that a
vote for any candidate they might
prefer would not be charged against
them in the executive offices. He had
insisted. he said, that the employees
not campaign during Government
time" Many of the Government EN-
ployes, he said, had supported him.
Endorsed by w. C. T. U.
He testified that he had the IN
dorsement and support Of the State
Federation Of Labor, the United Mine
Workers and the w. c. T. U. He said
it was his understanding that under
the law these organizations would
have to file their expenditures made
in the campaign.
Senator La Toilette asked the gov.
ernor If he had not called q special
session of the Legislature this year
and sought to amend the State elec.
ton laws.
Gov. Pinchot replied that he had
done so, but without result. Eleven
bills which he urged for strengthen.
ing the election laws. he said, had
been beaten and ono in esnasculated
form had been passed.
What was the nature Of the op-
position to these bills?" asked Senator
La Toilette. y
Gov. Pinchot replied that It came
from the representatives Of Philadel-
phia and Pittsburgh, and added 1t was
from the machine" State Senators.
Gcv. Pinchot was asked II the Anti
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