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The Commoner.
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JOHN C. McCALL, secretary of the New York
Life Insurance company, has returnod from
Europo bearing with him a statement made by
Andrew Hamilton, whoso namo figured conspicu
ously during tho insurance investigation. Hamil
ton was a lobbyist. The testimony beforja the
insurance committee disclosed that he was in the
pay of seven of the nine insurance companies
investigated. Having been requested to produco
his checks, Hamilton says that thero are no
checks to produce, and he candidly explains that
payment by check would necessarily disclose the
fact that the person receiving tho check was un
dor a retainer "and would thus. have necessarily
hampered that portion of the work that was most
efilcacious, namely, absolute secrecy." He says
that even if ho had the checks he would not pro
duco them becauso "the demand for them would
not be a fair and an honest one." Hamilton is
very particular on questions of honesty.
He Bays that the understanding that he had un
dertaken this work was "distinct and .thorough."
HAMILTON CLAIMS that the work he did was
necessary to protect life insurance com
panies from blackmail; that at tho capital of
every state he retained representatives for the
company or worked "in co-operation with some
one who had retained representatives duly in
fluential." Hamilton further says: "Where it
becomes necessary we have often, occasion to
employ the columns of the public press for the
advocacy of our views. This method has been
found to bo very efficacious, but it has also been
founcl to lie very expensive." Hamilton says that
from 1899 to 1905 he received $720,000. In 1904
he paid out $83,000 for "retainers and newspaper
articles," and under the same heading paid out
$97,000 in 1905. Concerning the $235,000 charged
against tilm by the New York Life, Hamilton says
that his expenses and expenditures for 1904 and
1905 are to be deducted from this amount. He
says that he is willing, however, "as an evidence
of good faith" and pending a settlement of these
amounts, to place in the company's custody
$100,000 which it may hold and which is to be
repaid in whole or in part as may appear by future
audit.
HAMILTON DECLARES that the tax measures
he has defeated have saved the New York
Life Insurance company more than $2,500,000.
He talces pains to say "I want it thoroughly under
stood that not one dollar ever paid to me by
the New York Life Insurance company has been
used in a way that transgressed either the statu
tory law or the moral law." Does this apply to
the moneys paid to Hamilton by the six other com
panies? And if so, why is this lobbyist so averse
to a frank statement of the expenditure of the
enormous sums intrusted to his care? He ex
pects men to believe that his work was legitimate
in the face of the fact that his transactions were
so questionable that "absolute secrecy" was neces
sary not only while that work was being carried
on, but now after it has been accomplished. He
will not return to America not just now. He
prefers the climate of Paris and presents his
physician's certificate to show that his- physical
condition is not the best.
HEARTY, OLD-FASHIONED graft is, accord
ing to a New York dispatch to the Denver
News, indicated by a shipment made December
21, by .the canal commission. In this shipment
were tea-sets, suit-cases, imported quadruple sil
"ver-plated cutlery, tooth picks, cut glass finger
bowls, and other evidences of Broadway luxuries.
According to the News correspondent, among tho
supplies purchased with public money were the
following: Thirty-six work tables for ladies. One
hundred dozen high, best quality, latest style gen
tlemen's collars. One hundred dozen turn down,
latest style gentlemen's collars, best. One hun
dred dozen various styles, best quality gentlemen's
jjollars. Six dozen best silk pocket handkerchiefs
for gentlemen. One thousand pairs best tan
sewed shoes for gentlemen, and 1,000 pairs best
colored leather shoes. One thousand gentlemen',s
best suit-cases. Quantity of Rogers' best quality
" table cutlery quadruple silver plated. Dessert,
table and silver spoons of best quality. Case of
6 o'clock tea-sets. One hundred umbrellas at $5
each. One hundred shaving sets.. One hundred
razors. Twenty dozen ladies' night robes. Twenty
dozen dress shirts. . ' "
ALFRED ANDERSON, purchasing agent for the
canal commission admitted that most of
these goods had been purchased by him with a
portion of the $61,000,000 which the government
has appropriated for the waterway. Referring to
some of the supplies mentioned, Mr. Anderson
said: "They are necessities for our employes
down there. Take suit-cases, for example. Some
of the men may desire to visit others. How are
they to carry their clothes if they have no suit
cases? Then their families may, wish to enter
tain each other. Tea- sets and cutlery are nec
essary, too, I think you will readily admit."
CONCERNING canal supplies the News cor
respondent says: "The same practical and
businesslike' spirit that has provided these lux
uries named for the colored laborers on the
isthmus, and which recently imported shiploads
of women relatives of those laborers from Jamaica,
has forestalled practically every wish the men
might express. 'Why, there is nothing in the
world that you dan suggest which we have not
sent to Panama,' said Mr. Anderson, his face
lighting up with a smile of proud satisfaction.
'You see, we have the whole purchasing work
for the New York district,' he added, 'and it's
mighty big, I can tell you.' 'Were all these things
purchased after public advertisement for bids?'
Mr. Anderson was asked. 'Well, no,' he replied.
'We endeavor to purchase everything that the
canal commission needs by public advertisement,
but you se"o I am purchasing agent for tho Pan-,
ama railroad, as well as for the commission. Of
course, the railroad belongs to the United States
government the same as the waterway does. Mr.
Shonts is president of the railroad and canal
commission. But we endeavor to keep the tw.o
undertakings separate. So when anything is re
quested from us on an emergency order, wo rush
out and buy it without waiting to advertise for
bids. "
T TJDGE MURRAY F. TULEY of Chicago who
I died recently was known as the Nestor of
the Chicago bench. He was first elected to the
circuit bench in 1879. The term for which he
was last elected would have expired in 1909.
Ho was born in Louisville, Ky., in 1827. Judge
Tuley was an ardent democrat, and he it was who
suggested that Edward F. Dunne be nominated
for mayor. Personally he was very popular, while
as a lawyer and a judge he ranked among the
foremost in the history of this country.
REFERRING TO THE Walsh failure, the Chi
cago Tribune says: "The federal and'lllinois
authorities have been working hand in hand for
the last three days. It was only by joint inves
tigation that the bankruptcy of the institutiDnu
was proven. Prior to this, when the federal au
thorities made their investigation of Mr. Walsh's
national bank, the securities of tho Home Savings
bank were juggled and made to appear as assets
of the national institution. When the state sleuths
examined the Home Savings bank somebody
hopped from one side of the room to the other
and returned with the stocks and bonds belonging
to the federal bank. The authorities, it is be
lioved, will have the widest latitude in prosecut
ing Mr. Walsh, as investigation shows that nearly
every law on the statute books, placed there for
the safe conduct of banking business, has been
violated by him with reckless impunity. John
R. Walsh's banks were not banks. They were
simply a huge cash drawer for his side lines of
railroads, mines, stone quarries and other busi
ness investments. Out of the $26,000,000 de
posited in the half-way financial station main
tained by Mr. Walsh $15,000,000 was loaned by
Mr. Walsh to companies privately controlled by
himself."
C AUGUSTUS HAVILAND has written to
President Roosevelt a letter showing how
municipal ownership has been a success in Euro
pean cities. Ho cites the "Municipal Year Book"
published by Edward Lloyd, Salisbury Square,
London, and says that from official records of
1904 he finds that of the most important cities
which have entered upon municipal ownership and
operation, the following named contributions to
the tax rate from profits on lighting and tram
way service during that year: "LiverpoolCon
tributed from electric light profits, $51,400; from
tramway profits, $160,408. Manchester Contrib
uted from gas profits, $300,000; from tramway
profits, $255,000. NottinghamContributed from
gas profits, $103,415; from electricity, $300,000
from tramways, $65,000. Blackpool Contributed
from gas, $74,535; from electricity, $10,000, from
tramways, $2,500. Bolton Contributed from gas
$51,900; from electricity, $22,500; from tramways'
$13,700. Belfast Contributed from gas, $102,900;'
from tramways, $40,500. Halifax Contributed
from gas, $59,500; from electricity, $12,500. Dews
bury Contributed from gas profits, $26,800; from
electricity, $5,000. Leeds Contributed from gas
profits, $150,000; from tramways, $275,000. Sal
ford Contributed from gas profits, $1(50,000; from
electricity, $22,500. Southport Contributed from
gas profits, $56,250; from electricity, $20,500.
Burnley Contributed from gas profits, $35,500;
from electricity, $20,500. Birkenhead Contributed
from gas profits, $30,000. Leicester Contributed
from gas profits, $125,000. Lincoln Contributed
from gas profits, $12,500. Nelson Contributed
from gas profits, $20,770. Macclesfield Con
tributed from gas profits, $25,025. Oldham Con
tributed from gas profits, $45,650. Carlisle Con
tributed from gas profits, $34,845. Coventry
Contributed from gas profits, $10,000. Darling
ton Contributed from gas profits, $42,500. Stock
port Contributed from gas profits, $56,000. "West
Haven Contributed from electricity, $40,000.
Widnes Contributed- from gas' profits, $81,000.
Rochdale Contributed from gas - profits, $65,000.
Kingston Upon Hull Contributed from tramway
profits, $57,500."
MEN OF' ALL POLITICAL parties arc tak
ing great interest in the republican con
test in New York. A Washington correspondent
for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says: "Every in
dication points to a disposition on the part of tho
president to accept almost personal leadership
of the party in the home state. Those who do
not think that the president has a personal am
bition say that he .is building up an organiza
tion for the benefit of Mr.'Elihu Root, and with
the intention, eventually, of having Mr. Root tho
New York favorite son in the next presidential
nominating convention of the republican party.
Some politicians, even of his own party who aro
inclined to criticise the president for his recent
activity and almost open avowal of sympathy
with the anti-Odell element of his party in New
York, hold that Mr. Roosevelt seeks a personal
advantage. They accept as sincere his assertion
that he will not be a candidate for a third term,
but they believe that he woud not be averse to
coming to the United States senate as the repre
sentative ofthe most populous state in the union.
THE PEOPLE OF Arizona are up -in arms con
cerning the proposition of joint statehood
between Arizona and New Mexico. Referring to
The Commoner's suggestion that all in favor of
admission of these territories unite their influ
ence behind President Roosevelt's plan and woric
for its accomplishment, J. B. Pearsall, of Dougios.
Arizona, says: "Your suggestion may be a goou
one so far as the Indian and Oklohoina terri
tories are concerned, but conditions are entirely
different as regards Arizona and New Mexico.
A large majority of the people of both these ter
ritories are bitterly opposed to joint statehood,
and nearly every newspaper in Arizona claims
that were the matter left to a vote, 96 to jj
per cent of -the voters would prefer that this tei
rltory remain as it is indefinitely rather than uo
linked with New Mexico. There is practically
nothing in common between the people of Arizona
and New Mexico. The backbone of the continent
divides them, their customs are different, tney
do not agree politically, and there are numerous
other reasons why a union would be a misalliance.
However, I am not presuming to offer infoiw
tion to a paper that usually is so well infoinie"
on all public questions as is The Commoner, out
as a reader of your paper almost since the nibu
issue, I earnestly protest against the tacit sup
port you are giving the president in htt eiiou
