Waterbury Evening Democrat

THE CAMPAIGN FUNDS
Alton B. Parker on Perkins'
Admissions.
OTHER CORPORATIONS CONTRIBUTE
Judge Says Insurance Men Were Not
Only Officers Who Unlawfully Put
Hands In Treasury to Rob
Widows and Orphans.
NEW YORK. Sept. 18.-It is probable that the admissions made under
oath by George W. Perkins before the
insurance investigation committee concerning contributions aggregating nearly
$150,000 made to the national Republican campaign funds on the joint
authority of John A. McCall and himself,
acting for the New York Life Insurance
company, may be made the
basis of civil suits by the attorney
general of the state to force restitution
to the policy holders of the sums so
contributed.
On unimpeachable authority it is
stated that the further prosecution of
the investigation by the legislative
committee during the coming week will
be conducted with a view to the probability of its forming the legal basis
for such civil suits.
Former Chief Judge Alton B. Parker
last year the Democratic candidate for
president of the United States, has referred to the charges made by him in
the presidential campaign last fall that
corporation funds were being used in
aid of the Republican campaign. To a
correspondent who called at Rosemount, Judge Parker's home, and asked him if he had anything to say in
relation to the statement of Vice President George W. Perkins of the New
York Life Insurance company made
before the legislative committee investigating the insurance business to the
effect that President John A. McCall
of that company had caused a contribution of about $50,000 to be made
last year to the Republican national
campaign fund Judge Parker said:
"Yes. I believe I ought to say, now
that there is no political excitement to
distract the public attention, that the
president of the New York Life was
not the only such contributor. The officers of other great life insurance companies, such as the Equitable and the
Mutual, also contributed of the policy
holders' funds for campaign purposes
last year. What has been proved in
the case of the New York Life will undoubtedly be proved in the other cases.
The facts exist, and honest and able
counsel, backed by an honest committee, will undoubtedly bring them out
for the public good.
"Were there an investigation of railroad, manufacturing and other corporations it would be found that these
life insurance officers were not the
only corporation officers who put their
hands into the treasury and took out
moneys belonging to widows and orphans to help secure a partisan triumph.
"That their acts were unlawful and
their purposes corrupt goes without
saying. They intended to have the
money used, as it was, in corrupting
the electorate. Mr. Perkins makes the
point that John A. McCall, the president of the New York Life, is a Democrat. Apparently he would have the
public assume that when Mr. McCall
unlawfully and wrongfully contributed these funds-the company's share
probably as a member of the underwriting syndicate-it was evidence of
political virtue rather than misconduct.
"The truth about it is-and I say it
without feeling, but emphatically-that
men like McCall have no political convictions that stand in the way of their
personal financial interests and will-for contributions
past, present and future-continue to
protect those interests by lenient legislation and by pretense at execution
of law which shall be tenderly blind to
all their offenses. That party they
espouse in the board room and contribute to it of the moneys they hold
in trust and occasionally a little of their own. The underlying principles
which divide the great mass of the
people into parties have no effect upon such men. Their one inquiry is,
Will the party organization in its hour
of triumph remember our generosity
and respond to our demands? Of
course the organization does remember.
for it expects a similar contribution
next time. And the expectation is not
in vain.
"There is, however, something worse
if possible, than the escape of such offenders from justice. It is the gradual demoralization of voters and the
dulling of the public conscience caused by the efforts to make these vast
sums of money procure the ballots they
were intended to procure, corruptly
and otherwise.
How great that demoralization has already become is
fairly presented by Mr. Steffens in his
articles in McClure's, contributed during the last few months. Those articles ought to be read and pondered
by every good citizen. Mere party advantage should not be sought from the disclosures made in this investigation, but the facts should be diligently
sought, that the people may become so
aroused that they will insist upon legislation making it a criminal offense
for officers to contribute corporate
funds for political purposes and depriving the apparently successful candidates of their offices."