Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 October 1908 — OPEN THE BOOKS. [ARTICLE]

OPEN THE BOOKS.

Indianapolis News (Rep.). In his letter in the News of yesterday Mr. Blodgett said that “the political slogan in Indiana is ‘open the books.* '* That ought to be the cry throughout the nation. The people have a right to know how much has been given to the Republican national committee, to know what men have given it. Walter Wellman said in the Chicago Record-Herald of yesterday that the Republican committee has during the last week been enriched by contributions of several hundred thousand dollars, and that James H. Hill is the man who raised the money. "Mr. Hill,’’ Mr. Wellman says, “has thus taken the place in the Taft campaign which ‘My dear Harriman' held In the Roosevelt campaign four years ago." Is this true? Only Mr. Sheldon can tell us. It was charged a few days ago by Mr. Nathan Straus that the Republican committee was levying an assessment—and collectink it—-of SSOO on each of the brokers in Wall street,’ and he offered to prove it before any unprejudiced committee that might be named. The charge was denied. But the challenge was not accepted, nor is Mr. Sheldon willing to publish the names bf his contributors—till after the election. Only he can give us the facts. The Government has at Washington all the records concerning the purchase of the property of the French Panama Canal Company. Yet, in spite of the fact that the most serious and alarming rumors are afloat, rumors that involve a connection of the President himself, the New York World tells us that all efforts to get a sight of those records “have so far been unavailing." The World continues: If this is'so. it will be impossible to officially ascertain the names of the members of the American syndicate who are supposed to have bought up the securities of the canal company at very low prices from the French holders, confident that William Nelson Cromwell, because of his extraordinary influence with President Rooseyelt and the then Secretary of War, William H. Taft, would succeed in unloading the canal on the United States at a fancy figure which wbuld give the syndicate a huge profit. It was stated today that an alleged member of the syndicate was George R. Sheldon, the banker, of No. 2 Wall street, who Is treasurer of the Republican national committee, and is collecting campaign funds in behalf of Mr. Taft. * * ♦ Mr. Cromwell and Mr. Sheldon are directors in the same corporations, Mr. Sheldon is the representative of J. Pierpont Morgan in several corporations, and is regarded as a Morgan man in the Wall-street district. Mr. Cromwell is on record before the interoceanlc canal committee of the United States Senate as having sworn he did aot make a penny of profit outside of his fee as counsel for the French Panama Canal Company. Search has failed to reveal any record of his having sworn that Americans did not share in the $40,000,000 paid by the Government supposedly to the French Panama Canal Company. There are rumors that ithese public records have been destroyed. Surely here is a transaction concerning which people pave a right to the fullest information. They have a right to demand that these books be opened. If Cromwell got only nis fee, where did the rest of the money—over and above what was paid to the Frenchmen — go? Who got it? This money was taken from the people. But when they try to ftnjl out what became of It, the right to inspect the ’ records is denied them. The men whom the rumors touch do not ask 4 that the records be made public. On the contrary, they seem to be satisfied to know that it is impossible to prove anything against them. Morally the burden of proof is on them, for the reason that it is for them and their friends, and not for the people, to say whether tae books shall be opened, is it any wonder that ■en are suspicious? The question really iJ whether the people's government belongs to them, or to tuose charged with its administration. Any man who at any time «r for any reason wants to know anything in connection with the transaction of the (government's business —excepting •sly certain diplomatic matters,

and not many of them—has a right to the information. And that Information can not be denied without raising the gravest suspicions —and naturally so. Sooner or later there will inevitably be an investigation of' this whole canal affair. But the trutu should be known before the election. That is why it is so Important to “open the’ books’’ and to open them now. Otherwise, the people can not vote intelligently. The purchase of the canal property was a public transaction conducted by the Government in its sovereign capacity, proceeding under an act of Congress. The conduct of a campaign Is also a public affair. There is no plea of privacy possible. There is a widespread belief that something -s wrong. The only way to dispel that belief is to I show that this is a mistake. It dan only be shown by opening the books.

But for the blessed Dingley tariff American newspa;>era could buy news print paper in Canada for $1.75. On this side they are paying all the way from $2.35 to $2.50. Canadian paper is as good as the domestic product and the labor employed in making It is as well paid as that on this side the border.—Johnstown Democrat