REPORT ON HEARINGS HELD AT PORTLAND, OREG., WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1926 The hearings before the committee held at Portland, Oreg., were based upon the contents of a telegram sent by Mr. George Putnam, proprietor and editor of the Capital Journal, published at Salem, Oreg., to the chairman of this committee, charging that the Portland Electric Power Co. had paid to the Portland Oregonian, a newspaper of general circulation throughout the Pacific Northwest country, $35,000 for opposing the primary election of Senator Robert N. Stanfield, and that no report was made of this contribution as required by the statutes of the State of Oregon. Fifteen witnesses appeared before the committee and testified, including Senator Robert N. Stanfield, Senator-elect Frederick W. Steiwer, whom the Oregonian supported in the primary; Mr. George Putnam, who made the charges; Mr. Edgar B. Piper, editor of the Oregonian, its executive officers, and others having knowledge of the charges embodied in the telegram. After a careful study of the testimony developed at the hearing, the committee is of the opinion that the alleged transaction did not occur and that the charges, while probably made in good faith, were without substance and wholly unsupported by any testimony or inference whatsoever. Respectfully submitted. JAS. A. REED, Chairman. GUY D. GOFF. WILLIAM H. KING. 35 REPORT ON HEARINGS HELD AT SEATTLE, WASH., OCTOBER 23, 1926 The hearings held before the committee at Seattle, Wash., were induced by a telegram sent to the chairman of this committee by Mr. Sam R. Summer, chairman of the Republican State central committee, asserting that excessive sums of money amounting to $100,000 had been spent on behalf of the candidacy of Mr. A. Scott Bullitt, the Democratic candidate for United States Senator, and that wealthy relatives of the candidate had declared they would expend $300,000 if necessary to win the election. The committee heard the testimony of Senator Wesley L. Jones, Mr. A. Scott Bullitt, Mr. Sam R. Summer, and 24 additional witnesses covering a period of three days. The testimony disclosed that for a short period of time during the latter part of September and first of October, paid advertisements advocating the candidacy of Mr. Bullitt had occupied a considerable space in the press of the State, but the committee was unable to develop any greater expenditure by Mr. Bullitt and those organizations interested in his candidacy than approximately $28,000, and therefore believed the charges of excessive expenditures were unfounded, though probably believed true by the author of the telegram. Respectfully submitted. JAS. A. REED, Chairman. WILLIAM H. KING. 36 REPORT ON KANSAS CITY HEARINGS Subsequent to the election of November 2, 1926, Mr. Harry R. Walmsley, of Kansas City, Mo., wrote a letter to the Hon. George W. Norris, the senior Senator from Nebraska, making certain charges touching the election held in Kansas City, Jackson County, Mo., on the 2d day of November, 1926. The letter to Senator Norris was brought to the attention of the Hon. Charles L. McNary, the senior Senator from Oregon, a member of your committee, who at once transmitted a copy thereof to the Hon. James A. Reed, chairman of the Special Committee Investigating Expenditures in Senatorial Primaries and Elections. Senator Reed, concluding that the matters therein charged should be promptly investigated, and acting as a subcommittee of the special committee on expenditures, by subpoena directed Mr. Walmsley to appear and submit each and every fact directly, indirectly, or otherwise touching the matter of such charges. Mr. Walmsley appeared on the 22d day of November, 1926. Certain newspaper comments had quoted Mr. Walmsley to the general effect that while he did not impugn or question the integrity or the impartiality of Senator Reed, that because of his possible interest in the local political situation, he would prefer to have the investigation conducted by some other member of the committee. In view of this statement by Mr. Walmsley, the Hon. James A. Reed stated to Mr. Walmsley that he would not proceed further with the examination other than to obtain the names of the witnesses and the information which he possessed, to the end that all of such charges might be promptly referred to the other members of the special committee for such action as they, the committee, should see fit to take. Senator Reed has referred the testimony of Mr. Walmsley as taken, as well as his letter, to the other members of the subcommittee, consisting of Senators King, McNary, and Goff, and has expressly refused to sit with such members or to confer with them in consideration of the charges herein. It is due Senator James A. Reed to say that he has not only not sat with the committee but that he has not counseled with any of them relative to the investigation which the other members of the special committee have made relative to the subject matter of Mr. Walmsley's complaint. The charges submitted by Mr. Walmsley were set out in the letter to the Hon. George W. Norris, under date of November 17, 1926, which is as follows: No. 701 BALTIMORE AVENUE, KANSAS CITY, Mo., November 17, 1926. Senator GEORGE W. NORRIS, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR SENATOR: On November 2, 1926, a general election was held in Kansas City, which included a Representative and Senator in the United States Congress. Senator Williams was backed by the Republican State and city "machines." Harry B. Hawes was backed by the Democratic State and city "machines." 37 The Democratic machine in Kansas City is owned, directed, supervised, and controlled by one Thomas Pendergast. Senator James A. Reed is a prominent part of this machine and he personally campaigned for Mr. Hawes. Immediately preceding and on election day money flowed out from this machine in a vast stream. The use of this money to carry the election of Mr. Hawes is widely known and openly discussed and charged in almost every precinct. Common gossip is that the Kansas City Railway Co. gave to the Democratic campaign fund for use on election day in Kansas City a sum variously estimated at between $250,000 and $750,000 (this in return for a 12-year extension of franchise-worthless to the people-which the Democratic machine rushed through the council overnight). That money was freely and openly and largely used on election day to corrupt the citizenship franchise and elect a United States Senator can not be doubted by the most superficial observer of the election. An investigation by disinterested investigators would undoubtedly disclose such facts. Fraud is shown on the face of the returns; as examples: Ward 1, precinct 10, 413 votes cast, including those shown by the inclosed registration list of various foreign names and Americans both black and white. On the sample ballot inclosed there are 24 offices to be filled from 48 Republican and Democratic and 9 miscellaneous candidates. And yet the 413 voters balloted with surprising unanimity of minds, 50 of them picking out all the Republican candidates and 363 voting for all the Democrats. A mechanical machine would have difficulty in running so perfectly. And 19 of these voters voted the inclosed "constitutional ballot" and all 19 voters voted as of one mind even to the making of an error in nullifying their votes on propositions 1 and 3. They voted "yes" on each proposition, 1, 2, 3, and 4; 1 and 3 are alternative propositions and a yes vote for both loses the vote. The facts of this condition show that the judges did the voting. Similar conditions existed all over the city, as is evidenced by the returns from precinct 15, ward 1; precinct 11, ward 3; precinct 12, ward 4; and many others. (In precinct 12, ward 4, the conditions were reversed as to Democrats and Republicans.) There is not a precinct in this city where hundreds of voters can vote the difficult ballot (see inclosed) and make the ballots all alike. An unbiased investigation would disclose much that is interesting in fraudulent and bought elections. Very truly yours, H. R. WALMSLEY. As herein before stated, Mr. Harry R. Walmsley appeared before Senator James A. Reed in Kansas City, Mo., on Monday, November 22, 1926, at the hour of 10 o'clock a. m., and after being first duly sworn, stated substantially as follows: Mr. Walmsley stated that he lived at 1017 Troost Avenue, Kansas City, Mo., and had lived in Kansas City for over 50 years. He is in the insurance business, and is a member of the Republican Party. He was twice a member of the legislature. Mr. Walmsley admitted that he wrote the letter of November 17, 1926, above set forth, to Senator George W. Norris. He stated that no one collaborated with him in the preparation of the letter, and that he did not consult with anyone before he wrote the letter. He further stated that he was the sole author of the letter and was solely responsible for its contents. Mr. Walmsley stated that of his own knowledge he did not know of any money contributed by the Kansas City Railways Co. to the Democratic campaign fund for use on the election day of November 2, 1926, nor did he know of any moneys contributed to the Democratic committee by any officer of the Kansas City Railways Co. for use on the election of November 2, 1926. Mr. Walmsley further stated that he knew of no moneys contributed either to the Democratic committee or to any member of the Democratic committee, or to any member of the city council, in consideration of the extension of the franchise of the street railway company. Mr. Walmsley stated that he did not know of any moneys contributed to the Democratic committee of Jackson County or Kansas City in the last campaign, nor did he know how much money the committee handled or the sources from which it came. Mr. Walmsley could not give the committee the name or names of any person or any persons who knew of the moneys contributed to the Democratic campaign committee except the treasurer or officers of the committee itself. Mr. Walmsley stated that the subject matter of his letter was based on common rumor and matter printed in the newspapers, and that he did not know of any responsible man who had made the charges set forth in his letter. By way of conclusion, in view of the undisputed fact that Mr. Walmsley possessed no knowledge whatsoever of the matters herein charged, it is the view of the following members of your committee, Senators King, McNary, and Goff, Senator La Follette being absent because of illness, that the charges are not proved and that no further investigation is required or justified in this matter. The committee therefore submits that the charges not being proved should be disregarded in toto. о WILLIAM H. KING. |