STATEMENT OF DR. CHARLES COMPTON, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILL. (The witness was duly sworn by the chairman.) The CHAIRMAN. Doctor, give your full name and address to the reporter. Doctor COMPTON. Charles Compton, Springfield, Ill. The CHAIRMAN. You are a physician, Doctor Compton? The CHAIRMAN. I received your letter addressed to me in care of the Federal court only this morning. I have had no chance to get the word to you that you ought to have and which would, under the circumstances have won, I am sure, an excuse from any appearance here. Knowing of a certain situation that you feel you ought to get right back to, we are going to try to accommodate you in just a few minutes and let you get back to your work. Doctor COMPTON. I thank you, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Doctor, what is your home county? The CHAIRMAN. And your home is in Springfield? Doctor COMPTON. Springfield, Ill. The CHAIRMAN. Were you in any way engaged in the conduct for any candidate for the United States Senate Doctor COMPTON. I was. The CHAIRMAN. Of the campaign in the late primary? Doctor COMPTON. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. In Mrs. McCormick's campaign? Doctor COMPTON. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What were your duties in connection with your duties in the conduct of that campaign? Doctor COMPTON. I was associated with Mr. Fullenweider, who was her chairman there, and I took care of the moneys that were passed into the county for Mrs. McCormick. The CHAIRMAN. You received and disbursed the moneys that were received in the conduct of that campaign? Doctor COMPTON. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. You received them, doctor, and disbursed $10,000? Doctor COMPTON. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. In Springfield? Doctor COMPTON. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Did you receive any additional moneys, any moneys in addition to this account of a $10,000 expenditure, which has already been made a part of the record and is in the form of a letter submitted by yourself to Mr. James D. Snyder? Doctor COMPTON. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Nothing more than that? Doctor COMPTON. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. That is all, Doctor. Doctor COMPTON. Thank you. (Witness excused.) Doctor COMPTON. Senator, will it be necessary for Mr. Fullenweider to be here? The CHAIRMAN. No; I meant to excuse him. Excuse Mr. Fullenweider and tell him he need not be concerned at all about this hearing. Mr. A. D. Lasker. TESTIMONY OF ALBERT D. LASKER, OF CHICAGO, ILL. (The witness was duly sworn by the chairman.) The CHAIRMAN. Give the reporter your full name and address, Mr. Lasker. Mr. LASKER. Albert D. Lasker; 900 North Michigan Boulevard, Chicago. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Lasker, did you make any contributions to any candidate for the United States Senate in the late primary? Mr. LASKER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. To whom did you make that contribution? Mr. LASKER. I have it here. I thought you would ask that, so, as I usually do, I brought the check along. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Lasker. Mr. LASKER. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. The check was in the amount of $2,000? Mr. LASKER. $2,000. The CHAIRMAN. Dated November 8, 1929 ? Mr. LASKER. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. And was made payable to the order of Lucius Wilson, treasurer? Mr. LASKER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What was your understanding of Mr. Wilson's position in the conduct of that campaign? What was he treasurer of? Mr. LASKER. He was treasurer-I have the name here on a paper to refresh my memory-of the Voters' Progress Club. The CHAIRMAN. Of the Voters' Progress Club? Mr. LASKER. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. And Mr. Wilson has indorsed this as treasurer for deposit to the account of Lucius B. Wilson, treasurer? Mr. LASKER. He has. The CHAIRMAN. You may keep the check. Mr. LASKER. Thank you. The CHAIRMAN. Aside from this contribution, you made no other contribution to any candidate for the Senate? Mr. LASKER. None at all. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. That is all, Mr. Lasker. (Witness excused.) The CHAIRMAN. The committee will stand in recess until 10.30 to-morrow morning. (Whereupon, at 4.30 o'clock p. m., Monday, July 14, 1930, the committee recessed to to-morrow, Tuesday, July 15, 1930, at 10.30 o'clock a. m.) 111287-30-ILL, PT 2- -5 SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN EXPENDITURES, 1930 TUESDAY, JULY 15, 1930 UNITED STATES SENATE, SELECT COMMITTEE ON SENATORIAL Chicago, Ill. The committee reconvened, pursuant to the taking of recess, at 10.30 o'clock a. m., in room 627, Federal Building, Senator Gerald P. Nye, chairman, presiding. Present: Senator Nye, chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Let the committee be in order. Mr. AlexanderW. D. Alexander. Mr. Alexander, before swearing you I want to suggest that if you have any objection to this photographing, or if any other witness who is going to be called this morning has and voices that objection, we can cause the boys to restrain themselves. Do you have any objection? Mr. ALEXANDER. Absolutely not. TESTIMONY OF W. D. ALEXANDER, BLOOMINGTON, ILL. (The witness was duly sworn by the chairman.) The CHAIRMAN. Be seated, Mr. Alexander. Your name is W. D. Alexander? Mr. ALEXANDER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. And your home at Bloomington, Ill.? Mr. ALEXANDER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Which is in McLean County? Mr. ALEXANDER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What is your business, Mr. Alexander? Mr. ALEXANDER. I am out of business at the present time; sold out a year ago. Previous to that I was in the retail lumber business. The CHAIRMAN. Did you have any part in the conduct of any senatorial campaign? Mr. ALEXANDER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. In the late Illinois primary? Mr. ALEXANDER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What was that contact? Mr. ALEXANDER. I was county manager of the Ruth Hanna McCormick campaign. The CHAIRMAN. That is, had the management of the affairs of that campaign in McLean County? Mr. ALEXANDER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Did you have funds to do with in McLean County in the conduct of that campaign? Mr. ALEXANDER. Whose funds do you mean? The CHAIRMAN. Did you have funds to do with? Mr. ALEXANDER. I had funds, yes; of my own. The CHAIRMAN. What was the source of these funds? Mr. ALEXANDER. They were my own funds. The CHAIRMAN. Your personal funds? Mr. ALEXANDER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. How much was expended in McLean County? Mr. ALEXANDER. Well, I have never told anyone how much was expended in McLean County. I suppose that I can tell you-am obliged to tell you, and you are the first one that ever has known anything about it $7,207.56. The CHAIRMAN. How much again, please? Mr. ALEXANDER. $7,207.56. The CHAIRMAN. $7,207.56, all of which, Mr. Alexander, was of your own funds? Mr. ALEXANDER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Did you solicit funds from anyone? Mr. ALEXANDER. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. For use in that campaign? Mr. ALEXANDER. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. You made no report to the headquarters of Mrs. McCormick? Mr. ALEXANDER. No. I formerly told you that Mrs. McCormick and no one else knew the amount of money that was spent in our county. The CHAIRMAN. Did she have knowledge that you were operating or managing the affairs for her in that county? Mr. ALEXANDER. I imagine she did. The CHAIRMAN. Did you have correspondence with her headquarters? Mr. ALEXANDER. Well, just in regard to literature. The CHAIRMAN. As in other counties, the literature that was prepared by the State headquarters was supplied to your county as well as to other counties? Mr. ALEXANDER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. And a part of your work was distributing that literature and getting it out? Mr. ALEXANDER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Do you have any city in your county where registration work is necessary? Mr. ALEXANDER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. You have a registration day? Mr. ALEXANDER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. You conducted a campaign there? Mr. ALEXANDER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. To get the vote out and record it on that day? Mr. ALEXANDER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Was any part of the funds which you expended used for that purpose? Mr. ALEXANDER. Yes, sir. |