Some of them admitted the fact of stock purchases, but denied that their legislative action had been guided by their investments.

In the course of the investigation, H.O.Havemeyer, the head of the Sugar Trust, admitted that it was the practice to subsidize party management.

"It is my impression," he said, "that whenever there is a dominant party, wherever the majority is large, that is the party that gets the contribution because that is the party which controls the local matters." He explained that this system was carried on because the company had large interests which needed protection, and he declared "every individual and corporation and firm, trust, or whatever you call it, does these things and we do them." During the tariff struggle, a movement took place which was an evidence of popular discontent of another sort.

At first it caused great uneasiness, but eventually the manifestation became more grotesque than alarming.

Jacob S.Coxey of Massillon, Ohio, a smart specimen of the American type of handy business man, announced that he intended to send a petition to Washington wearing boots so that it could not be conveniently shelved by being stuck away in a pigeonhole.