The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-08-01
A Carefully Constructed Series Of Questions
Calculated to Bring Out Information for
Use by Cleveland Politicians.
Major Mckinley Thinks a Republican
Tariff Bill May Possibly Be Passed.
The Chief Executive Thinks Gen. Black Is Too
AmbitiOus-Senator Plumb Makes a Saw
age Attack on the Geological Survey.
THE TRUSTS AND POOLS.
The House Inquiry Is Devoted Entirely to
Making Political Capital

The House Inquiry LIS Devoted Entirely to
Making Political Capital
Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, July 3l.-One OF the members
of the House committee on manufactures, which
has been for FIVE or six weeks engaged in inves-
tigating the subject of trusts. pools and monop-
olistic combinations, says the work of the COM
mittee has not been instituted or pursued with
q view to sscertaining the evils which combined
capital works, but with the aim of procuring in
formation to be used in the tariff discussion,
legislation on the tariff and internal taxes, and
in the approaching campaign. 'Ths Demo-
Gratis in the House" said he. ''were not disposed
at first to boot at the proposition of the Repub-
leans to abolish all of the internal taxes before
beginning an inroad on the customs duties at
fectIng manufactures. 1 know of my own per-
sonal knowledge that the Democrats in
the House were in favor of putting
that very plank in their St Louis
platform, and since the Republicans have
adopted it the Democrats are now working in
this investigation with a view to securing infor-
nation from the whisky people to be used In ar
guments against the Republican proposition.
From the very beginning the investigation has
been conducted for the purpose OF securing in
formation to be used by private individuals in
the House and the Democratic party at large.
When Claus Spreckles, the great sugar refner,
was q witness, the questions propounded by the
Democratic member of the committee as TO the
existence of a sugar trust or pool did not con-
sumo over fifteen minute ties, and their questions
relating to the tariff on sugar and the outlook
for the sugar industry o f the country consumed
three or four hours. This SHOWED that the mat
ter of the sugar tr ust was entirely secondary,
while the proposition of the Republicans to cut
the sugar duty in half and to abolish
it altogether was the paramount issue. Down
into the very finest details as to the
efforts in this country to establish a sugar in
dustry, and the outlook in the future for it the
Democratic members OF the committee went,
and then they devoted their attention with
great assiduity to the proposition to very mate
rally reduce or abolish the sugar duty. That
showed which way the wind was blowing in
in their minds. They did not care anything
about the alleged sugar trust They only
wanted TO get information which would enable
them to hedge before the country in their pur-
pose to make wool free and retain the onerous
duty on sugar.
cornfnittee, CONTINUED the member, sit was tbs
same thing over. The other day there were
three or four big whisky distillers before the
committee, and they occupied an entire day in
tuciT oAdmiuhJlOu. Inc uueStlOuS pEopOunueQ
by the chairman in reference to a whisky trust
consumed about five minutes, and those relat-
ing to the proposition to abolish or
reduce the tax on whisky consumed
hours. If you will get the official
report Of the testimony you will see with what
great diligence the Democrats members Of the
committee went into the question of the inter
nal tax on whisky, the effect its abolition or re-
duction would have upon the manufacture and
sale OF the article, and the effect the existing
duty on imported liquors has upon the domestic
trade. There were great strings OF carefully
prenared questions drawn out of drawers and
propounded to the witnesses, with q view to Sc
curing technical information to be used by the
Democratic party through it's representatives
10 the House, in the Treasury Department, in
the White House. and the country at large.
The witnesses were all prominent Democrats
from Kentucky. were men of the highest order
of Intelligence and infor nation. and they had
been coached with q view to giving the exact in
formation desired by the party men,"