The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-13
Mr.. HOAR WANTS TO KNOW
The Massachusetts Senator Develops
Much Curiosity Concerning Trusts,
And PrOpOunds q Number of Leading Cues
tiOns Which Mr.. Payne Thinks Unworthy
the Dignity ola United States Senator.

IN amendment to The trust bill reported yester-
Gay from the committee on finance. The
amendment consists of four additional sections
the most important of them being one making
81 the duty of the President, when satisfied that
the price of any article of merchandise is raised
10 consequence Of agreements or combinations,
10 issue his proclamation suspending temporar-
lily the collection of import duties on such arti-
cles. he supported his amendment in speech
at some length.
Dir. Hosr made some very sarcastic ana
pointed remarks as to the connection OF the
Cabinet aud Of the Democratic party with trusts
Was there, for instance, he asked. Standard
Oil Trust in this countryl and if so. was thst
trust represented in the Cabinet at this moments
Was il represented in the Senasel Was it rep
resented in the councils Of an important political
partyY Was there a sugar trust, and were its
representatives consulted in the framing
Of q great revenue tariff bill,
and did they have their interests
looked after and coAsideredl Why had not
the Senator from Texas told the Senate what
he knew about these thingsl was there cot
ton-seed trust, cotton-seed oil trustl was there
. whisky trustl and what was its work in poll
tics now? was there anthracite-coal trusrl
and where was that at work, and what was the
danger from i'll There was another trust
which he would like to have little information
about There was gentleman (alludng to Mr..
Scott) who was understood to be the most pow
srful and trusted counselor in directing tie
Democratic campaign. who was apt to walk
from the White House down Pennst lvania ave-
nue. to the Capitol with a bill in his pocket lar
ranged at the White Housel, who was apt to
have that bill passed unanimously in the House
of Representatives, and who was apt to have it
pressed through tae Senate until the mistake
Or blunder was found out. He would
like know whether that gentle
man had any relation to any of
these great trusts, or TO transportation
interests, or other interests; whether be was in
te-ested in trusts which put tax on the fire Of
every workiugman In winter and increased his
fare when ne travelled by railroad In the sum-
rner. for pleasure or business. The COMPRESSION
n Directory showed that That gentleman was in
terested director IN railroad companies ag-
gregatng - coo miles of road. just think OF il
q, 900 miles of railroad in the service OF the
Democrats party IN this election-more than
al the railroads OF Great Britain and Francs
put together. And part OF these lines are in
Canada / Go net wonder that the Canadian
Minister who negotiated the late treaty, went
home and told the Canadian people that he had
been told by the Democratic Secretary Of State
Democratic party of this country proposed to do
exactly what Canada desired.
Mr.. Reagan expressed his regret that grss.
question could not be treated In the Senate
without q partisan issue being made out OF il.
He had not undertaken TO say whether Demo
crat or Republicans were connected with such
trusts, nor did he care. His purpose was TO get
q law thai would punish both Democrats and
Republicans. But he did not intend to discuss
the question of trusts until the bill came up for
consideration.
Dir. Payne remarked that the Standard Oil
Company seemed 10 trouble all tho tine the
mind of the Senator from Massachusetts That
company a very remarkable and wonderful
institution. it had accomplished within the
last twenty years. "a a commercial enter
prise, what other modern company had
done For himself, he had never had a
dollars interest ir it, had never owned a
dollar OF It's stock, had never rendered II any
service, and had never received any service
from IT. As matter OF fact, ninetsnths OF
the stockholders of the Standard Oil Company
were now and always had been Republicans.
There were but two Democrats who had been
stockholders within his knowledge. Ii that
corporation had done anything wrong. Cypress
i've or unjust, he would be just free TO con-
denim it the Senator from Massachusetts.
He hardly know how to treat the insnuation
that the Standard OIL Company WAS represented
In the Cabinet. That insinustion might be
worthy of the lower class of stumpers. but was
unworthy of O Senator. IL the Standard Oil
Company had . representative IN the Cabinet
he MIR. P2vne] did not know IL he did not
know of az trust that was in the control or
management of Democrats. and one good reason
for that was that the Democrats had not money
enough to 60 into such large operations.
AS to Mr. Scott, he had known him a good many
years as a very enterprising gentleman. The
two principal railroad lines in which Mr. Scott
was interested were the Canadian Pacific and
the New York Central, and IN the latter he had
good Republican associate IN Mr.. Depew. As
20 the insnuation that Mr.. Scott had travelled
- a. - -
prepared under the direction Of the executive,
be Mr. Payne did not believe IT, Such state
ments might do on the stump, but were hardly
worthy of a United States Senator.
In conclusion, Mr.. Payne intimated that the
sesator from Massachusetts was laboring under
q "Copiah-excited Imagination although he
had experience enough and wisdom enough to
be able to rise above the demagogue
The discussion closed, and MIR. Georges
amendment was ordered printed
Mr.. Spooner offered resolution recIting the
fact that Joseph Hoffman, OF Brennan. Wash
ington county, Texas. prominent Republican,
and witness before the Senate committee on
privileges and elections. had been recently shot
down in cold blood in that city; that his assas-
sination was believed to be directly attributable
20 his political views and activity, aud TO the
fact that be had given strong testimony before
the committee Investigating alleged outrages,
and that II is OF the utmost Importance that wit
nesses before Congressional investigating COM
mIttees may, without danger to their lives,
1T6ciy anu Iuly tcstlIys auu inStrucIiug Tue cou-
mittee OF privileges and elections to investigate
the circumstances OF the killing of Hoffman,
9th special reference to ascertaining whether
II was due. in any sense, to his testifying before
The COMMITTEES.
The resolution gave rise 70 sn extended and
heated political discussion, tho speakers being
Senators Spooner Pugh, Coke, Teller. Evarts
and Reagan. The only notable incident in the
debate occurred when Mr.. Spocner began TO
read the telegraph dispatch in tho newspapers
headed 'Riddled with buckshot" Looking over
60 Mr.. Butler, Mr. Spoonsr said: '.Tbe Sem
ator from South Carolina sneers at it,
Mr.. Butler-The Senator from Wisconsin il
exsggerating his own importance immensely il
be snpposes that L was paying any attention
whatever to what be SAYS.
Mr.. Spooner-I do not know that the Senator
was paying any attention TO me.
Mr.. Butler-Not the slightest.
Sir. Spooner-If / did assume for a moment
that a matter OF this character was entitled TO
slight consideration In that direction / confess
my error.
Mr.. Builer-I do consider it entitled to con-
sideration a. the proper time. There are proper
occasions when such things may be presented.
The Senator, | repeat. is megnifying his i'm
portance immensely If he supposes / was con-
cerned about il.
Mr.. Spooner-I beg TO say 20 him that did
not assume that it possesses Importance in his
ayes. 1t IS q matter OF indifference TO me
whether il does or not.
At the close OF Mr.. Spooneris speech he re-
Cured to the circums ancs and said: al owe
the Senator from South Carolina an analogy