The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-09-12
SENATOR VEST.
HE GETS VERY MAD AT THE AZ
TON OF THE DRESSED BEEF
MILLIONAIRES.
Armour and Others COOlly Refuse to Appear
as Witnesses Before the Senatorial
COmmittee-A Statement.

CHICAGO, Sept. 4.-The senatorial inyes-
ugation into the dressed beef and trans
portatlon industries arrived in position
tnls morning when it became necessary to
resort to vigorous measures or acknowledge
the whole affair to be stupendous farce.
u. f. Swift, millionaire pressed beef
dealer, had been subpenaed for the third
tlme and 1t was reported shat he had
agreed to appear before the committee this
morning. He did not come. The messen-
ger who served the summons was called.
- WAT did Mr.. Swift say?" asked Senator
He said he would be here without fail. ("
'4o on are sure you saw him in person ?f
asked Senator Vest, who was evidently
la6oring under suppressed indignation.
The messenger accurately described the
delinquent packer.
You saw Mr.. Armour againP"
| 81 did"
And what did he say?"
"He told me it would be extremely in
convenient for him to he here at this hour,
but would send word as to when he would
come"
And he has sent no word?"
mo"
| Senator Coke took huge piece of plug
| of tobacco and transferring large half to
his mouth, rolled it about reflectively. 1t
began to look serious and three senators
leaned over the table and whispered in con-
sultation. Just then the secretary, Geo. T.
| Williams, of the Union Stock Yards and
Transit company, entered the room. He
was ordered the other day to again appear
before the committee with certain statistics
of shipments and list of stockholders in
his company. AT the request of Senator
Vest Mr.. Williams took his seat in the bust
ness stand.
"You have that list2" asked Senator
| Farwell.
Mr.. Williams murmured:
with flashing eyes.
81 thought it best to see counsel about
the matter, and have been advised not to
furnish the list"
'Then you decline, as secretary of the
company, to produce the list of the stock
holdersP
| 81 do"
"That is all, sir"
Mr. Williams was only too glad to get
away, and the senators again consulted to-
gether. Senator Farwell was asked what
the committee proposed to do in the case
| if Messrs. Armour, Swift and Morris failed
to make their appearance.
1--WE have not considered such an emer-
gency as yet"
will you take measures to force them
to come in?"
81 cannot say, do not think it will be
| at all necessary"
At the afternoon meeting Chairman Vest,
discussing the absence OF Mr.. Armour and
and other gentlemen, said he was sorry
that some of, the persons, including the
| heads of several prominent dressed beef
| firms, had refused to attend the sessions of
the committee and had paid no attention to
its summons. Mr.. Vest said there was no
doubt about the power of the committee to
compel the attendance of persons sum-
moned before it as witnesses, and read sew
e:al statutory clauses providing for the
p punishment by fine and imprisonme nt of
parties willfully failing to appear before
The committee of either house of
congress. Mr.. Vest, continuing
said that although they could compel at
tendance they could not compel unwilling
witnesses to testify to all they knew and he
feared if they had those parties brought in
before them now they would find them
selves in the same predicament they were
in at the start. All they could do, there
fore was to impart facts to the senate with
view to having the matter placed in bands
of the district attorney of Columbia and
brought by him before the Federal grand
jury.
II have here a telegram" continued
Senator Vest, "about which had desired
to personally ask Mr.. Armour had he ap-
peared here. intended in Justice to do
so before making it public, but inasmuch
as he has refused to appear here, | will
now make him aware of its contents. 1t
was sent to me by gentleman about
whose responsibility there can be no ques-
ton.
FREELAND, Pa, December Is, 188s.--Can't
allow Schwab to continue killing livestock.
If he will not stop make other arrangements
and make the price so we can get his trade.
Signed. ARMOUR 4 Co.
The following resolution was unanimous
w passed, after which the committee adj
iourned:
"Whereas, Phillip Armour, Nelson Nor
ris, Louis f. Swift, Frank f. VUgel, Jos. s..
Newman and Jacob e. Meyer have been
duly and lawfully summoned to appear as
witnesses before this committee, but have
repeatedly refused to obey the same. 1t is
ordered that the facts be reported to the
chairman of the senate of the United States
at its next session in pursuance of the re-
yised states of the United States.
After this action had been taken the re-
norter for the Associated Press called upon
Mr.. Armour and asked for an interview.
Mr. Armour thereupon made the following
statement:
"The reason we did not appear before
the senatorial committee was that we knew
we could not expect fair treatment from
the hands of Mr.. Vest, who is VIGOROUSLY
on record as opposed to the dressed beef
business. He is the champion and advo-
cate of St. Louis deserted cattle markets
and opposed to Chicago interests. He has
been friendly to all the hostile beef inspec-
tion bills that have been introduced in the
various tauIegislatures against Chicago
dressed beef, which, if passed, would have
DESTROYED this business. We are perfectly
willing to appear before an impartial com
mittee and give any information, pertaining
to our business, which is not of strictly
private nature. We have never exerted any
| influence to depress the price of cat
tie or increase the price of dressed
beef. On the other hand it is a well known
fact that cattle are 81 per hundred higher
than they would be if it was not for the
dressed beef industry and we can get a
great deal more out of bullock than the
butcher or the man who kills in small
quantities. We have never had any asso-
citation with Swift, Hammond or Morris di-
rectlyon indirectly in the purchase of cattle
The telegram that Mr. Vest read this even
ing for the sake of getting it on record was
directed to our own agent, whom we had
perfect right to tell that he should not
kill cattle if he sold our dressed beef, and
it is entirely stripped of its force when the
fact is understood that the man was our
own representative.
The committee of senators adjourned to