The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-02
RAUM AND THE RADICALS
ONE OF THE COMMITTEE A HOLDER
OF REFRIGERATION STOCK.

Representative Cooper Discloses a
Fact Which Representative smyser
Failed to Make Public-The Latter
Denies That the Ownership of the
Stock Could Influence His Decision.
He Is Excused.
WASHINGTON, Sept In the House this
morning Mr.. Cooper of Indiana, rising to a
question Of privilege, stated that one of the
charges made in the resolution offered by
him for an investigation Of the commits
sioner Of pensions was that the commits
sioner was selling stock in refrigerator
company to employees Of the pension office.
He had in vain attempted to obtain the
names Of the stockholders in the concern.
sMYsER A sToCKHoLDER.
To-day he had learned-and this knowl-
edge was borne out by the testimony-that
one Of the members Of the investigating
committee, Representative NJ. L. Smyser Of
Ohio, was one OF the stockholders. Mr..
Cooper therefore offered resolution dis
charging Mr.. Smyser from the committee.
and directing the speaker to appoint his
successor.
Mr.. Sawyer of New York said that the
question which the committee was appointed
to investigate was whether the commissioner
had promoted employees under him for the
reason that they became stockholders in the
refrigerator company. There was no reason
why the fact that MIR. Smyser was q stock
holder affected his qualification to decide
whether Mr.. Raum's official conduct had
been wrong.
NJ nutb 10 - fl,of
any gentleman of honor aud integrity
should raise any question as to the propri-
ETY. Of the gentleman from Ohio immedi-
ately withdrawing from the committee.
sMYsER SPEAKS FOR HIMSELF.
Mr.. Smyser said that he had no intima-
tion that he was going to be appointed on
| the committee until the announcement by
| the speaker AS a member Of the commit
tee, he had entered upon the discharge of
his duty, and he had done it faithfully and
well. He did own some of the stock, but
that fact in no manner could affect the in
tegrity or honor of an honest man, and
friends who knew him at all would never
| impute TO him want of honor or want of in
| tegrity. While he did not understand why
the fact of his ownership of the stock
should affect his standing as q member O f
the committee. if his colleagues in the COM
mittee were of the opinion that he was so
affected, he would yield willingly and resign
his position.
THE CHAIRMAN WANTS HIM TO RETIRE.
| Mr.. Morrill, Of Kansas, chairman of the
committee, said 1t was due to the speaker
| and to the members Of tho committee to say
that the first intimation they had that one
of the members had stock in the refrigerator
| company was when the books were pro-
duced. The conduct of the gentleman from
Ohio had been perfectly honorable. He
seemed to be desirous of arriving at the
truth and the whole truth. He did not
doubt the geutlemans motive in the least,
but he hoped that in order to relieve the
other members ne would promptly with
draw from the committee.
Mr. Smyser felt that there was nothing
in the charges against Commissioner Raum
in any way affecting him, but in order to
| satisfy the other side Of the House and the
country, in duty to himself, he most re-
spectfully asked to be relieved from further
| service on the committee.
SMYsER EXCUSED.
The request was granted.
The speaker stated that when he appointed
the committee he had no knowledge of any
relation between the gentleman from Ohio
| and the company referred TO. Tne chair
had made the appointment from the COM
mittee on pensions and on invalid pensions
| because he thought it would facilitate the
disposal of the matter to have gentlemen
serving on tine committee who had some
knowledge of the pension list
KEY TO CooPER's ACTION.
The following extract from the report of
this mornings proceedings of the Raum in
yes igating committee explains Mr..
Cooper's action: Mr.. Smyser was
sworn at Mr.. Cooper's request He said
he was a stockhOlder in the refrigerator
| comDanv renresanfino hiunSelf and n w
Kanke and P. q. Given, of Ohio, who had
an arrangement with J. B. Taylor and c.
B. Hord, of Wooster, o. They held 20, 200
shares and had paid $40, 900 for them. The
witness share of the stock had cost him
$3.50. The subscription had been made