Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-08
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
POLITICS IN THE SENATE.
SenatorVoorhees on the Blocks
Of Five" Letter.
DISTRICT APPROPRIATION BILL
Under Consideration In the House.
The Senate.

After some routine morning business Mr..
Voorhees, called up the resolution offered by
him yesterday reciting the newspaper report
that Mr.. Chambers, the United States district
attorney at Indianapolis, had interferfd in his
official capacity to prevent the arrest of W.
w. Dudley on a charge of feloniously violating
the election laws of Indiana at the late presi-
dental election and directing the Attorney
General to report what instructions the De-
partment of Justice had issued to Chambers
on the subject, and to furnish copies Of the cor
responderce ard prnceded to address the
Senate. He spoke of the alleged crime
having inflicted an indellible stain on that
memorable election andimpeached the integrity
OF the political result that followed.
The fact of the crime open, universally
known and practically confessed by its perpe-
traitors and his coadjutors. And vet, by con-
| slant vigilance in obstructing the law. and in
denying and preventing justice, the crime has
thus far gone unpunished. The beneficiary of
polluted ballot box now in high place had
felt compelled to shield the corrupt instru-
ment OF that success from the penalties due to
such notorious guilt 1t was high time, he
said, that that most disgraceful and most
alarming episode in the presidential election
| should be fully understood by the whole people
and that the proper degree of responsibility
should be assigned to the instrument by whom
1t was perpetrated and to those who tried to
hide the offense. He should nothing exten-
bearance on the subject had long ceased to be
virtue in the estimation of all honest people
In Indiana, and for those alone he spoke.
THE BLocKs OF FIVE LETTER.
Mr.. Voorhees, sent to the clerks desk and had
read the notorious ''biocks of ive' letter and
went on to say that the days and weeks which
Immediately followed the publication of that
polluted and polluting campaign document
would always be remembered for the rapidity,
, 4.
the most self-evident falsehoods were con-
ceived and put forth by the republi-
can press in order to avert the Odium and
to escape the legal penalties Of an organ
lied attempt at wholesale bribery. This docu-
ment, emanating officially from the national
republican committee (and never dsavowed),
had pointed out, he said, that an ample corrup-
ton fund was ready i'll hand and gave explicit
directions for its use by agents selected for
their skill in such rascality. He spoke of Dud-
ley as the immediate, personal repre-
sentative Gin the national republican conf
mittee) of Benjamin Harrison, then
a candidate for the presidency aud now the
President Of the United States. He had been
put upon that committee at the earnest request
of Harrison, and between them were the most
confidential and intimate personal relations.
They had been political Siamese twins i'll the
state of Indiana. When, therefore, the scheme
OF bribery and corruption was exposed on the
3lst of October, far and as fast as the lightning
carried the shameful story, was it to be sup
posed that Dudley was lett without advice, in
| structiOn and assistance2 Senator Quay, chair
man of the national republican committee and
Senator from the state of Pennsylvania, arrived
at indianapolis and held repeated and pro-
tracted conferences with those who he'd the
fate of Dudley and the interests of the repub-
hcan party In the hollow of their hands. II
was not for him, Mr.. Voorhees,, to presume to
determine the precise character Of the men or
the subject.
MR.. QUAY: DENIES.
Mr.. Quay (Pa. u state to the Senator from
Indiana that it is not true that in Indianapolis
conferred with those who held the republican
party in the hollow of their hand or conferred
with any one in regard to the case Of Mr. Dud-
ley.
Mr.. Voorhees-The hands of those with whom
the Senator consulted were rather small it is
true, but to the extent of their palms they did
hold the interests of the republican party in
their hands, Does the Senator deny that he
called on President-elect Harrison in Indian
apois?
Mr.. Quay-I called on President-elect Har-
rison.
Mr.. Voorhees, - Certainly you did. The
Senator will not blame me if draw the big ill.,
ference that he wanted the prosecution of
Dudley stopped and that he went to In
dianapolis to see him, and that he did say cer-
tain things in quarters where it would do the
most good and with an emphasis which was not
forgotten.
DUDLEY's ALLEGED THREATS.
Mr.. Voorhees, went on to speak Of Dudley's
threats to use the dynamite which he had in
his pocket in ease an attempt was made to in
fiict punishment upon him. and also to criticize
very severely the part which Judge
Woods was represented as taking in
preventing the finding of a bill of indict-
ment against Dudley. He spoke Of Judge
Woods course as being conspicuously shame-
f,,l Tn NTx xIa ,,,1i. ,,,,,,,
osen outrage inflicted ON the people of Indiana
in the name and by the authority of the repub-
lican national committee (aided and abetted by
the action of the Federal COURT, it would not
seem strange that, as a representative of that
insulted people, he should like to know by whose
instructions and by what authority of law a
responsible law officer of the government in
indianapolis (selected and appointed by the ad-
ministration) felt himself warranted, a few
weeks ago. in ordering a United States commits
sioner not to issue a warrant for Dudleys arrest
when he ventured to return to Indianapolis for
the first time i'll more than ayear--characterizing
at the same time the Dudley letter as an hon
Orable and patriotic public document. In behalf
of the people of Indiana he desired the Attorney
General of the United State to inform the Senate
whether the action of his official subordinate,
in interfering with the United States commits
sion, was inspired by his instructions,
or met now with his approval. He asserted
that district attorney of the United States
United States commissioner in the issuance Of
or the refusal to issue, warrant than he had
over the appointment OF a minister of England.
House of Representatives.
The Speaker laid before the House, for
reference, letter from the Secretary Of War
inclosing q petition from certain non-com-
missioned officers praying for an increase of
pay. Also letter from the Secretary of the
Treasury recommending that the estimated
appropriation of $450, 600 for the public build
ing at San Francisco be made in a deficiency
apprC Cprlation bill
THE DISTRICT APPROPRIATION BILL.
The House then went into committee Of the
whole (Mr Burrows of Michigan in the chair)
for the further consideration Of the District Of
Columbia appropriation bill
DISTRICT IN CONGRESS.
FOR THREE ADDITIONAL ASSOCIATE JUSTICES.
In the Senate yesterday bill was introduced
providing for the appointment of three addi-
tional associate Justices of the Supreme Court
Of the District of Columbia The salary ia to
be S6, 600 per year.