Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-03-08
PUT THEM ON OATH.
Senators Passed Through the
Mill, as 1t Were.
sDMUNDg PLAN UNDER OPERATION

The Upper House Statemen Declare They
Didn't Violate the Rules, but Have a
Variety of Interpretations Thereof
Blair Says the Press Il Sold TO the Jes-
uits-A knight of Labor ON Postal Tel
egraph-Ceiestiais In n had Box-Tiifee
Reports ON the Direct Tax Bill.
WASHINGTON CITY. March S-When the
senate adjourned Thursday evening, Dolph,
the chairman OF the committee which for
somei o~has been investigating the leak
age or executive news, was on his feet max
ing a speech in favor of his resolution 10 in
cafcerste the recalcitrant witnesses before
the committee. The debate had lasted three
days, and Ii was evident TO every one in the
senate that for the present at. least nothing
could be done with the Dolph resolution.
Yesterday Dolph called his committee to-
getber again, and the matter was discussed
for nearly an hour I'm all of .its various bear
lngs The result Of the discussion was that
tho committee decided before going any
further to call all of the members Of the SEN
ate before them as witnesses, and question
them under OATH as 10 the divulgence OF
exe'utive secrets.
Preliminary 20 the examination OF the
other members of the senate, the members
Of the committee were sworn in their turn,
and Zach assorted ON his oath that at no
time bad ha revealed what had transpired in
the secret session except 50 far as the rules
Of the senate permitted him to speak OF
executive matters
Hunting Up the senators.
Dolph volunteered 20 start the big ball
rolling, and he went down to the floor o.
the senate with an alphabetical list of the
senator's in his hand. Aldrich's name was
the first on The list Aldrich had some dis
tinguished visitors from Providence under
his wing, and il was some time before he
could be cornered. Dolph finally ran him
down and took him IN charge. Aidrich was
taken to ths committee-room under escort
of the chairman of the COMMITTEES. He took
the oath, and then answered the set cues
tons which had been prepared the sub
stance OF his answers being that he had
never, to the best OF his knowledge and be-
lief, violated the rules Of the senate relating
10 executive sessions. He was followed in
order by Allison, Bate, Allen, Ransom Call,
Berry, Harris and Others.
A Definition Badly Needed.
There were some amusing scenes in the
committee room and in the ante-room dur
ing the examination OF the senatorial wit
nesses. Ii developed that the Interpretation
placed upon the rules by the senators diff
fered in some material points Some of the
senator's held, for example, that they were
entitled to inform any one they pleased of
the confirmation or rejection OF a nomina-
ton, whether the action of the senate had
been made public" ~ not Harris said he
had often tel.grapued a man telling him of
his confirmation without waiting for the
senate to notify the president Some of the
senators were inclined to disagree with Har-
ris.
Aldrich, the chairman of the committee
on rules said that had always been his
construction OF the rules and that he had
acted under that conviction. In the AT te-
room, the senator's awaiting their turns as
witnesses discussed the investigation at
length, some of them in far from fiattering
terms.
Blsir's Whack at tho Press.
While DOlph's committee was looking af-
ter the press for printing too much news,
that enterprising industry was catching IL
hot and heavy In the senate for not printing
enough. In speaking Of the educational bill
Hale said there was rising tide against the
bill. The press, the educators and clergy
men OF Maine were against the bill, and the
increased opposition to It had only come be-
cause observation and reason were against
it. The south had at first been tempted by
the largess offered into yielding up interest
IN common school education, bur seeing it
was not likely to pass promptly had turned
Loyalty 10 the task If increasing its common
school system.
Controlled by the Jesufts.
Blair said the Jesuitical power OF the
country had decided that the way to get
control OF the schools, was first TO get con-
troll Of the press. The press had received its
full share of attention and had manifested
its full share OF subserviency He read ex-
tracts from a letter received from a member
of the New York Press club, asking for a
copy OF his speech, so as TO learn something
about the bill This he said, showed that
even a newspaper man in New York could
find out nothing from the press there about
the bill.
New York Editors Denounced.
The New York papers, Blair declared,
were monopolies OF the worst kind, and the
country papers had been perverted and pois-
oned by them. Even the Republican party
in tho north had been Induced by misrepre-
sensations 10 turn its back on the natural
impulses OF Republicanifm and OPP
pose the bill: but when it got
the facts, as It would some day,
that tJuculent press would tell different
story. He said every Democratic paper In
New York city had once supported it--nnm-
ing In that connection The Herald, World,
Times, and Evening Post.