The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-02-26
THERE WAS NO POOL
Report Of the Silver Pool Investi'
CATION Committee.
OWENBY is TERMED A RoMANCER
Advice as to Intimations in the Heat of Debate
Mckinley on the Work Of the Fifty
First Congress.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 25.-The re
port of the silver pool investigating COM
mittee made to the House tonight is
unanimous. 1t reviews the testimony
briefly. Owenby is alluded to as "a ro-
mancer whose Imagination is not restrained
by the limitations of truth"
Senator Camerons silver purchase is
alluded to as having been made and the
silver sold before the bill passed. Repre-
sentative Taylor bought after the bill be-
came a law and when no additional legisla-
ton was looked for
The report says it is but just to say that
the statement made by Congressman Con-
ger in the debate in the House June "a last,
to the effect that he had "been approached
to join silver pools,n furnished some ex-
cuse for the publication of the general al
legation that silver pool existed pending
legislation, but none for the charge that
certain Senators ard Representatives &C
cepted such invitation. Mr.. Conger, who
is now United States minister to Brazil, was
asked by cable to give the committee the
names of the persons who approached him,
but declined to do SO. Tine committee says
the fact that exaggerated expressions were
sometimes used in the heat of debate may
furnish an excuse for such stories, but af-
| ford additional reason for careful avoid
ance in debate of an intimation that cor
rupt influence is being brought 10 bear
upon members to influence legislation I'M
! less the member making such insinuatiOns
is prepared to substantiate the charge.
The committee has been unable to obtain
any evidence to support Owenby's charges.
There were many spectators buying silver
individually and probably in some cases in
/ .lOYt1fN hint n hot
there was any pool or combination of such
spectators working together to this end,
or that any Senator or Representative was
connected with such pool. The only organ
lied or combined effort to in
duce silver legislation disclosed by
the evidence was a public organiza-
ton known as the silver commission
appointed by the ST. Louis silver conven-
tion and which has nad its headquarters in
Washington for the past year. This COM
mission, according to the testimony of
Francis G. Newlands, one of its members,
had printed and distributed pamphlets and
circulars, published articles in news
papers, and maintained agents in
the field to visit organizations,
particularly Farmers alliances, in
various parts of the country for the pur-
pose OF working up and securing an expires
sion of public sentiment in favor of the free
coinage of silver at a ratio of Is to of gold
This has been done at an expense of not
less than $4,000 nor more than $4,000 dur
ing the past year, which expense has been
met by voluntary contributions of owners
of silver mines and bullion, and others
favoring such legislation. There was
no evidence, and the committee has reason
to believe, that this commission which
Owenby describes as 'head silver pool,
had any connection with silver speculation:
or expended any money otherwise than fol
the purpose above stated, organizations de
signed to influence public opinion to secur;
legislation. There is no evidence that any
pool, combination, syndicate or individual
Spectator furnished money to en-
able members of Congress to invest il
silver, or that any Senator o.
Representative was interested in any s1l
yer pool or syndicate as charged b.
Owenby; that any evidence that any Sena
tor. Representative or government officia
was individually interested in silver bull
; lion or silver speculation pending the sill
yer legislation, except that referring t.
Senator Cameron.