St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-26

WASHlNGlON. EtD. HO.-lI c SlltCI
pool investigating committee made its
re port to the house this evening. The
report, which is unanimous, gives the
history Of the investigation. abiding to
the more important testimony. but not
reviewing itin detail. 1t diSmiSses the
testimony of Mr.. Owenbey as the pro-
duct of ''romancer" whose magma
ton is not restrained by the limita-
tions of truth. Prior to the exami-
nation of Owenbey. says the report,
the testimony of Senators Vest and
Cameron and Mr.. Littler brought out
the fact that the latter had purchased
silver for Senator Cameron pending the
silver legislation of the last session, and
had sold it by the senator's order before
the silver bill passed. Subsequently
Representative Abner Taylor QllinOisl
appeared before the committee
and testified that he bought silver
after the silver bill became
law and when no additional
silver legislation was proposed or ex-
pected, and had sold it III August last.
1t is but just to say, continues the re-
port, that statement made by Hon. u.
Il. Conger in debate in the house on the
oath of June, 1890, to the effect that he
had been approached to join silver
pools" furnished some excuse for the
publication of the general allegation
that
DSilver Pools Existed
pending the silver legislation Of July
of that year, but none for the charge
that certain senators and representa-
tives had accepted such invitation. Mr..
Conger, who is now the United States
minister to Brazil. and therefore beyond
our Jurisdiction, was requested by cable
to transmit to the committee the names
of persons who had approached him,
in order that they might be sub
p9naed, but he declined to do So
The fact that the exaggerated express
sions sometimes made by member in
the heat of debate, in order to further or
defeat measure, may furnish an ex-
cuse for, if not suggest such dispatches,
affords an additional reason for care
that corrupt influences are being brought
to bear upon members to affect
legislation, unless the member max
ing such inSinuati0nS is pre-
pared to substantiate the said
charge. 1t is well understood that a
good measure is seriously weakened by
even suspicion that improper means
are being employed to advance it. Your
committee has been unable to obtain
any evidence to support Ownbey's orig
Inal charge that there was a silver pool
or organization of
Silver Spec u1atOrs,
who had made large purchases of silver
bullion, and was exerting its combined
influence to bring about silver legisla-
ton which would cause an advance OF
silver and thereby bring large profits to
the manipulatorS. There were many
spectators buying silver individually,
and probably i'll some cases In company,
for an anticipated rise through expected
legislation, and undoubtedly exerting
more or less influence on public senti-
ment to bring about such legiS-
lation; but there is no evidence that
there was any pool or combination of
such spectators working together to
this end, or that any senator or repre-
sentative was connected with such
pool. The only organized or combined
effort to induce silver legislation dis
closed by the evidence was the public
organization known as the ''silver COM
silver convention, which has had
its headquarters at Washington
during the past year. This
committee, according to the testimony
of Francis G. Newlands, of Nevada,
one Of its members. has printed and dis
tributed hundreds of thousands Of
pamphlets and circulars, published
Articles i'm Newspapers,
and maintained agents in the field to
visit organizations, particularly Farm !
ers' Alliances, in various parts OF the
country for the purpose Of work
ing up and securing the express
sion of public sentiment in
favor of free coinage of silver
at a ratio Of 16 to of gold. at an ex-
pense, including the salary of the secre-
tary, of not less than $4,000 nor more
than $4,000, during the past year. which
expense has been met by voluntary con-
triDutiOnS of owners of silver mines and
bullion and others fayOring such legis-
latiOn. There was no evidence, aud the
committee has no reason to believe that
this committee, which Owenby
describes as the sshead silver
pool" had any connection with
silver speculati0ns or expended any
money otherwise than for the purpose
above stated. The organization APP
peals to be similar In character to many
other organizations designed to influ-
ence public opinion to secure legisla-
ton:
1nefe Is no eViueHce tIidG any pool.
combination, syndicate or individual
Spectator or spectators
Furnished Money
to enable members of congress to invess
in silver, or carry silver, with the I'M
derStanding that such members of con-
gress were to have the profits, or that
any senator or representative was in
terested in any silver pool or syndicate,
as charged by Owenbey; nor any evil
dence that any senator, representative
or government official individually in
vested in silver bullion, was directly or
Indirectly Interested in silver bullion or
was directly or indirectly interested in
silver speculations pending the silver
legislation of the first session of the
present congress, except that referring
t0l0. Senator Cameron. The evidence
shows that one representative purchased |
! silver after the act of July "A, 1890, was
passed, and when no silver legislation |
. was pending or proposed, and sold it in |
August. There is no evidence that any |
representative is now, or has been dur |
ing the present session of congress. di-
rectly or indirectly interested in silver
bullion, or certificates representing
sill h.,lt Z