The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-05-17

Washington, ID. c., May 16-Lodgs
introduced in the Senate a resolution
authorizing the appointment of five
senators to investigate the charges Of
attempted bribery Of senators in con-
nection with the pending tariff bill,
and also the charges published by the
Philadelphia Press Monday morning.
containing allegations relating to the
influence of the sugar trust upon tariff
legislation. AT the request Of Cock
relI the resolution was laid upon ths
table until tomorrow.
Rumors of use of money TO influences
action on the tariff bill have been cir
culated but heretofore received little
attention. 1t is learned definitely to-
day that limitations that a money
consideration could be secured for
votes against the tariff have been made
to the clerks of Senators Kyle and
Hunton by a North Dakota lobbyist,
formerly a member of Congress from a
southern state and who was identified
4 with the carpet baggers. 1t was rep
resented that Kyle should receive $14,-
600 and 81 900 to be retained by the go
between as his commission.
McFarlane, Kyle's clerk, promptly
informed Kyle, who Is now in South
ton on Saturday. 1t is scarcely possible
that any syndicate controlling the
money necessary to attempt to pur-
chase votes would entrust it to man
who approached the clerk
Senator Hunton talked freely today
about the attempt made to bribe him
to vote against the tariff bill. The
matter first came to his attention about
a month ago, through a letter from
his son: dated Warrenton, Va. the
home of the senator and his son. He
Immediately laid the matter before six
or eight Of his most intimate friends
in the Senate, that they might know
what was going on. The senator says
that he never saw the man who Of
fered the bride, and he declined to
give the mans name, but said that all
the negotiations, if the proceedings
may be called such, were conducted
through his son. The WouId-be
briber, the senator said, went TO War
renton early in April, carrying a let
ter of introduction from a man in
Washington, whom Mr.. Hunton did not
know any better than the man he in
troduced. He professed to want to en-
plOy Mr.. HuntOn as an attorney in a
land case, in which he was interested.
After talking a short time on this
topic, he brought up the tariff bill. to
which he was opposed. He said that
the Dill never would pass, and that
! there was an argument to be brought
against the bill which had not vet
been used, but which would dispose of
it effectually.
Asked by Mr. Huntons son what the
argument was, he said he would give
1t to him if he would send it to his
rather He then proposed to pay Sena.
tor Hunton $4,000 for his Opposition
to the tariff BILL and young Hunton
lmmed!ately informed his father of the
proposition.
DO you think the proposition was
made in earnest?" the senator was
''My son is satisfied that it was and
furthermore L am satisfied that s1OO. OO0
would De paid If 1t had appeared that
that sum would secure the coveted
vote"
Senator Hunton said that the nego-
tlator did not say whom he represents
ed.
The money" he said, was not to be
paid until the vote had been cast
Senator Hunton said that he did non
purpose making an investigation.
L have, said he, put the matter
into the hands of my friends but 1 had
not intended asking for an inquiry be-
cause L had supposed that my reputa-
ton was such as to need no support an
Investigation would develop. If, how
ever, an investigation is undertaken I
shall be glad to furnish all the facts in
my possession
Discussing the man who had offered
the bride, he said that he had under
stood that he went to Virginia as a.
carpet Dagger and attempted to secure
a nomination for Congress, but failed:
he had then gone to Carolina where
he had been nominated and sent to
Congress-, serving one term. He said
that he had no objection to giving the
name of the man except that if there
was to be an inquiry he thought it
proper that it should be first given to
the committee of investigation.
1t is understood tina Senator Kyle
has a record of the alleged briber's
conversation and proposition. He was
approached direct, but he turned the
fellow over to his private secretary,
with instructions to take full notes up
on all that he said Mr. McFarIane.
Senator Kyles clerk, refused to say
anything further than to acknowledge
that the offers were made and that
when the investigation is ordered he
will tell all about it and give the name
of the man offering the money. The
man told him he represented New York
parties, but whether or not he gave
their names cannot be learned.
The person to whom the description
of the alleged would-be corruptionists
best applies to Major G. w. Buttz, of
Buttzville, n. D. He was once a mem
Der of Congress from South Carolina,
and now follows the occupation of
, farming. He has spent considerable
! time in Washington of late lobbying.
His principal efforts have been to re-
open a contest over the townsite at
Great Falls. Mont.
Buttz is Indignant.
Ex-Representative c. w. Buttz, of
/. ButtZVille, n. D., whose name was
mentioned in connection with the al
legged attempt to purchase the votes
of Senators Kyle and Hunton on the
tariff bill, has asked a full investiga-
ton at the hands Of the Senate on the
charges made against him. Major
Buttz called on Senator Hansbrough,
; of North Dakota, late this evening,
and asked for advice as to what he
! had better do. He made a general de-
NAL of the charges against him, and
said ne wanted a rigid investigation OF
them. He was not willing to rest on
the possibility of the passage Of the
Lodge resolution calling for an inves-
tigation of the bribery alleged, and of
. the influence of the sugar trust on the
makeup of the tariff, but told tha
senator he wanted a personal investi-
cation as speedily as possible. He said
ne had both reputation and interests
which were suffering, and that he
wished to have a chance to clear him
self. In his interview with the sena-
tor the details of the bribery charges
were not gone over, but Major Buttz'
denial was emphatic and absolute.
Mr.. Hansbrough finally advised the
ex-congressman to write him a letter
asking for a personal investigation.