The Daily Texarkanian., 1894-05-18
A DECIDED SENSATION.
Lobbyist Offer To Bribe Senators
To Vote Against The
Tariff Bill.

Senator Lodge arose in that body,
Immediately after the opening GER
emonies were over, and offered
resolution authorizing the appoint
ment of five Senators to investigate
charges of attempted bribery of
Senators in connection with the
pending tariff bill, and also the
charges in long article published
in the Philadelphia Press on Mon
day morning containing allegations
relating to the influence of the SUI
gar trust upon tariff legislation.
He asked for the immediate consid-
Grafton of the resolution but Sena-
tor Cockrell, of Missouri, asked
that it lie upon the table until to-
day. Rumors of the use of money
to influence action one way or the
other on the tariff bill have been in
circulation here at various times
during the past few months, but
heretofore have received little at
tention, 1t is learned definitely to-
day that certain Senators have re-
ceived intimations that a money
consideration could be secured for
their votes against the tariff bill,
though whether the alleged briber
had any authority for his promise
is a matter of some doubt The
negotiations apparently have gone
no further than intimations to the
clerks of Senator Kyle and Hunton.
These intimations came from a
North Dakota man who is known
as a lobbyist on several schemes.
He was formerly member of Con
gress from one of the Southern
States, and was identified with the
so-called carpet-bag government.
The amount which it was intimated
Senator Kyle could receive was
$4,000, and 1000 was to be re-
tained by the man making the ne
gotiation as a commission. Mr..
McFarlane, clerk to Senator Kyle,
says the matter never went any
further than an intimation. He
promptly informed Senator Kyle.
The latter is now in South Dakota
and will return to Washington Sat
urday.
Senator Hunton talked freely
about the attempt made to bribe
him to vote against the tariff bill.
The matter first came to his atten-
tion about a month ago, through a
letter to his son, dated at Warren
ton, 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 bribe and he declined to
give the mans name, but said that
all negotiations, if the proceedings
may be called such, were conducted
through his son. The would-be
briber, the Senator said, went to
Warrenton early in April, carrying
a letter of introduction from a man
in Washington who Mr.. Huuton did
not know any better than the man
he introduced. He professed to
want to,employ Mr. Hunton as an
attorney in a land case in which he
was interested and after talking
for a short time on this topic, he
brought up the tariff bill, to which
he was opposed He said then the
bill would never pass and that there
was an argument to be brought
against the bill which had not yet
been used, but which would dispose
Of it effectually. Asked by Mr.
Huntons son what that argument
was, he said he would give it to him
if he would send it to his father
He then proposed to pay Senator
Hunton $25, 900 for his opposition
to the tariff bill and Mr.. Hunton
Immediately informed his father of
the proposition.
This attempted bribery has arous
ed intense excitement and indigna-
tion among all honest men, and
will be sifted to the bottom by the
members of the Senate, each and
all of whom feel that they are more
or less involved in the odipm sought
to be put upon the body of which
they are members, Hence no pains
will be spared in searching out the
would be corruptionists, and their
co-operators, if any there be, in or
out of the Senate Chamber.
The Dress Of The Summer Girl.