The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-05-30

itic4l Effect-A Bad Showing.
/ Washington, May Ex-senator Gray,
chairman of the Senate committee to in
vestigate the alleged operations of the
Sugar Trust in connection with the tariff
legislation, today submitted a partial re-
port of the proceedings of that committee
bearing upon the refusal of the news
paper correspondents, Edwards, Shriever
and Walker, to answer questions pro-
pounded by members of the committee.
The report, after reciting the resolution
by which the committee was authorized
to sit, states that E. ]. Edwards, whose
Holland letter was one of the melting
causes of this investigation, had refused
to reply to questions of the committee.
The chairman read to him that portion
of his letter in which he stated that
Secretary Carlisle had secretly visited the
Democratic members of the finance COM
mittee and had demanded that the sugar
interest be, taken care of because the
Democratic party was under obligations
to the sugar interest.
From Remembrance.
When the part of this paragraph was
reached in which Mr.. Edwards had said
that what Mr.. Carlisle had said, was
quoted from remembrance, Senator
Gray, chairman of the committee, said
yours?' to which Mr.. Edwards replied:
Partly mine and partly my informants.'
The Chairman-Do you mean to say
that you heard Mr.. Carlisle?
Mr.. Edwards-No.
The Chatrman-You say what he said
is quoted from remembrance.
| Mr.. Edwards-AIy remembrance is of
what my informant said.
| The ChdlrmaQ-WhO was VOIIr inform
ant?
Mr.. Edwards-That 1 suppose I shall
have to decline to answer I do it with
the utmost respect to the committee and
the Senate. The information was given
to me under obligations of the highest
confidence by the one who I obtained
the information from, so that l do not
feel at liberty to reveal his name
After the above detailed proceedings
We're had, the witness requested time in
which to consult counsel, which request
was granted. The following day, on the
18th of May, Edwards reappeared before
the committee accompanied by his coun-
sci, when the committee through their
chairman propounded to the. witness the
following question:
Now, Mr.. Edwards, when you left the
room on yesterday it was for the pur-
pose of consulting your counsel and
making up your mind after having con-
the question that was propounded to you
by the committee, which question was,
WAC gave you the information upon
which you made the statement that the
secretary of the treasury. Mr.. Carlisle,
made a secret visit to the Democratic
members of the finance committee some
time in February, and while there made
a certain appeal to them? The question
! is now repeated. Whereupon the witness,
by his counsel, filed objections to answer
ing the question, which have heretofore
! been given to tbs public. The several OBJ
jectionS were oVerruled.
/ The report then gives the various queS-
tons asked of Mr.. Edwards, and which
he declined to answer. They include the
ing the informant as to the meeting of
Senators in a Washington hotel, with
representatives of the Sugar Trust; also
the sta tement that the sugar schedule was
in the hands of Moore and Schley,
brokers', before being reported to the
Senate, and also as to the statement that
! the Sunday before the tariff bill was re-
ported there had been a delegation of
Sugar Trust representatives at the CAPT
toll who dictated the sugar schedule. To
each of these questions, Edwards said
the same person gave him the informa-
ton and declined to give his name.
Twas in Confidence.
| The report next cites the examination
| of S. SchriVer, another Washington cor
respondent, who, on being shown a copy
! of dispatch to his paper on the 18th
inst. relating to the particulars OF an al
| legged conference in the night while the
/
between certain senators and members OF
! the Sugar Trust, which had been over
heard by wire manufacturer occupying
an adjoining room, admitted having sent
the dispatch to the paper, but refused to
! give the name of his informant or the
manufacturer.
The committee dwelt upon a paragraph
from Mr.. Schriver's article reading as fol-
There are number of senators that
will be glad if this investigation should
fail simply because then they could
charge the correspondents with circuia-
| ting scandalous reports and have another
chance to denounce the press upon the
| floor. But if the newspaper men are
given chance to tell all they know, some
! Interesting developments will be made.
| Mr.. Schriever would not say more, how
ever, in response to the committees urg-
| ing than he had received his information
| in confidence.
| After these proceedings, Mr. SchrieveI
requested time in which to consult coun-
| sci. The next day he reappeared beIore
! the committee and announced that he
| had consulted a lawyer and adhered to
his decision not to reveal the name OF
| his informant.
The recommendation of the committee
lis as follows:
| Were Proper Questions.
"In the opinion of the committee, each
question put to each of said witnesses
was a proper question, and pertinent tC
| the question under inquiry before the
! committee, and 1T was necessary to make
| the examination ordered by said resolu.
| ton of the Senate, and that each of sale
witnesses is in contempt of the Senate
! and ought to be dealt with for his mis-
! conduct and that each of said witnesses
| by his various refuSalS to answer the
! questions as herein set forth, have VIC
| lated the provisions of the act of Con
gres in such cases made and provided
| being chapter seven of the revised stat
utes of the United States"
| Here the report cites this old law
which provides that witness who re-
! fuses to answer questions put by com
petent committee shall be considered
| guilty of misdemeanor, punishable by &
| fine of not more than $1,000 nor less thar
| 500, and by imprisonment in the com
| mon Jail of not more than year, mol
| less than a month The law expressly
I provides that no witness shall be excused
| from testifying on the ground that sucf
| testimony would disgrace him, and di
reefs that in such cases, the president OF
| the Senate and the speaker of the House
Ishall certify to the facts to the diStric
tattorney of the District of Columbia.
The report closes as follows:
| Wherefore, the committee report anc
that the president of the Senate certify
as to each witness, his efforts and fail
| ure to testify and his aforesaid refusal:
| to answer and all the facts herein under
the seal of the Senate to the United States
| to the district attorney to the district o.
| Columbia, to the end that each of the
witnesses may be proceeded against il
the manner and form provided by law
| To Proceed Against Them.
| Senator Gray has prepared and submit
ted to the vice-preSident a warrant direct
ling the district attorney to procaaC