Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-05-26

A Star Chamber NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
t0riaI P0efry-Sugar.
From our regniar correspondent
WAsHINGToN, May ~. I8o4.-Per-
haps it may be true. as has Lean CON
stantly reiterated. that Mr.. Stevenson
is not particularly friendly toward Mr..
Cleveland and his administration, but
his selection of the Democratic mem
bers Of the Senate committee that to-
day began a star-chamber investiga-
ton Of charges of crooked
ness against Senators and outsiders,
beginning with the cock and bull story
concerning an attempt having been
made to bride Senators Hunton, Of
Virginia, and Kyle, of South Dakota.
to vote against the tariff bill, and in
Guiding the charges against Demo-
cratic Senators of having speculated
in Sugar Trust stock and of having
given the Sugar Trust protection in
exchange for its big contribution to
the Cleveland campaign fund, makes
him appear very friendly indeed to-
wards the administration.
For instance. Senator Gray, chair
man of the committee. is known as
-
chief of the Senate ''cuckoos," and a
man who would do more for the ad-
ministration than any other Senator,
while Senator Lindsay, the other
Democratic member Of the committee,
is, in addition to being a cuckoo,
known as Carlisle's man. The signif-
icance Of these selections will not be
moderated when it is remembered
that Secretary Carlisle, representing
MI. Cleveland, has been from the first
to the last mixed up in all the deal
ings between the Democratic Senators
and the Sugar Trust. Senator Mills,
of Texas, has publicly stated that Sec
rotary Carlisle gave the President oil
the Sugar Trust a letter of introduc-
ton to him and that he refused TO see
him when he called to present if. The
Democrats ask credit for being fair
because Senator Allen, of Nebraska,
was put upon the committee, but they
do not deserve it, as Allen has voted
with the Democrats on all political
questions and is regarded as a Demo-
crat, although he calls himself a Pop
ulist. 1t is clear that if any thing is
shown up by this committee it will
be through the energy of its two Re-
publican members-Lodge, of Massa-
chusettes, and Davis, of Minnesota.
But nothing can be shown up, unless
witnesses choose to tell what they
know, the Supreme Court having
some years ago decided that a Con-
g%ressional committee could not COM
pei them either to testify orto produce
books dealing with a citizens private
affairs. That decision rs a great con-
ISOLATION to more than one Democratic
Senator just now. Another consoling
things to certain Democratic Senators
was the decision by the committee to
make the investigation secret, giving
out from day to day only such infor-
nation as Senator Gray may see fit.
That e that the newspaper men
will have to hustle to find out what is
going on in that committe room, as
Mr.. Grayi is one of those non-commun-
cative Senators who regard newspa-
pers as a kind Of nuisance.
An amusing tidbit is going the
rounds, recalling the old couplet-
"a little nonsense now and then
Is relished by the wisest men"
During an executive session the other
day when a discussion was going on
over the confirmation of some nomi-
nations in which the Republicans had
no interest a number of them whiled
away the time writing verses on the
exhibition Senator Turpie, ofIndiana,
made of himself recently by his I'M
called for personal attack on Senator
Aldrich. The venerable Senator Nor
rill, affectionately called the father OF
the Senate, started the amusement
and soon a flalf-dozen Senators were
cudgling their brains for rhymes.
Senator Manderson's verse was unan-
imously voted the best. He wrote:
"Aldrich is a triple liar"
Said Turpie in a rage,
But Aldrich, without show of fire..
Said; ''Turpie is no sage"
And into no abuse he sunk,
In stating Turpie sure was drunk.
The Republican Senators having
concluded to hold their ammunition
for big game, considerable progress
udo DCGH lllddC anu Will CONTINUE 10 lie
made in disposing of the unimportant
items of the tariff bill, but the sugar
schedule is regarded as the biggest of
big game and when that is reached
there is going to be fighting all along
the line, and it will not be surprising
if some Democrats join with the Re-
publicans in trying to strike out the
$50, ooo, 900 which the proposed
amendment to the sugar schedule will
add each year to the cost of sugar con-
sufned in this country. A number of
Republican Senators are prepared to
fire some sensational facts at the Dem
ocratic friends of the Sugar Trust, and
it is understood that Senator Hill will
also have something to say on the
same subject that will not make en-
joyable reading for either Mr.. Cleve-