The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-05-24
BRIBERY INVESTIGATION.
SENATOR LODGE WANTS SOME
RUMORS RUN DOWN.
A Carpet Dagger From Southern State
Seems to Have Been Making Ad-
vances In Behalf of Parties
Interested in a Protection.

WAsHIN GTON, May l6.- Senate
Lodge, soon after the senate met tC
day. introduced resolution authoriz
ing the appointment OF five senator
to investigate charges of attempte'
bribery of senators in connection will
the pending tariff bill, and also tn
charges in long article published il
the Philadelphia Press on Monday
morning, containing allegations relat
iug to the influence of the sugar trus
upon the tariff legislation, He asked
for the immedia consideration o.
the resolution, but Senator Cockrell Of
Missouri asked that it lie upon the
table until tomorrow.
Rumors OF the use of money to in
fiuence action one way or the other on
the tariff bill have been in cir
culation at various times during the
past months, but heretofore have re-
ceived little attention. 1t is learned
definitely today that certain senators
have received intimstion that money
consideration could be secured for
their votes against the tariff bill,
though whether the alleged bribers
had any authority for this promise is
matter of some doubt. The nego-
tiatlons apparently have gone no
| further than intimations to the clerks
of Senators Kyle and Hunton. These
| intimations came from q North Da-
kota man who is known as lobbyist
on several schemes. He was formerly
member of congress from one OF the
Southern states and was identified
with the so-called carpet bag govern
ment.
The amount which it was intimated
Senator Kyle could receive was Sl4,-
900, and $1,000 was to be retained by
the man making. the negotiation as
commission. Mr.. Falane, clerk tc
Senator Kyle, says the matter never
went any further than an iatimation.
He promptly informed Senator Kyle.
The latter is now in South Dakota
and will return to Washington Satur-
day,
Senator Hunton talked freely today
about the attempt made to bride him
to vote against the tariff bill The
matter first came to his attention
about month ago through a letter
from his son in Warrenton, Va, 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 offered the bride and he de
clined to give the mans name, but
said all the negotiations, if the pro-
ceedings may be called such, were
conducted through his son. The
would,so briber, the senator said,
went to WarrentOn early in April,
carrying letter of Introduction from
a man in Washington, whom MIR
Hunton did not know any better than
the man he introduced. He protested
that he wanted to employ Mr.. Hun
ton as an attorney in land case in
which he was interested and after
talking 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 Senator
Hunton's son what the 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 $685.
900 for his opposition to the tariff bill,
and Mr.. Hunton Immediately inform.
ed his father of the proposition.
do you think the proposition was
made in earnest?" the senator was
asked.
"My con is salts fled that ii was, and
l am satisfied that $780,
600 would be paid if it had appeared
that that sum would secure the GOV.
eted vote" The senator said that the
did not say whom he rep
resented.
1.-THE money" he said, was not
to be paid until the vote should be
cast, Senator Hunton said that he
did purpose asking any investigation.
81 have" he said, "placed the
matter in the hands of my friends,
but had not intended asking for any
iqquiry because l had supposed that
my reputation was such as to need no
support as an investigation would de.
velop. If, however, an investigation
Is undertaken | shall be glad to fur.
nish all the facts in my possession"
Discussing the man who bad offered |
the bride, he said that he had |
understood that he went to Vir-
ginia as a carpet Dagger |
and attempted to secure a nomination |
for congress but failed, had then gone
to South Carolina where he had been |
nominated and sent to congress, serv-
ing one term. He said he had no OBJ"
lection to giving the name of the man
except that if there was to be any in
luiry he thought it proper that it
should be first Civ ento the committee
Of investigation.
1t is understood that Senator Kyle
has q record Of tho allpuad hriharIa