The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-05-23
TAE CHARGE OF BRIBERY
To be Investigated By Senate Com
mitcee.

10 De 1nVssI'gaVeu by SshSte Soni
WASHINGTON, May lin the Sen
ate today the l. ,dge resolution, Offered
yesterday, for an investigation OF the
attempted bribery Of two Senators tx
vote against the tariff bill, and OF tn:
alleged contribution of half a mllllo1
dollars to the Democratic national
campaign by the Sugar Trust, was lalc
before the Senate. Lodge explained
the reasons which led him to offer the
resolution.
In relation to the Sugar Trust mat
ter, be said that the article IN a Phlla
deli lphia paper was signed by E. }. Ed
wards, its CORES pondent, a gentleman
whom he did not know personally, bu'
who, he was told, was a man OF stand
ing and responsibility, a graduate OF
Yale College and well known in The
newspaper world. If there was any
truth in the allegations made in that
article it ought to be known to the
public. If the allegations were false ii
was a criminal libel of the grossesl
kind. Forty-eight tours after the ap'
pearapce of that article there had ap
peared in the New York Sun state
ment from its Washington correspon.
dent, charging attempts at brib.ry o1
two Senators. No graVer charge could
be made; no grayer crime committed
The charge was made accurately and
specifically. Such a charge certainly
should not go unnoticed or uninvesti.
gated. 1t there was person who had
been Offering brides, be presumed he
statute law.
Hunton said: GAS my name has been
connected somewhat with the resolu.
ton, merely desire to say now that
hope the Senate will adopt unanimous.
ly the resolution and investigate this
matter to the very depths. 1t probably
is not becoming in me, in view OF the
fact that this investigation is to be had
to saw uv.c aa1lhs ct.sn 7Ilis; = ta state what
I understand to be the facts in regard
to this alleged attempt to brlbe; be.
cause I think that every member of the
Senate knows that this man has never
approached me at all. have never
seen him in connection with the mat
ter. But do feel annoyed, and very
deeply annoyed, that anybody should
suppose tnat could be bribed-and es-
pecially in the mode selected by this
man to reach me-because the aver
ment Is that he wished to reach me
through we'll beloved son, who is as
high above anything of that sort as
claim to be. ButI desire to say now
that hope that the resolution will be
adopted unanimously and that the in
vestigatiou shall be most thorough"
Cockrell: "My only objection to the
resolution is that it is Lot quite VIDE
enough. Therefore Imove 10 amend
it by inserting these words: And to
inquire further whether any coDtrlbu-
tions have been made by the so called
Sugar Trust to any political party Tor
campaign purposes
Lodge: II shall most cheeTfuily &C
cept the amendment. 1t is stated IN
the article to which l have referred,
that contributions were made by the
Sugar Trust to both campaign funds,
and l sincerely hope that tue matter
" ill be probed to the bottom aod that
tre influence of that trust In our poll-
tics will be thoroughly exposed.
Hansborough (Rep) of North Dakota
said: "One OF the individuals lntertn-
italy mention ed in the resolution IS
constituent Of mine, being, l bejleVe. a
resident Of Ransom county, North Da-
kota, and being engaged there I'D thr
business of farming. he callsd upon
me las evening co coLfer with me ID
regard to this master, and concluded
that the proper thing to Go would ne
to court All investigation, and nave IT
as speedily as possible. He submitted
to me q letter. which l ask to have
read"
The letter was from G. w. Bnt'z, in
which he denied most emphatically that
he attempted to Dribe any one.
Harris: Inasmuch as the name of the
Senator from South Dakota (kyle)
seems to be connected with this cosrgt
desire to say, from my personal
knowledge of that Senator. that II he
were pre-ent, he would join Senator
Hunton IN urging q thorough lnVestl-
CATION Of this matter.
Several other notifications Of the
resolution we're suggested and adopted,
until the resolution was nnally agreeo
to read:
"Resolved, That committee of five
Senators be appointed to investigate
these charges and to inquire further
whether any contributions have 6een
made by the sugar trust to any politi-
cal party for cam paign or election pur-
poses, or to secure or defeat legislation
and whether any Senator has been, or
is speculating in what are known as
sugar stocks during the consideration
of the tariff bill.
"Resolved, further, That said COM
mittee be authorized to investigate and
report upon any charge or charges that
may be filed before it, alleging that the
action of any Senator has been corrupt
ly or improperly Influenced in the con-
sideration Of said bill: or that any at
tempt has been made to influence leg
islation."