New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-18
TO APPLY THE PROBE.
THE SENATE ORDERS AN INVESTIGATION
OF THE ATTEMPTS AT BRIBERY


Washington. May 1.-THE Democratic MANA
gers in the Senate did not venture to-day 70 "'ic'
o,,. o,,ros,tion to the adoption OF Mr.. Lodges
resolution requiring an invesusduo" VA
rros recently made in regard to the attempted
brihng Of Senators Hunton and Kyle ana 10 the
ALLEGED favoritsn shown by the Finance Com
,,it.ee tn the Sugar Trust In pending tarl1 reg
INSTRUMENTATION said to be due to the liberal
contributions Of the Trust to the Democratic cam
na,cn fund OF 1882 The charges Of Partially TO
the interests Of the Sugar Trust have been nauc
with 50 much persistence and with such an APP
roar,rca NJ tr11fh and validity that they nave
caused extreme annoyance and apprehension 10
tho majority IN the Senate: but following the
nracedent set several weeks ago. when the Peiier
resolution was killed. which demanded an inves-
t,eatiop Of fhe charge that prominent Democratic
Senators were Specializing In Sugar stock wnlie
the sugar schedule was still In course Of amend
mont no Democratic Senator had dared To pro-
nose that the Trusts overpowerng Influence III
tariff legislation be made the subject Of an oilicla
inquiry.
4 SCHEME WHICH MIsCARiHEp
r, hroor the force Of these grave and APP
parently authentic charges OF subservence 10 the
Sugar Trust 1t is generally believed that the
Democratic Senators to vote against the larI"
hrl was ingeniously devised the Democratic
eide and sprung yesterday the public. But
the rlan oyershot the mark Of It's inventors on
tirelv for the bribery story absurd and ridiculous
"a q "a I'm every detail was Immediately seized
unon by the clever Junior Senator from Masss-
chusetts as a means OF successfully floating
resolution probing the one episode In the prepara-
ton O, the present Tariff bill most dangerous TO
the interests Of the Democratic majority Inc
Sugar Trusts legislative manipulations were 10y
the second clause Of Mr. Lodges resolution IN
evitaby laid open T. exposure II the empty ana
inconsequential story Of the operations OF Colonel
Ruttz covered by the first clause were to be
subjected Il investigation.
But the bribery charges having. with show
Of virtuous indignation. been pressed into I'M
mediate eervlce for political purposes on the
Democratic side. the Lodge resolution could not
ne rcpudlated when offered. nor could its second
clause be stricken out with any appearance 81
Justice or consistency. The resolution. at the
suggestion Of various Democratic Senators. VINO
perceived the impossiblty Of defeating IL, was
widencd IN scope as to include an inquiry
into charges ~ any sort presented as to the cor
rupting Influences OF the Sugar Trust on poll
tics or legislation into the personal speculations
| else Of undue persuasion by ANYBODY 70 aie''
tariff legislation.
The Vice President was authorized - appoint
q committee Of Nv. Senators - conduct the I'm
yestigation and during the afternoon he chosr
| the following. Senators Gray chairman. Lind
say Lodge Davis and Alien. Two are Demo
Gratis two Republicans and one Is n fopuiis' ~
| is needless TO add that the bribery charges oil
| rected against Coloael Butte are not likely 10
absorb much %, the serious attention ~ ne COM
| mittec Colonel Butte to-day submitted n letter
/ 4l..Yafsl IA 1a
| paper stories about him. but taking care r'i 10
| impeach tho statements made 10y Mr. liun'pn
himself. Colonel Burz IS well under.'ro1 70 o.
J an irresponsible adventurer who could scarcely
raise the first 800 81 the Hypothetical 5000 and
SIS 900 which he Is said 10 have offered TO M~ssrs
| Kyle and Hunton. In addition. nobody here be
| IIeycs seriously tina, Buttz had any unsophisti-
| cated principals behind him whom he repre-
scented In his alleged Offers
POSSIBLY 4 SENSATION CoMuNS.
The charges about the sugar specua,ions ~
| Senators and the extraordinary power cXertod
| by the Sugar Trust over legislation are more
| substantial however. and an inv"stica'i'n 81
! them NAV result In one 81 the liveliest political
| sensations Of recent years. Bribery irvcstigl-
| tions have not been common In IN" senate
| though there were three conducted during the
| seventies. All of these however. related 10 the
use Of money for securing seats In iii" Senate.
| In 1872 Alexander Caldwell. a Senator from Ran.
| sas resigned Just before a vote could be reached
| on a resolution reported by select cpihri' -.
appolnted 10 Investigate charges oi DfbrrN III MS
| oiec,ion The committee had agreed 10 Tep"ri
declaring his seat vacant and his election Vo.i
when Mr. Caldwell took time by The forcl"cK ana
resigned At about this time Senator Pomefoy'
also q Senator from Kansas was under lnNcs'l
| cation upon charges ~ bribery In securing ms
election but these charges were not suStall''u
| In March 1873. a senate committee llN'StlEa'''
Senator James ". Patterson OF NeW-liainp
| shire on similar charges. but the end "' th'
session was nj hand. and the senate had no t,in'
| - fitrafI
| Patterson's term expired and he retired from th'
| Senate Though he was anxious mat me inNcS
| ,igatlon should be concluded. the Senate REFUSED
10 20 on with It. deeming II 10 be Improper 10 DC
SO while he was not n member 81 the senate.
The most recent bribery investigation con
Quoted by the Senate was In relation To th'
second election 20 that body OF John J. ingalls,
| ~ Kansas who was charged with bribery 10 Re
curc his seat In 1879. After long and ful IN
vestigatlon ~ the subject the committee reported
| ,ha, there was no evidence that Mr. ingalls, ha'
bribed or had caused 10 be bribcd any member
OF the Kansas Legislature or that ne kh S,S ~
ATTEMPTS 10 bribe the electors, and accordingly
the committee reported In his favor. dismissihi
the charges
) WHAT SENATOR GRAY SAYS.
Senator Gray. chairman OF the Investigating
Committee returned to the city this afternoon
and will probably call a meeting OF the commit
\ fee Tomorrow or AT furthest the next day IL
said this evening that the committee w"ud con
duct the investigation in accordance with III
terms Of the resolution. and he supposed IN
first thing to do would be to summon the mel
who had made the charges In connection VIII
the Sugar Trust and see what they knew about II
The Lodge resolution. az finally agreed upon
reads as follows:
. ..Dos,i,,ad T'bot a committee OF five Senator
ba snnointsd 70 investigate these charges. an
10 INQUIRE further. whether any contribution
have been made by the Sugar Trust 10 an
political party for campaign or election pur
nose. or 10 secure or defeat legislation; an
whether any Senator has been or Is specuatln
{ in what are known as Sugar stocks during III
. | consideration OF the Tariff bill.
"Resolved further. That said committee be au
. thorized to tnvesugate and report upon an
A | charge or charges that may be filed before u
: alleging that the action OF any Senator has bee
I,1rrnnnrlv infmnncel In The con