The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-06-08
Washington Letter.

WAsHINGToN, d. C, June ,, 1S94-
The positive and emphatic denial OF Sen
ators Voorhees,, Vest, Harris and Nc
Pherson. Democratic members of the
senate finance committee, of each ana
all OF the sensational stories which have
been printed concerning the sugar trust
and its alleged influence in the making
of the sugar schedule of the tariff bill,
has convinced all fair minded people
that the alleged sugar truSt scandal had
no firmer foundation than the idle goS
sip of irresponsible persons, based en-
tlrely upon conjecture; and there * lit
tie room for doubt that the investigating
committee Will SO report at the close OF
the taking OF testimony, and that the re
port will be signed by every member Of
the committee. Present indications are
that the Scotch verdict mot proven
will be rendered on the charge that Ger
tain senators Specuiated IN sugar stock
while the character of the schedule OF
the tariff bill was in doubt. on account
OF the difficulty of obtaining convincing
evidence on that subject. 1t Is generally
regretted, outside of the senate. that the
committee should have raised the old
question of the right of the senate to
compel newspaper men to give the
source of information received 10y them,
in connection with this investigation.
| No good can come out of it, and, as
Senator Hill aptly said, much harm
may.
The last concerted effort of the Re
| publican senators against the tariff bill
| Is now being made against the sugar
! schedule. This is not so much because
| they are opposed to the sugar schedule
| as a matter of fact a number of them are
| known to favor it-hut because they be
| lieve that If they can put sugar on the
! free list enough Democrats Will refuse to
vote for the entire bill to enable them to
| defeat it. But the scheme will not work
1t Is now as certain as anything not yet
done can be that Democrats enough to
! make a majority cannot be drawn into
| this trap, although there are lumber
| of Democratic Senators who would like
to see sugar on the free list. As soon
as the sugar schedule Is adopted it Is be
lieved that the Republicans will agree to
set day to vote upon the bill, rs they
admit that if they cannot beat the sugar
schedule they cannot beat the bill.
The southern Democrats in the house
are making a determined fight to secure
the repeal of the tax on state bank notes.
The debate has been going on all this
week and Will probably continue for a
week or ten days longer, the unacted
upon appropriation bills having been
temporarily laid aside. The result Is in
doubt, depending, many believe, on the
attendance when the vote Is taken. If
the attendance exceeds $50 the prOba-
| NIL los.
as the largest claim made 10y the friends
of repeal Is l4O votes. But inaSmuCh as
those who favor the repeal of the tax
are more Interested in securing 1t than
those who oppose it are in preventing il,
the chances are in favor of the repealers
mastering their full strength on the floor
OF the house when the time comes to
vote and winning, If they can get the
40 votes claimed. Some very interest
ing and instructive speeches have been
made by Democrats both for ana against
repeal. The Republicans have not up
to this time taken a conspicuous part in
the debate, although they are solidly OPP
posed to repeal. Representative Black
of Georgia, made a strong and bold
speech IN favor of repeal, in which he
took the ground that the general govern
ment had no right under the cOnstitu>
ton to impose such tax, and stated his
belief that the L. :. supreme court had
no more right to bind the action of the
| house than the house had to bind the
supreme court.
The investigation of the alleged ar
NOR plate frauds 10y the house commit
tee on naval affairs has so far brought
out nothing startling. The committee
will visit Homestead to see if anything
more than was found out toy Secretary
Herbert's naval experts can be learned
+ Postmaster General Bissell doesen' en-
dorse the idea of the government run
ming the telegraph lines Of the country
In connection with the post Office de
partment, and he has written letter to
Chairman Wise. of the house commerce
committee, giving his reasons. He
thinks the postotiice department has all
that it can do justice to in extending
and perfecting the mail facilities Of the
country, and that the expense Of a tele.
graph system wOuld be out Of all pro
portion to the benefit that would be de.
rived therefrom by the people
President Cleveland and Secretaries
Gresham, Carlisle, Smith and Morton
attended the Memorial day exercises at
Arlington as guests of the Grand Army
of the Republic. NJ.
They viii Confer.