The Republican., 1894-05-24
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, May 21, 1894.

administration, but his selection OF
the Democratic members of the
Senate committee that to-day began
star.chamber investigation of
numerous charges of crookedness
against Senators and outsiders, be-
ginning with the cock and bull
story concerning an attempt having
been made to bribe Senators Hun
ton, of Va, and Kyle, of S. Oak.
to vote against the tariff bill, and
including the charges against Dem
ocratic Senators of having speculat-
ed 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 in
deed towards the administration.
For instance, Senator Gray, chair
man Of the committee, is known as
chief of the Senate "cuckoos," and
man who would do more for the
administration than any other Sen
ator, while Senator Lindsay, the
other Democratic member of the
committee, is, in addition to being
cuckoo, known as Carllsle's man.
The significance Of these selections
will not be moderated when it is
remembered that Secretary Carlisle
representing Mr.. Cleveland, has
been from the first to the last
mixed up in all the dealings be-
tween the Democratic Senators and
the sugar trust, Senator Mills, of
Texas, has publicly stated that
Secretary Carlisle gave the Presi-
dent Of the Sugar trust letter of
introduction to him and that he re-
fused to see him when he called to
present it. The Democrats ask
credit for being fair because Sem
ator Allen, of Neb., was put upon
the committee, but they do not de-
serve it, as Allen has voted with
the Democrats on all political
questions and is regarded as a Dem
ocrat, although he calls himself
populist. 1t is clear that if any
thing is shown up by this commit
tee it will be through the energy
of It's two Republican members
Lodge, of Mass, and Davis, of
MINI. But nothing can be shown
up, unless witresse choose to tell
what they know, the supreme court
having some years ago decided that |
a Congressional committee could |
not compel them either to testify or
to produce books dealing with a
citizens private affairs. That de-
cision is a great consolation to
more than one Democratic SEN
ator Just now. Another consoling
thing 20 certain Democratic Sen
ators was the decision by the COM
mittee to make the inyestigat
secret, giving out from day to day
only such information as Senator
Gray may see fit. That means that
newspaper men will have to hustle
to find out what is going on in
that committee room, as Mr.. Gray
is one Of those on-communicative
Senators who regard newspapers as
a kind of nuisance.
An amusing tidbit is going the
reunds, recalling the old couplet
"a liItie nonsense now and hen
Is reiished by the wiseth men"
During an executive session the
other day when a discussion was
going on over the confirmation of
some nomination in which the Re
publicans had no interest a num-
Der of them whlled away the time
writing verses on the exhibition
Senator Turpie, Of Ind, made of |
himself recently by his uncalled for |
personal attack on Senator Aldrich.
The venerable Senator Morrill,, af-
fecto latelv called the father of .
the Senate, started the amusement |
and soon a half dozen Senators
were cudgling their brains for
rhymes. Senator Manderson's |
verse was unanimously voted the
best. lie wrote:
"Aldrich is triplet liar
said Iurpie in rage,
But Aldrch, 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
has been 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 Dem
ocrats join with the Republicans in
trying to strike out the $50, 200, 900
which the proposed amendment to
the sugar schedule will add each
year to the cost of sugar consumed
in this country. A number of Re-
publican Senators are prepared to
fire some sensational facts at the