Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-06-16
SENATORS ON THE RACK
All Must Appear Before the
Sugar Trust Investigators.
COMMITTEE BEGAN WITH ITSELF.

lice President Havcmeyer Tells n Little
About the Campaign Contributions-Sen-
ators All Denied That They Had Specu-
lated In Sugar Stocks
| WASHINGTON, Juno 16.-Mr. Theodore
| Havcmeyer vice president of the Sugar
trust, who was before the senate Sugar
trust investigating committee, disposed of
the stories about the efforts of the trust,
far rs he was concerned, to control tariff
legislation during the tendency of the
present tariff bill by saying that he had
not been in Washington for II months
previous to his present visit. He also de-
MED any knowledge of the reported con-
ference between one of the Havemcyers,
President Cleveland and K. c. Benedict
upon the Hawaiian question.
He confirmed in II general way the state
ment of his brother, II. .. Havemeyer,
and Mr.. Searles that his company had
made contributions to political parties in
state campaigns, but he could not state in
what states the contributions had been
made He said he only knew through be-
ing n member of the board of directors
that such contributions had been made,
but he was unfamiliar with the details.
He said however, that no money had been
| spent to secure defeat legislation or to
aid in securing the election of a United
States senator.
The Political Contributions.
He said that according to his best recol-
| lection the trust had been contributing to
political parties only during the past two
or three years. He thought, however that
the contributions had begun prior to 1892.
| He said that statements of expenditures
were made to the board, but the president
| 81 lN al tD
| expCnd money as he should see fit Posi-
bly, also some expenditures We're made by
| Mr.. Scarles, the treasurer. He could not
! say what amount had been expended in
| politics, but he thought the amount small.
Mr.. Havemcyer contended that the pref
erenCe in parties for making of contribu-
tions by the company would be given the
party from which the company should ex-
| poet the best government.
We would donate to the Democratic
party if we thought that party would give
us n better government and to the Repub-
! lican party if we thought that party would
| give us n better government than the Dem
| oCratic party
| Your company being divided political
| ly," Senator Allen suggested, part of its
officers and stockholders being Democrats
and another portion of them being Repub-
| licans, l should think you would find some
|
money for any political party
Mr.. Havemeycr-I do not think we have
any politics among our board of directors.
Senator Allen-Thc business interests of
! the concern are the politics of the Ameri-
can Sugar Refining company:
Mr. Havemcycr-Thc paramount and
the only
| When Mr.. Havcmcycr was excused, the
different members of the committee went
| Z al. 81
| four members to intCrrogatc them. They
We're taken in alphabetical order, Senator
| Allen tcStifying first and being followed
| in the order named by Senators Davis,
! Gray, Lindsay and Lodge
The questions put to the senators related
| to speculation in and ownership of sugar
stock during the tendency of the tariff bill
! now before the senate and they We're very
| sweeping, rendering it necessary that the
confession or denial should cover all the
| points contemplated in the resolutions
under which the committee is acting and
leaving no loopholc for evasion.
| The senators constituting the commit
| tee one and all denied that they had at any
! time bought or sold any of the stock, and
also that they knew of other senators who
had dealt in it in any way or knew of any
undue efforts on the part of the Sugar
| trust to influence legislation.
| senators Question Each other.
The questions which the members of
the committee asked each other were in
| each case the same, and they were framed
| with great care to cover every point of in
| quiry and to enable those questioned to
make their denial rs sweeping possible,
| which all the members of the committee
| did in terms which varied but little.
Senator BriCC was detained longer be-
fore the committee than any other Of the
| senators. He reiterated his declaration in
his letter to Chairman Gray, in which he
/ had said that he had not bought or sold n
| single share of sugar stock or dealt in in
| dustrial stocks of any kind
Mr.. BriCe denied in general terms the
allegations contained in newspaper arti-
| Giles which are the basis of the inveStiga-
| ton. Regarding the alleged conference
| at the Arlington hotel, at which time, it
| is said, the matter of the value of sugar
| stocks was discussed. and in which the
particular schedule desired by the Sugar
| trust was considered, senator Brice said:
| Il was never present at any conference
| or meeting where any such subject was
| discussed. l was at the Arlington hotel
on the evening of March last at the room
| of Mr.. II. L. Terrell of New York, for the
past so years one of my most intimate
friends. Mr. Terrell, with whom / have
| had no interests whatever in any way for
| moro than six years last passed. said that
| he was interested in sugar.
Il requested that he send for Mr.. Have
meyer, that l might get Mr. Havemeyer's
statement. prcsuming him to be the best
| informed man in the country on that sub
| ject. l said to Mr.. Havemeyer that there
| was strong feeling against a tax on sug-
| ar and against any additional tax on 70
| fined sugar, and that l had great doubt
whether the senate and the house would
| not put sugar, both raw and refined, on
| the free list
| Brice's Talk With Havemeyer.
Mr.. Havemeyer became pretty earnest
and attacked the policy of the Democratic
majority in the senate and house as being
| destructive of the manufacturing interests
| of the country. This l resented. said
| that 1 would do what was fair and right
| If he and other retiners could satisfy me
| what that was, but that in no event would
| concede more than half the differential in
| favor of refined sugar allowed by the ex-
isting or Mckinley law; that 1 was in
| clined to believe that there was some pro-
| lection to the refiners in an ad valorem
| schedule. He stated that there was abso-
lutely none. At this time Senator Smith
| Of New Jersey came into the room
The testimony of Mr.. Brice corroborated
shat of Messrs. Terrall, Havemeyer and
| Reed as to the further occurrenceSin the
| room.
| Senator Lodge-Did Mr.. Havemeyer
say anything about obligations of the par
| ty for gift money?
Senator Brice-Absoluusly nothing in
any way. There was no reference to it in
/ words or intimation.
| Mr. Brice was very explicit and emphat-
| ic in his denial of any knowledge of cam
| paign contributions from the Sugar trust.
| Ha Enaxv NOTHING pf tho ri