Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-17
NOT A NEW THING.
The Story Of the Attempt 10 Bnoe
Federal Senators.
WHAT GEN. HUNToN SAYS.
How His Son Ordered the WOuid-be
Briber Ont Of His Onice-Washing'
ton Gossip.

The publication this morning In the New
York Sun that Senator's Hunton and Kyle
had been offered bribes II they would vote
against the tariff bill created a great deai
Of gossip at the Capitol.
In conversation with the Dispatch cor
respondent General Hunton said II was
erroneous for any one to suppose 'ha'
the matter had 'just leaked out More
than a month ago he informed Senator
Harris that a man had gone to warren
ton and made a proposition 10 MS son.
Eppa Hunton. Jr., that II the senator
would agree to vote against the tarih
bill. the sum of $4,000 would be paid over
to the son. The proposition was Oh
course, Indignantly rejected. and the fei-
low was Immediately oruereo ou' Vi
young Mr.. Hunton's office.
The son promptly informed his fatner'
and a few days afterward the senator
went to Warrenton with Mrs. Huhtoh'
As soon as he returned to washington
he went Immediately TO Senator Harris
and told him what had happened. linen
he told Senator Voorhees, and all OF the
other Democratic members of the Finance
Committee, and he said he hoped they
would order an Investigation IL they
thought It would be proper.
Gradually Senator Hunton quietly re-
lated the circumstance to other senator's,
until probably twenty or thirty knew an
about the matter He also conferred WIN
Senator Kyle, and they talked over the
episode.
c. W. Butts, formerly "carpet-bag
member OF Congress for one term from
South Carolina, is the man who onered
the bribe. He now halls from south Da-
kota and has been about Washington
for some months associating with u
pretty hard set Of irresponsible. execu-
tion-proof fellows. who have to make their
living the best way they can.
RECOLLECTIONS OF BUTTS.
Senator Daniel is not positive. but he
said to-day that he felt reasonably GER
tain that Butts was In Virginia just after
the war. and that he was a member or
the Constitutional Convention. IL S
thought also that he tried to go TO Con-
grcss from the Norfolk District, but was
beaten for the nomination by Platt, OF
Norfolk. Then Butts went TO South Caro-
| lima and managed To capture Il congress
sional nomination.
IL seems that he obtained letter OF
Introduction from James w. walker 10
Mr. Eppa Hunton, Jr., and in that letter
walker stated that Butts wanted TO
procure the professional services OF MI
| Hunton In land case. Walker lives
here. but formerly resided in Madison
| county. Va.
| This morning Senator Quay went over
10 Senator Hunton's desk and asked him
| II the published report was true. Inc
| latter said it was. and later Mr. LodS'
| offered a resolution providing for an III
| yestigation. The resolution, under the
| rules. went over 1t will doubtless come
I'D tomorrow, and casse much discussion
| II Is generally believed about the Capi
/ tol that Butts is man OF little conse
Quence, and he certainly has no none!
| TO offer In such big sums, and the obJec
| Of the investigation will be to ma ou
| If any men OF means were Dehinu MIN
| Any visionary crank could easily oHer
| brjh.. of a million dollars, instead of tn
| 81. 90 which Butts agreed to hand over.
Senator Jarvis has not yet been as
| signed to committees. He said this morn
| ing mat he presumed ne wtuld not b
| located on committees until after IN
| tariff bill was out of the way. III n
were certain the tariff bill could be got
ten out of the way at an early day h
would rejoice greatly as his constituent
| demand action on the question:
THE DAUNTLEsS SWANSON.
Representative Swanson has busted him
self very much this week over the bill
for the repeal OF the l0-per-cent. tax OF
| State banks For several days the al
yocates of the measure have wanted Il
call it up in the House, but they have
| given way 10 enable two or more appro
priation bills TO be passed, and thereb!
probably won some votes for their pro
| position which they otherwise might nav
| lost.
| Mr. Swanson not only insists that TN
repeal of the l0-per-cent. tax Is a popu
| lar issue in Virginia and the South gen
orally, but he seems TO think the peo
ple want a new-fangled currency OF stat
issue. More money. he declares Is VIVA
the voters down his way wants. and h
pays little or no attention to the cry .
'wild-cat currency" that has been IN
dulged in. II a law of the sort propose
il passed many safeguards will doubles
be thrown around 1t, but the indication
are that no sort of State-bank bill ca
.possibly get through the Senate. owe
I'm that end Of the Capitol many OF tn
senator's OF both parties are simply wait
ing for the bill, II 1t ever passes III
| House, and they do not conceal their In
tention OF putting IL TO sleep However
| this does not daunt young swanson. III
is going right ahead In his effort 10 VII
| votes for the repeal, and TO induce IN
| members to give the country a state
| hank currency, even If 1t has to be unde
Federal supervision. He is also feelln
particularly happy at present over III
| discovery that a prominent meWper
| the Canadian parliament has translate
into French and used a conslderaple por
ton of his recent speech on the supJec
of the tariff 1t has been nred OH IN
foreign tongue 10 the Cahadiahs as
piece Of good argument.
Mr.. II. o. Clagett. OF Leesburg, secre
tarv IN senator Hunton, is in Richmond
| attending the council OF the Eplscop'
church as lay delegate from his parish
a marriage license has been issued her
| to Walton NJ Busbee, OF Durham, an
Miss Leila wall. formerly OF Nirginis
Mr. Busbee until lately held posiio
In the Census Office.
, Postmasters or the fourth-class wer
appointed for Virginia to-day as follows
| Graysyiue Floyd county. T.. Il. Custe
vice w. p. Custer resigned; Islandfor'
Rockingham county, T. 4. Graves vic
Samuel Morgan. resigned; Mt. Carme
, Halifax county. w. +. Tulloch vice W.
Adams, resigned Ridgemont, Bedfor
county, Joel Burnett vice ID. w. Reaf
resigned; Stockton, Henry county. II.
. Slaydon vice Lille r. Gravely, removes
Post-offices have been established as 70
. lows:
, Virgnia-Bobtown. Accomac count.
George c. Bonniwell. postmaster.
North Carolina--Alberty, Surry count,
, Lucinda Alberty, postmaster.
The post-ofice at Caledonia, Goochlan
! county, Va. has been ordered remove
three quarters OF a mile southwest OF Il
| old loc