The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-05-22
TRYING TO BRIDE SENATOR'S.

TRYING no BRIDE SENATOR'S.
An Infamous Attempt to Defeat the
Tariff BiIl-An Ex-Carpet BaRgei
from South Carolina Offers the
Temptation.
Special to The News and Courier.
WASHINGTON. April 15.-Bribery OF
two members OF the United States
Senate has been attempted. An
authorized announcement OF this SON.
sational fact was made to-day. The
Senators approached were Hunton, OF
Virginia, and Kyle, of South Dakota.
The object OF this proposed purchase
of votes was the defeat of the pending
tariff bill. Ever since the tariff fight
began in the Senate there have been
vague rumors floating around the Capt
tol corridors and committee rooms to the
effect that the protected interests pro-
posed to ospend hundreds Of thousands of
dollars, and millions, IL necessary, to
prevent the passage Of the tariff bill
with its income tax amendment.
Suspicion has rested upon more than
one Democratic. Senator, although it
has been almost impossible to find any
direct and convincing proofs of their
yielding to temptation in this parti-
cular.
To-day, for the first time, Senator
Hunton, Of Virginia, informed some OF
his Senatorial colleagues that man
named @. w. Buttz, of South Dakota,
had offered to pay $25, 900 for his vote
| against the tariff bill. Senator Hun
ton was naturally. greatly mortified
| imagine that his vote on that or any
| other measure is purchasable, hence
he was reluctant to have the fact that
he had been approached indirectly
reach the public. The following story OF
the affair was repeated by Senator who
was consulted on the subject by Senator
Hunton. 1t appears that Mr.. Buttz,
who is remembered in South Carolina
as q member Of the carpet-bag govern
mont prior to 1876, has for a number
Of years past resided in Dakota. Since
the tariff fights began in tho Senate
he has been in Washington frequently,
and he has shown q keen interest in
the fate of the pending bill. He
claims that he represents certain busi-
ness interests in New York, and that
q million dollars il necessary will be
expended by said interests to prevent
the passage of the tariff bill. Mr..
Buttz did not submit his proposition
directly to Senator Hunton, but went
to Warrenton, Va, the home of Sena-
tor Hunton, and submitted the pro-
position to the latters son. The cor
respondence that has passed between
father and son onnthe subject is in ex-
istence and will probably come out in
the Congressional investigation that is
likely to follow. 1t Is said that Mr..
Buttz offered to give the younger Hun
ton $4,000 il his father could be in
0uced To vote apainSt the hill
Young Hunton promptly resented
the attempt to dishOnor his fathers
good name, and at once notified the
Senator. Senator Hunton was deeply
mortified that any one should suspect
that his vote was for sale on any ques-
tion, and he promptly consulted some
of his personal friends on the subject.
He was advised to ignore the matter
and dismiss it without further notice.
The mere intimation that he might be
open to such a proposition. either
to him that he quietly commenced an
Investigation to ascertain who is be-
hind Mr.. Buttz in this dishonorable
transaction. In the course of his in
vestigations Senator Hunton discov-
cred that Senator Kyle had also been
approached by the same man on the
same business.
1t appears that Mr.. Buttz was not
discouraged by his unsuccessful efforts
to contaminate the Hunton family and
turned his attention to Senator Kyle,
the Populist member from South
Dakota, who was Congregational
minister before he entered the Senate.
Senator Kyle did not lose his temper
when Mr.. BUTTE called upon him and
offered to guarantee him snug sum If
ha would vOta apaipSt tho hill Tho
Senator was shrewd enough to realize
that he might need a witness to such
a transaction, 80 he politely referred
Mr.. Buttz to the clerk of the Senate
committee of education, his personal
friend and private secretary. To Mr..
McFarlane Mr.. Buttz stated that he
was authorized to enter into financial
negotiations with Senator Kyle or his
representative for his vote against the
bill. He explained that he represent
cd business syndicate that would be
willing to spend $l,000,O 900 to defeat
the pending bill. He added that it
would be- worth at least $l5o,ooo to
Senator Kyle or his friend If the Sena-
tor voted to defeat the bill. Mr.. Nc
Farlane endeavored to extract more
detailed information from Mr.. Buttz
as to his responsibility and the interest
he claimed to represent. In this he
was not successful, for Mr.. Buttz was
very cautions and declined to betray
those for whom he claimed to be act.
ing. He was at the Capitol yesterday
looking for Senator Kyle, but the latter
is at present absent from the city.
These circumstances were whispered
around the Senate chamber to-day,
and the friends of Senators Hunton
and Kyle are insisting that the matter
shall be probed to the very bottom.
1t Is said that other Democratic
Senators have been approached
directly Or indirectly on the same sub
ject, and in more than one instance
the propositions have been submitted
to the Senators by women who figure
conspicuously in Washington society.
Senator Butler remarked to-day that
he had heard it stated that as high as
5000, 900 had been offered for Demo
cratic votes against the bill. Thus far
there are no proofs that any OF the
Senator'S have yielded to temptation
in spite of the desperate efforts being
made by the opponents Of the bill.
Special to Atlanta Journal.
WASHINGTON, ID, c., Nav 16,-