The Washington times., 1894-08-03
Majority Statement Of the Sugar
Trust Committee.
TWO SUPPLEMENTAL REPORTS
No Improper Conduct on the Part Of Sem
ators-Nobody Has Been Influenced
Pressure Of Corporations Upon Congress
Deplored-Edwards Is Excoriatsd.


trust Investigating committee, presented yes
terday by Senator Gray, the chairman, exon
crates the trainers of the sugar schedule oi
alleged improper conduct, clears certain SEN
ators OF the charge Of having been improperly
Influenced in the consideration Of the tariff
bill, and deplores the fact that Congress is
subjected to importantly and pressure by the
representatives of great industrial combina-
tions.
The conduct OF Correspondent Edwards,
says the report, in publishing specific charges
against public men without his personal
knowledge, calls for serious reprobation OF
the Senate
The main report Is signed by all the Sena-
tors OF the committee, but Senators Lodge
and Davis present a supplemental report. and
Senator Allen also presents his own views on
some features of the case.
The report states: "There has been no tes-
t1mony presented before your committee, and
your committee have been unable TO discover
any. tending to show that the sugar schedule
was made up, as 1t then stood In the proposed
amendment to the tariff bill, in consideration
OF large, or any, sums OF money paid for
campaign purposes of the Democratic party
The committee also report the substance Of
the testimony OF the sugar refners, asserting
that its campaign contributions were made
only to the local committees and not for the
purpose OF influencing national campaigns
or for the purpose Of securing or defeating
national legislation.
CARLISLE IS ExoNERATED.
Secretary Carlisle is exonerated and the
parts Of Edwards article refiecting on him
are declared to be without foundation. except
that II is a fact, according to Secretary Car
isles testim ony. that he did, ar the request
OF Senator Jones, of the Finance Committee,
draft an amendment to the sugar schedule, u
copy Of which, as described by Mr.. Carlisle,
is attached as an exhibit to the testimony.
Nor is there, they unite in saying any evil
dence in support Of the statement that either
OF the Messrs Havemeyer had an interview
with President Cleveland on yacht in the
summer OF 1892 or 1898 in regard to the
sugar interests Of the Hawaiian Islands or
any other sugar interests, or the policy OF
the administration in regard to them.
II is, the committee say, shown by the evil
dence that one or more officers OF the sugar
trust were in Washington, and that they saw
several Senators, generally those represent
ing States in which sugar retineries were
located, with the view of influencing legisa-
tion, but these gentlemen deny the use Of any
improper means to that end.
Though perhaps outside the scope Of the
duty imposed upon your committee" they
say, they take occasion to strongly deprecate
the Importantly and pressure to which Con-
gress and its members are subjected by the
representatives of great industrial combina-
tions, whose enormous wealth tends to sug-
gest undue influence and to create in the pub
lie mind demoralizing belief in the existence
OF corrupt politics."
As n the third hrnnPh n fhs inantry
"Whether any Senator has been specuiating
in sugar stocks during the consideration of
the tariff bill, the committee deem IL only
necessary to refer TO the testimony Refer
ring to the testimony of Senators, this, they
say. shows that Senators Mcpherson and Quay
have held and sold sugar stocks during the
pendency of the tariff bill, but their testimony
shows that before the voting began they closed
out their holdings.
SENATOR'S CAMDEN AND SMITH.
Concerning the alleged Photographic copy
of an order to buy sugar stocks, dated
March 9. purporting to be signed by Senator
]. N Camden, of West Virginia, the report
states:
From the evidence OF one witness and the
disclosed by the testimony. Bat
tershall appears TO be man of doubtful
character, which. with the fact of the destruc-
ton of the original, tends to discredit the
original paper, and there is testimony tend
ing to show that the party who had the pho
tograph taken contemplated using it for an
improper purpose"
1t is stated that Senator Camden denied
that any such order was ever
executed, or that any sugar stock has been
bought or sold for him since the tariff bill has
been under consideration, and there is no
testimony tending TO prove that the supposed
order was ever executed by any firm, or sold
by, or for. Senator Camden at any time dur
ing the present session OF Congress.
Senator Smiths connection with the latter
part OF the inquiry is touched upon. and the
report recites his sworn testimony that he
never bought or sold sugar stocks during the
tendency OF the present tariff bill.
Summing up the committee says that ''No
charge or charges have been fled before them
alleging that the action of any Senator has
been eorruptly or improperly influenced in
the consideration of the tariff bill, and no at
tempt has been made to so influence Iegisla-
tion."