The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-06-01
NO. q.
Washington Letter.
From our regular corresrondcrt.l

WASHINGTON, May 20 tn, 1884.
| Perhaps it may be true, as has been
constantly reiterated, that Mr.. Steven
son is not particularly friendly towards
Mr.. Cleveland and his administration,
but his selection of the democratic
members of the Senate committee
that today began a star-chamber in
vestigation OF numerous charges of
crookedness against Senators and
outsiders, beginning with the cock
and bull story concerning an attempt
having been made to bribe Senators
Hunton, OF Va, and Kyle, of S. Oak,
to vote against the tariff bill, and in
cluding the charges against democra-
tic Senators of having speculated in
sugar trust stock and OF having given
the sugar trust protection in exchange
ior its big contribution to the Cleve-
land campaign fund, makes him APP
pearyery friendly indeed towards the
administration.
For instance, Senator Gray, chair
man of the committee, is known as
chief OF the Senate "cuckooS," and a
man who would do more for the adj
ministration than any other Senator
while Senator Lindsay, the other dem
in #
in addition to being cuckoo, known
rs Carlisles man. The significance OF
these selections will not be under
rated when it is remembered that
Secretary Carlisle representing Mr..
Cleveland, has been from the first to
the last mixed up in all the dealings
between the democratic Senators and
the sugar trust. Senator Mills, of
Texas, has publicly stated that Secre-
tary Carlisle gave the President
OF the sugar trust Il letter of
in PRODUCTION to him and that he re-
fused to see him when he called to
present it. The democrats ask credit
for bein fair because Senator Allen,
Of Neb., was put upon tie committee,
but they do not deserve it, as Allen
has voted with the democrats on all
political questions and is regarded as
as a democrat, although he calls HIM
self apopulist. 1t is clear that if
anything is shown up by this COM
mittee it will be through the energy
of its two republican members, Lodge,
Of Mass, and Davis, OF MINI. But
nothing can be shown up, unless wit
nesses choose to tell what they know,
the supreme court having some years
ago decided that Congressional COM
mittee could not compel them either
to testify or to produce books dealing
with citizens private. affairs That
decision is a great consolation to more
than one democratic Senator Just now.
Another consoling thing to certain
democratic Senators was the decision
| by the committee to make the inyesti-
CATION secret. giving out from day to
| day only such information as Senator
Gray may see fit. That means that
the newspaper men will have to hustle
to find out what is going ON in that
committee room, as Mr.. Gray is one
of those non communicative Senators
who regard newspapers as II kind Of
nuisance.
f., The republican Senators having con-
cluded to hold their ammunition for
big game, considerable progress has
been made and will continue to be
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 democrats join with the re-
publlcans IN trying to strike out
the $50,000,000 which the proposed
amendment to the sugar schedule will
add each year to cost OF sugar consum-
ed in this country. A number of repub-
lica n Senators are prepared to fire
some sensational facts at the demo-
cratic friends of the sugar trusts, and
! it is understood that Senator Hill will
also have something to say on the
same subject that will not make enjoy
able reading for either Mr. Cleveland
! Or Secretary Carlisle. 1t is expected
| hat the sugar schedule will be reached
| oy the end of this week.
Mr. Benedict broke the record Sat-
urday at the Government Printing
Office by discharging more than 700
people, about one half Of them women
and, OF course, all Of them republicans.
The number viii probably be duplicat-
ed within ten days.
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