Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-18
SENATE AND HOUSE.
Adoption Of the Bribery and Sugar
Trust Resolutions.
A HARRIS STROKE.
Motion 10 Take n Recess Instead Of Ad-
journing-Republicans Proceed to
Fiiibuster at Once.

WASHINGTON, May T.-SENATE.-
| Al the opening session of the Senate MI.
| Morgan offered a resolution reciting the
| act Of June 2, 1880. against trusts and
| combinations: also reciting the allega-
ton that a combination exists In the ma
ture OF a monopoly known as the Sugar
| Trust; and directing the Attorney-Gen-
eral to inform the Senate whether any
action has been taken in any court OF the
United States. either civil or criminal. to
punish the persons engaged in such VIOLA
ton of the law.
| Mr.. Sherman, author Of the antitrust
| law, remarked that the Attorney-General
had very curtly ana very impolitely re-
| ferred to the antitrust law, and he
thought that the matter should not be
| referred to him.
Mr.. Morgan said he wanted 1t referred
to him IN order to have an official state
| ment.
| The resolution went over until to-mor-
row.
| The House bill for the admission OF
Utah as a State. with amendments, was
reported from the Committee on Terri
| tories. and was placed on the calendar.
The Lodge resolution. offered yester-
| day, for investigation OF the attempted
| bribery of two senator's to vote against
the tariff bill. and Of the alleged contri-
| button Of 10000 to the Democratic ma
tional campaign by the Sugar Trust was
| laid before the Senate.
Mr. Lodge explained the reasons which
| led him to offer the resolution. In rela-
| ton to the Sugar Trust matter he said
| that the article in the Philadelphia paper
was signed by Mr.. f.. j. Edwards. It's
correspondent. n gentleman whom he did
not known personally, but who. he was
told, was a man Of standing and respon-
| sibiHy. a graduate Of Yale College. and
we'll known in the newspaper world. II
there was any truth in the allegations
made In that article, 1t ought to be
known TO the public. If the allegations
were false. II was a criminal libel of the
grossest kind. Forty-eight hours after
the appearance of that article there had
appeared in the New York Sun a state
ment from its Washington correspondent
charging attempts at the bribery of two
senator's. No graver charge could be
made: no graver criWe committed. The
charge was made accurately and specih-
cally. Such charge certainly should not
20 unnOtccd or uninyestgaied. lf there
was a person who had been Offering bribes
he presumed that he would come within
| the reach of the statute law.
GENERAL HUNTON SPEAKS.
Mr.. Hunton said: As my name has been
connected somewhat with the resolution,
merely desire 10 say now that hope the
Senate will adopt unanimously the reso-
luton and investigate this matter TO the
very depths. 1t would probably he unbe-
coming in me. in view OF the fact that
| this investigation Is to be had, to say
more than this, or TO state what | under
stand to be the fact in regard TO this al
| legged attempt 10 brbe: because | think
| every member OF the Senate knows that
| this man never approached me at all.
| I have never seen him in connection with
| the matter. But do feel annoyed--and
very deeply annoyed-that anybody should
suppose that I could he bribed-and espe-
| cially in the mode selected by this man
to reach me--because the avermcnt Is
| that he wished 10 reach me through
well-beloved son, who IS as high above
| anything Of that sort as ! claim TO be.
| But ! desire To say now that ! hope that
|
| n,ousy. and that the investigation shall
| be most thorough.
| Mr. Cockrell: NV cnly objection To the
| resolution is that ii Is not wide enough
| therefore. move to amend by inserting.
| "and to inquire further whether any con-
| tributions have been made bv the So
| called Sugar Trust TO any political party
| for campaign purposes
Mr.. Lodge: I shall most cheerfully ac-
| cept the amendment. II is stated in the
article to which have referred that con-
| tributions were made by the Sugar Trust
| to both campaign funds, and | hope the
matter will be probed to the bottom. and
| that the influence Of that trust in our
political affairs will be thoroughly eX-
posed.
Mr.. Hansbrough Republican,, of North
Dakota, said: zone Of the individuals
mentioned in the resolution is a constitu-
| ent of mine, being. / believe. a resident
Of Ransom county, North Dakota, ana
| being engaged there in the business OF
| farming. He called upon me last eye
ming to confer with me in regard TO this
matter, and concluded that the proper
| thing to do would be to court an investi-
CATION and have IL as speedily as pos
sibe. lie submitted to me letter, which
| ask 10 have read"
LETTER FROM BUTTS.
A letter from Mr.. Butts was read by
the Clerk as follows:
MY Dear Sir-The newspapers charge
that / attempted TO bribe Senator'S Hun
| ton and Kyle To vote against the pending
tariff bill. Senator Lodge has introduced
| resolution directing an Investigation OF
| this charge, with one other.
II respectfully ask you. as one OF the
senator's representing my state, 10 urge
the adoption OF the resolution ana the
speediest possible investigation.
"As the scandalous stores derogatOry 10
my character have been given TO the press
and published In every part Of the coun-
try, | beg of you TO state that lFdeny
them entirely, in whole and In part, ana
denounce them as. falsehoods and ISLANDERS.
"Of course my words do not refer at all
| to the two honorable senators mentioned.
| believe them both to te Incapable OF tell
ing anything but the truth. L SIMPLY
mean 10 stamp the newspaper statements
charging me with attempting to bribe the
senator's in question as utterly without
foundation.
VERY respectfully, G. w. BUTTS.
Mr.. Harris: lnasmuch as the name OF
the Senator from South Dakota (Mr. hyleJ
seems 10 be connected with this charge
| desire to say, from my personal know
| ledge of that Senator. that II he were
present he would join Senator Hunton III
urging a thorough investigation Of this
matter.
Several other notifications OF the reso-
luton were suggested and adopted, until
| the paper as finally agreed 10 read:
Resolved, That a committee or hve sem
ators be appointed TO investigate these
charges, and 10 inquire further whether
any contributions have been made by the
Sugar Trust to any political party for
campaign or election purposes, or TO Sc
cure or defeat legislation, and whether
any senator has been specializing in
Sugar-Trust stock during the considera-
ton OF the tariff bill
Resolved further, That said committee
be authorized to investigate and report
on any charge or charges that may be
filed before il alleging that the action OF
any senator has been corruptly or I'M
properly influenced in the consideration
OF the said bill, or that any attempt has
been made TO so influence any senator
HALE. OF MAINE
III the discussion which preceded action
on the resolution Mr.. Hale said that he
| did not suppose that any senator believed
| that either the Senator from Virginia or
the Senator from South Dakota had been