The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-05-25
SENATORIAL SCANDAL.
The Sugar Trusts Interest in the
Tariff Bill.
THE NEWSPAPER MEN.

Edwards and others Reiterste Published
tioes, but Decline to Reveal tho Source
Of Their Information.
WASHINGTON, May 25. - The senate
bribery investigation committee yester-
day began the second and by far the most
important branch OF the investigation for
I, which the committee was created, the in
quiry into the connection Of the sugar
trust with the tariff legislation. f. j.
Edwards, the author Of the Holland"
letter in the Philadelphia Press was be-
fore the committee for several hours
Owing to the fact that the committee
sat behind closed doors, it has been i'm
possible to obtain a detailed account of
the inquiry. 1t is known, however, that
| Mr.. Edwards presented a written memor-
andum giving some of the sources of the
| information contained in his letter, and
stating that he could not give his author
| ity in other cases, as it would be a breach
Of faith
He declined to state his authority for
! the information contained in his letter to
the effect that Secretary Carlisle had APP
peared before the tariff subcommittee,
consisting of Senators Jones, Vest and
Mills, before the original senate bill was
reported, and had insisted that sugar be
given protection because of the party
pledges made previous to election, or for
the statement that Mr.. Carlisle himself
had revised and written the sugar sched-
ule.
He stated that he understood that this
schedule as prepared by Mr.. Carlisle was
still in existence and suggested that il it
4 4.
that it was his opinion that this fact could
be definitely ascertained by summoning
members of the finance committee. He
said that his authority was such as to sat
isfy him of the truth of the statements
made
Other statements in his letter, the
authority for which Mr.. Edwards de-
clined to give, were those that $500 900 was
the amount contributed by the sugar
trust to the Democratic campaign fund in
1892, and that a member of the firm of
Moore g. Schley, who he said in his let
ters were Senator Brice's brokers, had
been in possession of the latest amend
ments which had been agreed upon to the
tariff bill before the time when Senator
Voorh ees still insisted on the floor of the
senate that no amendments had been
agreed to.
After a brief conference the committee
| decided to postpone consideration of ex-
cusing Mr.. Edwards from divulging his
authority for certain of his statements un-
til today to allow Judge Dittenhoefer, his
attorney, to consult the authorities bear
ing upon the case.
John s. Shriver, the Washington cor.
respondent of the New York Mail and Ex.
press, was also before the committee. He
was examined in regard to dispatch
which appeared in his paper on May 10, in
which he stated that an interview between
certain United States senators and mem
bers Of the sugar trust held in parlor OF
the Arlington hotel had been overheard
by a wire manufacturer who occupied tn,
adjoining room. After acknowledging
that he had written the dispatch Mr.
Shriver was asked the name of his author
ity and also the name of the wire manu-
facturer mentioned in his dispatch.
Mr. Shriver said that the story had beer
given him by a congressman, but he de
clined either to give his name or the name
of the wire manufacturer, his reasons be
ing that the congressman who gave hin
the story for publication did not wish tC
be brought into the scandal or to be called
upon to testify, and had made witness
promise not to reveal his name. The com
mittee tried by various methods to max,
Mr.. Shriver disclose his authority, bu
. without success.
Mr. Shriver said that the wire manufac
turer on the morning after the conferences
met the congressman and seemed in al
. excited state of mind He slapped tn,
congressman on the shoulder aud re
marked that now he was certain that tn,
Wilson bill would never pass, because tn,
! night before he had occupied a room mex
to that occupied by some sugar trust mel
and he had overheard enough of the con
versation to lead him to believe that tn,
tariff bill was dead.
after Mr.. Shriver was excused Mr.
Harry W. Walker, Washington CORE
spondent of the st, Louis PosJ-Dispatch
was called and asked to state where h,
had obtained the information publish1,
by him in a dispatch in which he hll
stated that a prominent member of tn
cabinet and had intimated that the presi
dent himself, had confessed that the Dem
ocPatio party was under obligations to tn
sugar trust. Mr.. Walker also confirmed
Mr.. Shriver's story about the occurrence
at the Arlington hotel between member
of the sugar trust and certain senators
saying that he had also received his infor
nation from a member of the house Lik
Mr.. Shriver, he declined TO give the nam
OF the congressman who had given hin
the information.
The committee is devoting today's ses
sion 70 the problem Of deciding what to d.
with the newspaper writers who refuse Il
divulgs tho authority for portions of tn
information which they had used in thei
papers Upon the decision will depend t
a certain extent the future progress Of tn
committees work.