The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-06-07

| therefore no question for the Senate to
debate. There was statute which de.
volved a duty on the chair on the pre-.
sentation OF Il report and the chair
alone could act upon 1t.
Hill-reRardless of HarrIs's point of
order-went on with his own argument
and was. after a while, again inter.
rupted by Harris, who asked the ruling
or the chair on his point of order.
The Vice President, who hadiresumed
the chair, made the following ruling:
This Is u privileged report, and 1t fs
not such a report as calls for any &C.
tion on the part of the Senate. The
only action called for by this report is
the action of the presiding officer. That
Is the decision Of the chair. The cues.
t1on before the Senate is the amend.
melt Of the Senator of Kansas (Peffer)
to the lumber schedule Of the tariff
BILL"
Hill appealed from the decision of the
Vice President and argued that the
Senate had a right to direct the presid-
Ing officer not to proceed further In the
matter until after further action of the
Senate. The statute in question was
loosely and carelessly drawn. But the
Senate had complete jurisdiction Of the
latter until the last moment. The Sen.
tificate provided for in the statute
should not be transmitted to the dis
trict attorney; and 1t had complete jul.
r1sdictiOn over the matter. He had no
sort Of interest, he said, personal or
otherwise. in the heinvestigation. It was
proper enough that the Senate should
Investigate the charge Of bribery; but
the report on that question had been
presented, and that portion of the work
had been substantially completed. He
doubted the wisdom Of the other pro
ceedlng. He doubted the propriety of
endeavoriDg to lind out whether news,
paper men always told the truth. 1t
the Senate undertook that great work
1t would be kept busy until the end of
time. Senators could speculate in gu.
gar stock or Ia silver or in any other
kind of stock, and would violate no law
not call thes Senators instead Of per.
scouting these newspaper correspond.
! ents, who do not pretend that they
have any personal. knowledge of the
subjectp Why seek out those CORES,
pondents and then invoke the power OF
this great government to make them
tell the sources of their confidential in.
| fermatiOn-when the very people about
whom they speak are in the city OF
| Washington and can be summoned and
compelled to testify.
The real question vas not what these
correspondents said, but what we're the
exact facts. That was what the public
wanted to know. And nobody objects
TO the committee fading it out, to 1t:
hearts content. If a newspaper mar
who had written something as to spec
ulations in sugar was On the stand anC
sald that he wrote it In good faith and
had derived his information from con
should he be pressed on tnat point In
stead of having. the parties called
against whom the charge was present.
ed? "How are we to ascertain" asked
| Allen, "who they are. when the wit
nesses refuse to disclose their names or
the sources of their information?"
"Swear them all, If you have any
doubt about It," Hill replied, with a
snap; and the galleries applaudt d, and
were rebuked by the presiding officer
for such breach Of propriety.
$50 long as you have" Hill went on,
'entered upon this inquiry-foolishly,
In my judgment--it Is your duty to ex.
haust 1t and to go to the bottom. If
you have seen f1t to investigate mere
idle newspaper charges; not founded on
ainuovioS, Ho' Aouuucu Ou pofSOual
knowledge, then carry 1t out, and do
who strarted che inquiry. There Is no
objection to swearing every Senator
around the circle. If any newspaper
man bad circulated story which re.
tlected on my honor and integrity as a
Senator, and If the Senate had seen fit
TO enter on an investigation OF this sort
and If the newspaper man disclaimed
on the stand, all personal kno wledge Of
the matter, should be the next wit
ness to be called. / do not think 1t was
wise to have entered on to this branch
of the iLquiry, but the committee hay.
1nG entered upon 1t should folio W It no
Two of these newspaper men are resi-
dents OF my State and represent ne
papers published In my State, and that
Is one reason why I desire to present
these suggestions in their behalf. The
other reason is, because 1 think that
the Senate Is treading on ground on
which it ought not to tread. I think
thar no good will como Of the investi,
CATION In thus seeking to persecute
these men. Thirdly, l deny the right
Of the presiding officer. without anyr G.
tion Of this body, to certify the facts
to the district attorney Of the District
and fourthly, l believe 1t is within the
control'of the Senate to say whether
this prosecution or persecution shall 10
any farther In that direction. desire
to offer resolution on this subject,
and l withdraw the appeal in regard to
one part or the ruling Of the chair"
Harris objected to part only of
Hills appeal being Withdrawn and also
to the reception of HIPS resolution
but Hill continued to bold the floor and
read the resolution which he desired tC
offer: "That the questions ask d and
refused to be answered are not peril
nent 70 the inquiry and that the presid
lug officer be requested not to certify
the same to tho district attorney until
further direction Of tho Senate"
The resolution was not receive d, and
Hills appe i from the decision of the
chair was laid on the table.
FOr'y People II rJured.
MACON, Ca, May 30.-The real
coAta on tho Albany and Columbus
branch Of the South Western Railroad