The morning call., 1894-08-03
NO SUGAR MONEY
Used to Corrupt the
Senate.
COATED WITH WHITEWASH.
Newspaper Correspondents Alone
to Blame.
COATED WITH WHITEWAsH.
CAMDEN, CLEVELAND AND SMITH
In Fact Everybody Connected With
the Trust Fund Scandal Has
Been Exonerated.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2.-Senator Gray,
chairman of the Sugar Investigation Com
mittee, presented a report to the Senate
to-day and asked that the committee be
discharged. The main report is signed by
all the mem bers of the committee. Lodge
and Davis presen ted supplemental report
aud Allen presents his own views on some
of the features of the case.
The report cites the facts which have
been published as to the refusal of Corre-
spondent Edwards to answer questions.
Secretary Carlisle is exonerated and parts
of the article in the Philadelphia Press re-
fecting on him are declared without foun-
daton, Except the fact, according TO
Secretary Carlisle's testimony, that he did,
at the request of Senator Jones, draft an
amendment to the sugar schedule" The
conduct of Edwards, says the report. in
publishing specific charges against public
men without having personal knowledge
of facts calls for the serious repro baton of
the Senate.
The committee also says: "There has
been no testimony presented before your
committee, and your committee has been
unable to discover any tending to show
that the sugar schedule was made up as it
then stood. in the proposed amendment to
the tariff bill, in consideration of large or
any sums OF money paid for campaign pur-
poses of the Democratic party. No wit
ness has testified before your committee
that such was the fact. and all the Demo
cratic members of the Finance Committee
and all the Senators whose names have
been mentioned in the public press as
especially interested in protecting the
sugar-refiniDg industries, or in whose States
sugar refineries existed, have under oath
denied that they had any knowledge or
information as to any sums of money, large
or otherwise, having been paid for cam
pagn purposes of the Democratic party
by the sugar trust. by those connected
with it, or by anybody as a consideration
for favorable treatment of its interests by
said party"
The committee also reports the SUBJ
stance OF the testimony of the sugar refin-
ers as saying that the campaign contribu-
tioDs were made only to the local commit
tees and not for the purpose of influencing
national campaigns or for the purpose OF
securing or defeating national legislation.
mo other testimony has," the commit
tee says, "been offered. suggested or dis
covered which would tend to support the
statements of Edwards in this regard.
Nor is there any evidence in support of
the statement that either of the MeSsrs.
HaVemeyer had an interview with Presi-
dent Cleveland on yacht in the summer
OF 1892 or 1893 in regard to sugar. the
Hawaiian Islands or any other sugar in
terests or the policy of the administration
in regard to them. On the contrary. it has
been rmatively shown that the state
ment is untrue as to any such interview
having occurred.
SIT was shown by the evidence that one
or more officers OF the sugar trust we're in
Washington and that they saw several
Senators, generally those representing
States in which sugar refneries were
located, with the view of influencing legis-
IatiOn, but these gentlemen deny the use
of any improper motives to that end.
Both the members of the trust ami the
Finance Committee denied that any meet
ing took place between them at the capital
or elsewhere as was stated in the Holland
letter to have taken place, and there is no
evidence in support Of the statements in
this regard"
The committee also unites In saying
that no evidence has been adduced tend
ing to show improper conduct on the part
of those engaged in the framing of the
sugar schedule in the tariff bill. The
committee strongly.depreciates the pressure
to which Congress and its members are
subjected by the representatives of great
industrial combin ations, whose enorm Gus
wealth tends to suggest undue influence
and to create in the public mind demor-
aliZing belief in the existence of corrupt
politics.
The committee reports In the negative
upon the question. whether any Senator
has been specuIatlng in sugar stocks dur
ing the discussion of the tariff bill"
AS to the latter branch of inquiry, which
brought out a Photographic copy of an
order to buy sugar stocks, purporting to
be signed by Senator Camden, the commit
tee gives credeuce to the denial of Sen ator
Camden, and says that Battershall, whose
testimony was expected TO bear up the in
ference from the Photographic copy. is
man OF doubtful character. Senator Smith
is also exonerated from blame.
Summing up, the committee says that
no charge or charges have been fled be-
fore them alleging that the action of the
Senators has been corruptly or improperly
influenced in the consideration of the
tariff bill, and no attempt has been made
to influence legislation.
All the testimony taken by the commit
tee is submitted as part of the report.
Davis and Lodge submitted a supple
mental report devoted entirely to the sub,
jsct Of the Influence of the sugar trust. So
called. on the making of the sugar schedule
as 1t now stands in the tariff bill. They
say that no evidence has been submitted to
he committee which proves that the sugar
schedule was made up in order to fulfill
obligations to the sugar trust for campaign
contribution, but they consider it their
duty TO go into more detail as to the method
employed in making up the sugar schedule,
for which the Democratic members of the
Finance Committee, it is pointed out, are
publicly responsible.
1t is also submitted. says the report and
il is proved by the sworn testimony of
every witness called, that the schedule
was that desired by the representatives of
the refiners or the sugar trust. The three
interests concerned in the sugar schedule
are stated to be those with no local or