The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-06-12
WASN'T HIS FAULT.
Senator Mcpherson Tried to
Quit Buying Sugar Stock,
But His Explanation is Received
With Laughter.
NOTHING TOO MEAN.
People Are Prepared to Believe
Anything Now.
NOTHING TOO MEAN.

WAsHNGToN. D. c.. June12 -[SpeciaLl-
1t was a great day for the galleries when
the senate finally got down to something
like test voting. The diplomatic and la
dies galleries were empty but all the 9th
ers well filed, even the reporters gallery
being crowded. There was a better at
tendance of senators than for many DAYS,
and the attention was so close that in the
brief pauses between remarks the silence
was sometimes almost painful. The pre-
liminary sparring would occasionally pro-
duce light ripple of laughter and in rare
instances conversation in the galleries
would create hum, but if any of the lead
ing senators was up it would Instantly
cease. and when the calling of the roll be
gan every head was stretched forward and
every strained.
As bad been expected, Mr.. PETER voted
steadily with the Republicans and Messrs.
Kyle and Allen generally with the Demo
Gratis, but two of the amendments offered
were SO Sk1ll1uIly framed to catch the Pop
ulists that the three found themselves in
accord on two votes. As the names of Hill
and Irby were called there was a general
appearance of strained anxiety, and when
Mr.. Hill passed one call without voting
there was an instant buzz and general shak-
ing of heads Strange to say, the fact that
Mr.. Stewart failed to vote on the same call
attracted no particular attention. 1t is evil
IDENTIFY taken for granted by the public that
the senator from Nevada is thoroughly dis
yruntled.
In an Ugly Mood.
Under ordinary circumstances the signs
Of i'll nature with which the debate began
would have delighted the galleries, but
they were too impatient for the vote. The
New York and New Jersey bridge bill was
passed with scarcely a sign Of interest and
a few other measures of similar character,
the audience growing every minute more
impatient for the great battle on sugar. At
the very start 1T was apparent that two or
three senators had received advance in
formation to what the testimony before
the investigation committee was likely to
be. One or two cOntented themselves with
dark and mysterious hints that something
awful would soon be revealed, but Mr.
Chandler, who was in an unusually irritable
mood, broke forth with great heat, saying:
Il believe that senators have speculated
in sugar stock, and hope that we will not
have final action on this bill until the COM
mittee charged with the investigation of all
these scandalous rumors completes its
work. 1t is due to the senate and the coun-
try, no matter what votes are cast today,
not to act upon this bill until the commit
tee headed by the able and upright senator
from Delaware CNIr. Cray shall have com
pleted its investigation of the length,
breadth, height and depth of all the asser-
tions cast upon the senate in connection
with the influence of the Sugar trust"
Charges and DeniaIs.
Of course there was q sensation, but in
few minutes there was a bigger one. Mr..
Vest had charged and Mr. AIdrich had de-
MED in a previous discussion that there
was speculation in sugar stock while the
Mckinley bill was pending Mr.. Aldrich
now renewed the discussion by declaring
that there were no great fluctuations in the
stock ia 1890. 1T went up 35 points, said
Mr.. Vest, in three weeks. There were
then the same lies, the same fabricatiOns,
the same Attacks on public men as during
the consideration of the pending bill"
Mr.. Sherman came to the rescue of his
neighbor and declared that the Sugar trust
of 1890 amounted to very little, when up
popped Mr.. Brice, with an aggressive sud
denness @+site unusual for him, and said:
1.-The pital of the trust in 1890 was $50, OOO-
600, and the stock went up from So to 95
The holders ma lie $50, 600, 600 after the rep
resentatives of the Sugar trust had made
their agreement with those who controlled
the BILL All this, though il put the sen
ate into as near 4 frenzy as it ever gets. did
not interest the occupants of the galleries
three minutes. so anxious were they for the
test vote. The first one resulted 80 to 81
and so it was plain that party lines Were
practically unbrcken. Cmitting details
suffice 1t to say that the finance committee
was sustained throughout, the net result of
the whole day being to make the position
of Mr.. PETER as an opponent of the bill al
most, if not quite, certainty.
The strain being over, the interested spec
tators rushed for the latest news from the
committee of investigation, and after get
ting it the two great questions discussed
were: tWas Carlisle wOrked?" and ''How
does McPherson's explanation compare
with that of Colfax on the Credit AIobilier?''
Down to date the tendency seems to be to
answer the first question afHrmatively. OF !
course none but the bitterest partisan in !
Washington imagines that the secretary
was ever corruptly influenced, but many
believe that the ingenious sugar men found |
him so anxious to be fair, so very anxious |
TO avoid the appearance of rashness or in
Justice, that they made his mood serve their |
purpose. There is nothing too mean to be |
believed here in regard to the Sugar trust. |
AS to Senator Mcpherson. his statement |
that he was trying hard to quit buying sug-
ar stock and that his son and a careless |
servant managed to buy more in spite of
him was received at first with establishment, |
next with derisive laughter and now prom
ises to become one of the stock jokes of |
journalism. like the various thin stories !
told in the days of Credit Mobilier and the |
great whisky trials.
There is trouble enough for many other
people just now. for if the coal miners do /
not let up pretty soon navigation will |
cease on the Potomac, and street cars and
many other important conveniences will be
in fix. The house continues to rush bust !
ness, and the committees of the senate have |
recently made great progress in preparing
house bills for rapid passage through the |
senate. The friends of the applying terri |
tories have formed a new InbinatiOn, and
the committee gives assurances that New |
Mexico can pass the house and that there
Is still chance for it, with Utah and Ari-
iona, to get through the senate. General