The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-22
WIN Not an Open Investigationp

Mr. BUTTE the man who is charged with
/ having attempted TO bride Senators Hun
| ton and Kyle, has demanded of the senate
/ committee that is Investigating the
/ charge, the right to be present and hear
! the evidence against him. The demand
IS a very reasonable one. Why should he
not have the right not only to hear the
/ evidence, but also to question the wit
! nesses2
The committee is authorized to iuvesti-
gate charges other than the one against
Buttz The charges that senators have
used information gained as senators 20
speculatedn sugar stocks and that The
sugar trust paid 100000 to the ma
tional democratic campaign fund in 1892
upon an understanding with the demo-
cratic leaders that in any tariff legisla-
ton sugar was to be amply protected, are
to be inquired into. The whole country is
interested in knowing the foundation
upon which these charges are based. The
people have a right to know who make
the charges, and the character of the tes-
timony offered TO support them. THERE'S
no good excuse for a star chamber inves-
tigation. No innocent person is afraid of
the truth. and the truth will not hurt
anyone who is not guilty.
If the investigation is held behind
closed doors there viii be all sorts of
rumors afoat-rumors that may be in
furious to innocent persons. Some of the
testimony will be sure to reach the public
in a garbLed form, because it is about i'm
possible to prevent witnesses and mem
bers OF the investigating committee from
talking. Members of the committee will
tell other senators who, in turn, will tell
their friends of the salient points of the
testimony. In that way much of what is
said in the committee meetings will find
its way into the newspapers.
1t is much better for the accused that
the investigation should be an open one.
There will then be no room for rumors or
false reports. The main points of the
testimony will be published, and the
country will know on what the committee
bases its conclusions.
Secret investigations are unsatisfac-
tory. They create the suspicion that the
purpose of them is to hide something or to
protect somebody. Already it is limited
that the committee decided upon a secret
investigation because of the fear that
some witness might testify to something
that would reflect iniuriously upon one
or more senators who are innocent of any
wrong4doing. If there should be such
testimony it would get abroad before the
committee made its report, and the
chances are it would be published in an
exaggerated form. It would be better
from every point Of view to have the in
vestigation with open doors. There will
then be no false or exaggerated reports
False testimony will be show to be
false and mere hearsay will not be &C
copied as truth.
1t is rather curious that the Senate
clings so tenaciously to secrecy in its af-
fairs, particularly as it seldom succeeds
in Keeping anything secret. 1t seems to
have but one idea, viz, that what it does
not wish to be known never reaches the
public. AS matter of fact about all it
does gets abroad in some way or other
The investigation that was begun yes
terday is of much more than ordinary in
terest, and the investigating committee
if it should adhere to its programme Of
secrecy, would make a great mistake in
so doing.