Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-26
THE SUGAR TRUST
Questions Which Are Perplexing the
Senate Committee.
Can They Compel the Newspaper Men
to Disclose the Sources of In
formation and HOwf

The Senate sugar trust investigating
committee went into session today at IL
o'clock. No witnesses were summoned for
today, and the committee began its work
with the intention of devoting its time
exclusively as long as should be necessary
to the question which has been raised by
the refusal Of the newspaper correspond
ents. Edwards, Shriver and Walker, to an
swer questions as to who gave them GER
tain information printed in their dispatches
The question Is puzzling one to the COM
mittee. and is receiving its most careful
consideration. There are indications that
the committee feels annoyed over the fact
that IT should be confronted at the thresh-
old Of its inquiry by this course Of obstruc-
ton to its work.
imous In the opinion that the correspond
ents cannot be excused from replying TO
questions put on the grounds laid down by
the Supreme Court In decisions bearing
upon the constitutional rights of witnesses,
and all of them are reported to be of opin-
lon that under precedents established In
form er Senate and House investigations Of
a like nature the witnesses can be COM
PEELED to divulge the sources of the infor-
nation upon which they based their hews-
paper contributions.
Shall the Question BE Presseds
This being the case, the question which
the committee is especially considering Is
that as to the advisability of pressing the
question, which, 1t is understood, might, If
pressed. involve an awkward complication
by cor rsuming a great deal of time of the
committee itself, II not of the Senate, and
by diverting the investigation from its
origir al purpose for the present.
Notwithstanding these objections the COM
mittee is giving the subject very careful
consideration, is examining into precedents
and the members comparing opinions. They
have given careful attention to the reports
OF former Investigations going back as far
as the inquiry which grew out of the stories
of the use of foreign money while the
Walker tariff bill was before Congress in
1916, and including the Dolph investiga-
tion Of the leakage of executive sessions Of
the Senate and many Investigations made
by committees of the House of Representa-
uves They have given especial attention
to the progress of the Hallett IIilbourne
case both while he was before the House
committee and while he was in the courts
1t Is believed that from the few words
that have escaped from the committee room
that the committee will hold that the witt
nesses In this case cannot be excused on
the ground that Counselman, in the inter
state commerce case was because they
have not pleaded the possibility of criminat-
Ing themselves, and that the case is dif-
rerent from the kilbourne case in that the
charges made In this instance reflect upon
the characters of members of the Senate,
and II proved true might prove grounds
for proceedings against Senators them
selves.
The Extent of Its Power.
One Of the questions which the committee
Is trying today to decide is as to whether
1t has the power to proceed independently
Of the Senate or shall bring the dereliction
Of the witnesses in question to the atten-
tion Of the Senate and proceed against them
there,
II is understood that the committee is
anxious tor dispose of this phase OF the
case as soon as possible. and hope TO reach
a decision today The decision II reached
may not be announced today for the rea son
that the witnesses have all been excused
until Monday. and Mr.. Edwards is now in
New York, with the understanding that
he will not be wanted before Monday.
BOurke COckran's Denial.
Bourke Cochran appeared before the in
vestigating committee of the Senate today
and denied emphatically that he had ever
said or knew anything about the subject
which the committee was investigating or
that he ever had given any person the i'm
preston that he had such information.