Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-05-30
BIRDS WON'T SING,
And So the Senators Will Try
to Make Them.
wRITs FOB THE REOALCITRANTs,


yer and Walker, Who Printed ACCUSE
Refuse to Give the Accusers - Hill
Pleads for the Correspondents and
Thinks the Senate Is Helpless.
WASHINGTON, May 3o-The matter of
interest in the senate was the report Of the
sugar trust investigating committee. The
pith OF that report is recommendation
that ''the president of the senate certify as
to each witness, his aforesaid failure to tes-
tify and his aforesaid refusals to answer,
and all the facts herein under the seal of
the senate to the United States district at
torney Of the District of Columbia, to the
end that each of the witnesses may be pro-
ceeded against in manner and form pro-
vided by law"-the aforesaid witnesses be-
ing the correspondents who after printing
the most scandalous stories involving the
president of the United States, the secre-
tary of the treasury, and senators in infa-
mics that should ;snreach them if true, re-
fused to state where they got their infor-
nation.
Had a Warrant Prepared.
Senator Gray prepared and submitted to
the vice president n warrant directing the
district attorney of the District of Column
bia, to proceed against the witnesses Ed
wards and Shriver. under the act of 1851.
This warrant certifies the facts set forth
in the report and is signed by the vice
president. Senator Gray had consulta-
ton with the vice president when the writ
ten document was first presented to him
and explained that it was to be issued
when the senate authorized it. The re-
port gives in full the testimony of Ed
wards and Shriver, and also that of a doz-
en- senators who fatty declare every
charge made in Edwards letter lie out
of whole cloth.
Hill Has Few Objections.
When the report was before the senate
Hill opposed the action proposed. He said
he had no personal interest in the investi-
CATION. He thought it proper enough to
investigate the charges of attempted
bribery, but he doubted the wisdom and
propriety OF this proceeding. Whether
newspaper men always told the truth or
ever told the truth was question which
if the senate entered upon it would keep it
busy until the end of time. Allen, a men,
Der of the bribery committee, interrupted
Hill to say it was not the truthfulness of
the correspondents that the committee
was charged to investigate: it was whether
attempts had been made to bride senator's
whether the sugar trust had made the
large political contributions for the pur-
pose OF influencing legislation and whether
the senators had been specializing in sugar
stocks.
Some Moral and Legal Questions.
He asked Hill if he contended that the
senate had no right to investigate the
charge that the senators had specialized
In sugar stocks.
Not exactly" replied Hill, but have
grave doubt If n senator should come be-
for n committee and refuse TO answer
questions relating to his private business
whether the committee could compel him
to do SO. The decisions Of the courts are
against it"
''Does the senator believe n senator
could invest in sugar stock with out that
investment influencing his vote?" inquired
Allen.
1.-The senator confounds the legal
question:" replied Hill, with the ques-
ton of propriety. A senator who specu-
lates in sugar stock violates no law"
But" interrupted Allen, lit would not
| be more proper for senator to invest
| money in any enterprise to be affected by
his vote than it would be for a judge on
the bench to render decision in a case in
| which he was interested"
"a senator has legal right to do what
is not prohibited"
! "a legal" returned Allen, ''but no
moral right"
"One question at n time" said Hill. ''He
would have as much right as senator
who, being an owner of silver mining
property, would vote on the silver question.
If pending action ON the sugar schedule
| senator snoulI specrilnfe in suuor II