The Washington times., 1894-05-30
SUGAR TRUST WICKEDNESS
Report Of the Investigating Committee
Shows Enormous Influence.
VERY INTERESTING TESTIMONY
Committee Recommends That the Correspon-
dents Be Placed in Contempt and Pun
ished Under an Existing Law for Refus-
ing to Answer Questions.

Senator Gray, chairman or the select COM
mittee to investigate the alleged operations OF
the sugar trust in connection with tariff legis-
lation, yesterday submitted a partial report
upon the refusal of the newspaper CORE
spondents, Edwards, Shriver and Walker, to
answer questions propounded by members OF
the committee.
The report, after reciting the resolution by
which the committee was authorized to sit,
and did appear before the committee. and
that he confessed that he had written the
letter over the non de plume of "Holland,"
which was printed iR the Philadelphia Press
Of the 18th inst. The report then cites the
proceedings of the committee and Mr.. Ed
wards refusal to reply to questions. The
chairman read to him the portion OF his
letter in which he stated that Secretary Car
Isle had secretly visited the Democratic
members of the Finance Committee and had
demanded that the sugar interest be taken
care of. because the Democratic party was
under obligations to that interest.
In the report of Mr. Edwards testimony,
which is not quoted specifically by the COM
mittee. the part of his letter referring to the
Presidents alleged interest in the Hawaiian
question because of the sugar interests is
given. Referring to this matter Mr.. Edwards
said that in September OF last year he met "a
gentleman who spoke to me about an article
/ had written concerning an operation upon
Mr.. CleyeIand's jaw for cancer or magligIant
u-th yrhiah nnpratJnu had taken Dlace
some weeks before upon Mr.. Benedicts
yacht.
This gentleman said to me- AS importan.
as that news is there is something much
more important to this country besides the
fatal disease which is now brewing asked
him If it was something which he could give
me. He said not then, because he was under
confidence not to do so. Later, when he had
the information that an attempt had been
made to restore the queen OF Hawaii, and
that it had failed this gentleman stated that
that was the news which he had and could
not give. My recollection is that he either
told me it was OF Mr.. Benedict's yacht, at his
place, or at some resort, pleasure excursion
of some kind Mr. Havemeyer Mr.. Bene-
dict, Mr. Cleveland. and some others were
present. There had been general conversa-
ton about the Hawaiian Islands sugar inter-
ests and think he said Mr.. Havemeyer, at
all events it was said by some one. that there
would be Il sensation in the country before
Congress met.
The Chairman-Who said 1t?
MIR. Edwards-Either Mr.. Havemeyer. Mr..
Benedict or some OF the party; because 1t would
be then found that there was peace in Hawaii
and the queen would be restored. This gentle
man was n Col II. W. X. hoyt. OF Greenwich.
lie had been speaker of the Connecticut legisla-
ture.
The Chairman-What was that information,
in addition to what you said,
TFl.. info. hat ehn
story which he could he have told me in SepteIn-
Der was that there had been an admission, con-
fession, statement of these people that before
the regular session of Congress IL would be
found that the queen had been restored. Col
Hoyt said he could not tell it then. After the
news came the colonel met me and said that
was the news which he would liked 10 have told
me.
Mr.. Edwards said he had talked with Col.
Hoyt since he had written his letter. and that
the colonel is now dead.
Mr. Edwards said Col. Hoyt did not tell him
where he got the information. but his impress
sion was that Hoyt had gotten,it from men,
hers OF the party. Mr. Edwards had said that
the incident showed that the sugar people
were as influential us they had been from the
time OF the election. He admitted, however,
that some of the conclusions were his own and
were con jectural.
MIR. Edwards stated that he had heard that
very much of the sugar trust contribution TO
the Democratic campaign went into the chan
nels controlled by Mr.. Croker, chairman of
the state committee. A part of the programme
OF the Victoria conference was the suppress
sion OF what was called the anti-snapper fac
ton. which was distasteful.
Asked what agency" he referred to in his
statement that Senator German had been
brought into close relations with the sugar
trust .by an agency which it may not be well
at present to reveal" Mr.. Edwards said that
by common report Stephen B. Elkins WIS
that agency at is said he. common
understanding that Mr.. Ekins and Mr. Cor
man. beng relatives by marriage, having had
very great business interests in common,
their relations mad been very close. That is
u matter Of common report. In that sense l
know it: not from individual knowledge"
He said it was also IL matter OF common re-
port that Mr.. Elkins is interested in the sugar
trust.
Mr.. Edwards also gave Col. Hoyt as au-
thority for the statement that great deal OF
money was being sent to Connecticut during
the last campaign. and that Havemeyer had
contributed 100000 and E. C. Benedict had
raised like sum for campaign purposes in
that state. He also mentioned the testimony
of Ex-Governor Waller rs corroborative of
this testimony. He said Col. Hovt had as
sured him that the sugar interest would not
be molested because of these contributions.
but did no. tell him the source of his informa-
ton.
Mr.. Edwards said he had received from
several sources the statement that $500, 600
had been contributed to the campaign fund
by persons connected with this trust with the
understanding that it should not be harassed
by tariff legislation. but he could not recoilect
the name of any single person who had given
him the information. Asked to give the names
of the men connected with the sugar trust TO
whom his remarks applied, he said they were
Henry o. Havemeyer Theodore Havemeyer
(although in u very much less degree), John
Z. Searles, jr.. Cord Meyer, jr.. and, in a less
degree and indirectly, Mr.. E. c. Benedict.
MY own impression is that Mr.. Benedict was
not actively connected with the sugar trust,
except his triendships-not in q business way.
The impression in Wall street is that he, as
broker and in other ways, is identified
with it."
In response to request for his information
that member of the trust had said that the
trust owned the Senate, Mr.. Edwards said
that he had heard that remark attributed to
Cord Meyer, jr., as having been made by him
at the Manhattan Club. He could not. how
ever, recall who had given him this intorma-
ton. He had also heard from the same
source that it was about this time that Mr..
Meyer began to visit Secretary Lamont.
About the same answers were made to other
questions concerning statements made of the
influence OF the sugar trust with the admins
tratiop. except that articles in Harpers
Weekly were cited as justification for some OF
them. He said he had heard that Mr.. Carlisle
had asked his assistant secretary, Mr.. Ham,
lin, about the time the Wilson bill was in
transit or a little after, to have a very accu-