Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-08-09
CHARGES ARE FALSE

CHARGES ARE FALSE
MAJORITY REPORT OF THE SUGAR
INvESTlGATORS.
The COmmitte Finds No Evidence
OF Bribery and Secretary Carlisle
10 ExOnerated-No Attempt to Re.
ward the Trust-Minority Report,
Washington, Aug. S.-Sepator Gray.
chairman Of the sugar investigation com.
mittee, presented the report of the com.
mittee to the senate tO-dny and asked
that the committee be discharged. The
main report Is signed by all the SEN
ators Of the committee, but Senators
Lodge and Davis present supplemental
report and Senator Alien also presents
his own views on some features of the
case. The report, which has the ap-
prevail of the full committee, recites the
causes which led up to the investiga-
ton, and quotes the article from the
Philadelphia Press on which the charges
against senator's were based. 1t also
recites the facts which have been pub
lshed already as to the refusal of the cor.
respondent Edwards to answer questions
put by the committee.
Secretary Carlisle is exonerated and
the parts Of the article rejecting on
him are declared to be without founda-
ton Except that it is fact, according
to Secretary Carlisle testimony, that
lie did, ut the request of Senator Jones,
of the finance committee, draft an
amendment to the sugar schedule, a copy
of which, as described by Mr.. Carlisle.
is attached ds an exhibit to the Ies-
timony."
The conduct Of Mr.. Edwards, says
the report, in publishing specific charges
against public nen without having Per-
senal knowledge of the facts, calls for
the serious rcprobation of the semitic.
The committee also says:
There has been no testimony presented
tefore yonr committee, and your commit
tee has been unable to di ,cover any tend
ing to show that the sugar schedule was
made up, as it then stood in the pro-
posed amendment tn the tariff bill, in
consideration of any SUM of money paid
for calnE.aign purposes of the Democratic
party"
The committee also reports the subject
of the. campaign cor tributions were
made only to the local committees and
not for the purpose of influencing ma
i;onal campaigns or for the purpose IF
securing or defeating national legislation.
No other testimony has, the commit
tee says, been offered, suggested OF dis
covered which would tend to support
the statement of Edwards in this regard
Nor is there, they soy, any evidence in
support of the statement that either of
the Messrs HaveEeyer had an interview
with President Cleveland on yacht in
the summer of 1892, in regard to the
sugar interests of tile Hawaiian islands
or any other sugar interests or the policy
of the administration in regard to them.
On the contrary, it has been affirm
atively shown, they say, that the state
ment is untrue as to any such interview
having occurred
1t is, they say, in evidence that one or
more officers of the sugar trust were i'll
Washington, and that they saw several
senator's, generally those representing
states in which sugar refineries were
located, with the. view of influencing
legislation, but these gentlemen deny the
use of any improper means to that end.
Both the members of the trust and the
finance comASittee deny that any meet
ing took place in the capitol, or anywhere
else.
The report concludes by saying that no
evidence has been adduced tending to
show improper conduct on the part of
these engaged in the framing Of the sugar
schedule of the tariff bill.
Though, perhaps, outside the scope Of
the duty imposed upon your committee"
they say, "they take occasion to strongly
deprecate the importantly and pressure to
which congress and its members are sub
jected by the representatives OF great
industrial combinations, whose enormous
wealth tempts to undue influence and to
create in the public mind demoralizing
belief in the existence of corrupt politics"
The committee reports in the negative
Upon the question: whether any SEN
Mtor has been specializing in sugar stocks
,lnring the consideration Of the tariff
BILL"
AS to the latter part of the inquiry
which brought out Photographic copy to
buy sugar stocks, dated March 2, and
purporting to be signed by Senator Cam
den, the committee gives credence to the
denial Of Senator Camden and says that
Battershall, whose testimony was ex-
pected to bear up the inference from the
photograph copy is a man IF doubtful
character. Senator Smith was also ex-
oneratcd from blame. Summing up. the
committee says: NO charge or charges
have been file.l before them alleging that
tie action of any senator has been cor
ruptly OF improperly influenced in the
consideration of the tariff bill, and no
attempt has been made to so influence
legislation"
AL the testimony taken by the COM
mittee is submitted as part of the report.
Messrs. Davis and Lodge, Republicans.
submitted supplemental report devoted
entirely to the subject Of the influence OF
of the sugar trust so-callsd ON the making
of the sugar schedule as it now stands in
the tariff hill. They say that mo evil
deace has been submitted to the commit
tee which proves that ne sugar schedule
was male up in order to fulfill obliga.
tons to the sugar trust for campaign
contributions" hut they consider it their
duty to go into some detail as to the