The herald., 1894-12-13
SPECULATIVE SENATORS.

The history of recent operations by
the sugar trust is interesting. 1t affords
an insight into the new methods by
which Legislators are bribed and the
strictly legal manner in which crimes
are committed that would send the ordi-
nary criminal to the penitentisrv for
terms only limited by the penalties for
embrscery, extortion or corruption OF
the usual sort defined By the statutes.
Not long before the Assem- bling OF
of New York. ANY one could form his
own conjecture as to the meaning OF the
conference. Somebody did form the
conjecture that the object was to reach
an agreement as TO the ''pop-gun" tariff
bills, Including the bills to deprive the
sugar trust OF its specific protection OF
nne-eigbth OF cent per pound. The
senators took no pains to cay that the
conjecture was erroneous. Indeed. they
did not seem to be unwilling to have
people think that at last they were pre-
pared to withdraw their support from
the sugar trust.
Not long alter that Mr.. Havemeyer
announced that the principal trust re-
fneries would be closed for an indefinite
period. They had been operated at a
loss under the new law, he said. That
was why it was necessary to throw 25,-
600 persons out OF work. This move
looked very much like an attempt to
bear sugar stock, or to frighten congress-
out OF passing the pending sugar bill,
or both.
Immediately up rose Senator Smith
OF New Jersey, and in burst of right
eous indignation threatened to push
the sugar bill if the trust did not re-
open its refneries. And leading New
York commercial Newspaper innocenty
assumed that the senator meant Just
what he said, and expressed the opinion
that the managers OF the trust had
grown alarmingly reckless"
But the senator's threat so operated,
with the rnmor about the New York
senatorial conference and with Mr..
Havemeyer'a announcement that the
refineries would be closed, ,ss TO send eugar
stock away down. giving senators and
other insiders an excellent opportunity
to load up
Then congress met, and the Repub-
lican senators let it bs known that they
would not permit any tariff legislation
whateve7-no, not even anti.sugsr trust
oil iat top Lo 4
threatening to puniah the trust looked
sad and detected. But sugar stock took
decided turn for the better. That was
some consolation. Tor while the detected
senstors couldn't punish the trust they
could at leea: soli out at handsome
profit. That lie to say, they could if they
had been shrewd enough to improve
their opportunity to buy at the right
moment.
Thia sort Of maueu7erlng dida't fool
ali the people all the time and the Chi
oago Herald, which had been watching |
the tortuous processes bv hich the
trust Was approaching venal congress-
men, announced that in its opinion it
did not look as though the trust man
agers had been masing enemies Of |
their old senatorial fyieDds. On the ,
other hand, it did look as though they
bad been working the markat very /
nicely for themselves and others who
we're so fortunate as TO be ineide. and .
. orking it with the valuable Md of men
Tso are supposed to have good deal of .
ot~ser to control legislation.
There is another story from New Or
cans which lie more indicative OF
alarming recklessness" on the part Of
he trust managers. 1t is TO the effect
hat they have been using their inilu-
nee TO the detriment OF Louisiana sugar
interests. They have contracted with
he Wholesale deaieTa in Omaha and
ther western cities to supply them with
ugar On condition tina. they handle