New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-03
MR. HILL HELD THE FLOOR.
THE TARIFF BILL CAME UP. BUT HE KEPT RIGHT
on WITH HIS ARGUMENT AGAINST Sc
cprr srsstoxs REPLIES OF MF,ssRs


GRAY AND LODGE.
Washington. June AFTER the transaction OF
some routine business in the Senate this morning
the resolution offered by Mr.. Hill Dem, y. "
for open sessions Of the Select Committee on the
Sugar Trust Investigation was taken up. and MI
Hi spoke in It's support He thought that open
sessions OF the committee fairly contemplated
by the resolution for It's appointment IL was In the
usual form. II did not authorize secret sessions
neither did Il refuse that authority Nothing In the
original resolution permitted any Senator 10 sug-
gest that is proceedings should be secret MT
Hi began with the general proposition that the
proceedings OF Senate investigating committees
should be open: that. general rule. they were
open. and that there was nothing ABOUT uis case
that required the proceedings to be secret.
AT iO;SO A. m the Tariff bill laid before the
Senate Mr. HIll said that he would continue MS
remarks availlng himself OF the latitude OF debate
authorized IN the Senate. He went on to say that
the investigation should be open TO the public and
the press Tna, would prevent any suspicion that
the Senate desired 20 have those proceedings con-
Quoted in the dark II would satisfy an honest ana
ust public sentiment. and would not do injustice 10
ANYBODY The committee was not a drumhead
court-martlai' organized to convict or TO acquit
II was simply for the purpose Of investigating the
truth OF certain newspaper assertions. The Senate
it-c,r was not a club although It was sometimes
called So and there was reason why the public
should be excluded from It's proceedings. Ana 80
there was no reason why the public should be ex-
cluded from the sessions OF investigating COM
mittees. He thought that the investigation should
be held with open doors. and that the reporters
OF the press should be present.
He had read what had been given to the public
One OF the points OF the investigation was whether
the Secretary OF the Treasury had made sugses-
ons about the schedule for the action OF the
Finance Committee. Was there anything so pc
cular so improper. unprecedented about that
. ahottfI nat ha
taken in the broad daylight, and In the presence OF
the press and of the people? Another point was as
to whether Senators had specuated In Sugar stock
There was no why testimony In regard TO
that should not be taken In open session. He was
sure that there had not been many purchases OF
Sugar stock here, around this circle" that there
was any fear that a disclosure OF the facts would
influence the New-York stock market, and that
therefore Il was not wise 10 disclose how many
purchases had been made around this circle The
sessions OF the committee were supposed TO be
secret; but they were neither thing nor the
other. Partial reports were given to the public by
the distinguished chairman OF the committee.
Either the proceedings should be wholly secret or
wholly public. II the public was TO have any ink
ling OF what was taking place. II should have the
whole OF H.
"PAY YOUR MONEY AND TAKE YOUR CHOICE"
As an Illustration OF the unreliabty OF the plan
pursued Mr. Hill spoke OF Mr.. McPhersons having
been called before the committee few days
The newpaper men. he said. were watching the doors
OF the committee-room TO know who went In and
who came out and when witnesses refused TO tell
them what they had testified TO, the newspaper men
made surmses. so newspaper. in publishing the
statement carefully prepared by the chairman OF the
committee said that the Senator from New-Jersey
had admitted speculation In Sugar stock and another
newspaper said that he had admitted nothing Inn
proper The two statements were entirely different.
aofs m
take your choice" SO yesterday morning he learned
from the public press that the Secretary OF the
Treasury had been before the committee. lie had
niced up one paper and read that the Secretary OF
rho Treasury swore the stand that he
sponsible for the sugar schedule. Then he had
picked up another paper and read that the Secre-
tary denied that he responsible for the sugar
schedule and said that he had made no suggestion,
hut that he had In the discharge OF his duty. pre-
pared another and n very different schedule. This
"plavng fast and loose" unjust to the Wit
nesses unjust to the great public, and unjust to the
Senate The o!d-fashoned way OF public sessions
would have been the better
Mr. Hunton Dem Va) asked Mr.. Hill whether
he knew OF instance where committee had
been controlled by the Senate as to the way OF con-
ductlng It's proceedings. He himself knew OF no
such case.
Mr. Hill replied that he had not investigated that
question and did not about H. The Senate had
nerrect right 10 control It's investigating commit
tees and he assumed that the Senator from Vr-
clnia did not question that. Secret Investigations
were things OF the past. The question here was
whether there anything about this investigation
so pecuar so unusual so unprecedented. that diff
ferent course from that pursued in the past should
be pursued In this case
MR. GRAY SPEAKS FOR THE COMMITTEE.
Mr. Gray Dem DELI chairman OF the Investgat-
ing Committee replied to Mr.. Hill. The duty as
signed to the committee by the Senate was one
which every member OF the committee would have
been glad to avoid. They had realized (perhaps not
10 the extent which they now did that nothing
could come to them but personal detracton and