Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-05-30
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WASHINGTON, D. c., May 20. The
Senate has decided to test the nerve Of
three newspaper men.
The programme is to prosecute them
for refusing to answer questions pro-
pounded by the sugar and bribery in
yestigatiou committee. II they persist
in their refusal, they may be fined not
less than s1OO, and imprisoned in the
common Jail not less than thirty days.
These penalties may be increased TO
SlOO fine, and one year in prison.
The action is taken under an old law
which provides that the President OF
the Senate or Speaker OF the House may
certify TO the prosec uting attorney OF
the District the names OF any persons
who refuse to answer questions before
anv Congressional committee for prose-
cutiOn, aud that the offense is misde-
meanOr.
When the Senate opened for business
to-day, there was Orief discussion or
the Hawaiian resolution Of Senator
Kyle, after which Senator Pettigrew ad-
dressed the Senate on the tariff
When he concluded, Senator Gray,
chairman of the Select Committee,
TO INVESTIGATE THE CHARGES
brought by the newspapers that Sena-
tors had used their positions to
further their sugar speculatlons,
and that the Sugar Trust
had influenced the makers of the COM
promise tariff bill, rose to present the
committees report.
The report cited that correspondents
Edwards, Shriver and Walker, whose
telegrams TO their respective papers, all
Of them OF the same general tone, had
refuse TO answer the questions put TO
them by the committee. These pub
locations had stated that Secretary
Carlisle had visited members OF the
Finance Committee secretly and urged
them to take care Of the Sugar Trusts
interests in payment OF an obligation
which the Democratic party owed II;
also that number Of Senators and
Sugar Trust men held conference in
Washington hotel, the next room being
occupied by wire manufacturer who
told Congressman what bad
been said, who in turn told
the correspondents.
What all these people are alleged 10
have said, the correspondents told the
committee, but as 10 their identity they
maintained silence, and they still posi-
lively refuse to disclose their
SOURCES OF INFORMATION.
The report dealt with the evidence
given by the correspondents aud shows
that their stories were based upon the
most trivial incidents, and that in
every case their deductions were far
fetched and biased. Edwards, the author
OF the HOLLAND" letter in the Phila-
deluhia Press, admitted that nearly all
his statements which had been given as
facts were merely far fetched deduc-
tions. For example, it was common re-
port that Stephen B. Elkins was In
terested IN the Sugar Trust, and that he
and Senator German, being related by
marriage, and having large busi-
ness interests in common, Senator
German had taken care Of the
Sugar Trust ia the Senate. Edwards
could not remember who had told him
that the Sugar Trust had given half a
million to the Democratic campaign
fund. He had heard Card
Myer say the Sugar Trust
own the Senate, and since Myer was
a visitor at Secretary Lannon'S home,
this information was authentic. He
stated many things as being "com-
mon report" Of which no one else
SEEMS TO HAVE EVER HEARD,
among them that Senator Mcpherson
had said that the Democratic party was
preparing to stab the men who saved
| il, Edwards inferring that he referred
to the Sugar Trust.
As to his publication that Mr. Cleve-
| land had taken the position and interest
| he did in the Hawaiian question at the
instance of the Sugar Trust, he said
| Col. Hoyt, OF Connecticut, now dead,
/ had told MIN last September there
would be a sensation before Congress
/ met, out refused 10 tell him
what it would be. Later, when
it was publicly known that the
effort to restore the Hawaiian queen
had been made, COL Hoyt told Edwards
that was the matter be had referred 20.
/ Edwards said Hoyt had said he had
gotten his information from someone
whose name he could not recall posi-
lively, but be thought it was "Mr.
Havemeyer, Mr.. Benedict, or some
one" He admitted that the conclu-
sions were his own and were conjec-
tured.
The foundations upon which the 9TH
er correspondents had based their re-
ports were similar in character and
when sifted, had no weight except they
were backed up by the men whose
names
THEY REFUSED TO GIVE.
In mand, II not all cases, they admit
ted that what had been told them had
been stretched, distorted and modified
to make it sensational and TO suit their
purposes.
Besides the testimony Of tie news
paper men, the report contained that OF
ex. x.Representative LIE Fever, Hon.
Bourke Cochran and Senator Cafrey.
LIE Fever denied the reported Sunday
meeting at the Capitol, aud Mr.. Cock
ran said be had never been the attOr-
ney of the Sugar Trust. Senator CAT
FREY had met Mr.. HSvemyer, oi
the Sugar Trust 10 conference
at Senator Brice's home. Mr..
Havemver offered arguments in
favor OF specific rates and presented
1 figures. Senators White, of Louisiana,
aill, Of New York, and German, oi