The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-06-08
From our Regular Correspondent.

of Senators Voorhees,, Jones, Vest,
Harris and Mcpherson, Democratic
members of the Senate Finance com.
mittee, of each and all of the sen.
sational stories which have been print.
ed concerning the sugar trust and its
alleged influence in the making of the
sugar schedule of the tariff bill, has
convinced all fair.minded people that
the alleged sugar trust scandal had no
frmer foundation than the idle gossip
of irresponsible persons, based entirely
upon conjecture; and there is little
room for doubt that the investigating
committee will SO report at the close
of the taking OF testimony, and that
the report will be signed by every
member of the committee. Present in
dications are that the Scotch verdict,
"not proven" will be rendered on the
charge that certain Senators speculat-
ed in sugar stock while the character
of the sugar schedule of the tariff bill
was in doubt, on account of the diff.
Guilty OF obtaining convincing evidence
on that subject. 1t is generally regret
ted, outside of the Senate, that the
committee should have raised the old
question of the right of the Senate to
compel newspaper men to give the
source of information received by
them, in connection with this investi-
CATION. No good can come out of it,
and, as Senator Hill aptly said, much
harm may.
The last concerted effort of the Re.
publican Senators against the tariff
bill is now being made against the
sugar schedule. This is not because
they are so much opposed to the sugar
Schedules a matter of fact a num-
Der Of them are known to favor it
but because they believe that if they
can put sugar on the free-ist enough
Democrats will refuse to vote for the
entire bill to enable them to defeat it.
But the scheme will not work. 1t is
now as certain as anything not yet
done can be that Democrats enough
to make majority cannot be drawn
into this trap, although there are a
number of Democratic Senators who
would like to see sugar on the free list.
AS soon as the sugar schedule is adopt
ed it is believed that the Republicans
will agree to set a day to vote upon
the bill, as they admit that if they can
not beat the sugar schedule they can
not beat the bill.
The southern Democrats in the
House are making a determined fight
to secure the repeal of the tax on
State bank notes. The debate has
been going on all this week and will
probably continue for a week or ten
days longer, the unacted.upon appro.
prlation bills having been temporarily
laid aside. The result is in doubt, lie.
pending, many believe, on the attend
ance when the vote is taken. If the
attendance exceeds ESQ the probabili-
ties are that repeal will be defeated,
as the largest claim made by the
friends of repeal is I4o votes. But in
asmuch as those who favor the repeal
OF the tax are more interested in Sc
curing it than those who oppose it are
IN preventing it, the chances are in fa-
vor of the repealers mastering their
full strength on the floor of the House
when the time comes to vote and WIN
ming, if they can get the I4o votes
claimed. Some very interesting and
instructive speeches have been made
by Democrats both for and against re-
peal. The Republicans have not up
to this time taken conspicuous part
IN the debate, although they are solid
ly opposed to repeal. Representative
Black, of Georgia, made a strong and
bold speech in favor of repeal, in
which he took the ground that the
general government had no right un-
der the Constitution to impose such
tax, and stated his belief that the u.
S. Supreme Court had no more right
to bind the action of the House than
the House had to bind the Supreme
Court.
The investigation OF the alleged
armor-plate frauds by the House COM
mittee on Naval Affairs has so far
brought out nothing startling. The
committee will visit Homestead to see
If anything more than was found out
by Secretary Herberts naval experts
can be learned.
Postmaster General Bissell doesn't
endorse the idea of the Government
running the telegraph lines of the
country in connection with the Post
Office department, and he has written
letter to Chairman Wise, of the
House Commerce committee, giving
his reasons. He thinks the Post
Office department has all that 1t can
do justice to in extending and perfect
ing the mail facilities OF the country,
and that the expense of a telegraph
system would be out Of all proportion
TO the bene6t that WOuld be derived