The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-08-03

/ ~ was cNiucAt WHou VIC Dcildbc ouSai
scandal investigating committee was
appointed that its only purpose was to
whitewash not to investigate. From the
very first its methods Of star chamber
hearings, its refusal to avail itself of the
information at hand, its desire to shift
responsibility from its own shoulders
| upon the shoulders OF the newspaper
men who pointed out the trail to be
followed, were indicative of its intention
not to find the evidence it pretended to
be seeking.
Instead Of investigating it preferred to
certify to the district attorney that the
witnesses before it would not do all the
work of investigation, and thus try to
escape its own responsibility by the
fiimsy pretense that it had only stubborn
witnesses to depend upon.
Fhe committee has not manifested the
slightest desire to get at the real facts
OF the case, and so plainly apparent has
this disposition been that the press of
the country without regard to party has
vigorously denounced the lax methods
and Indifferent attitude Of the commit
tee. There have indeed been those who
have not hesitated to charge that
it is as easy to buy a committee as 1t was
certain Senators, which Of course reflects
credit instead of discredit upon the com-
mittee now that the Senate has been
found spotless by the committee. If the
Senate is innocent the committee must
be aud it is q matter Of pride that it
should be so.
The NEWS regret that the Republican
| members Of the committee signed the
report, but not SO surprised that it can
not condemn their action in SO doing.
| Advices from Washington point out
that sit is possible that signatures of
the Republicans may have been OBJ
tanned on the strictly technical ground
that the testimony did not directly state
| that the sugar schedule Of the tariff bill
was framed because Of any specific con :
tributions Of the Sugar Trust to
Democratic campaign purposes. But
it seems impossible for any one
who reads the testimony, who is
familiar with the circumstances under
which the last Democratic Presidential
campaign was conducted, not to know
that the contributions to the New York
State Democratic committee (Which the
testimony shows were made by the
Sugar Trust or its members) were, fol
all practical purposes, contributions tc
the national campaign fund of the
Democratic party"
But the curious part Of the report IL
found in the acknowledgment of two oil
the Senators thatthey specialized in sugar
while the schedules were being discussed
but closed out and took their profits
before final vote was taken. This may
not be a crime, but there is honor among
thieves, or such is the commonly &C
cepted report, and even a gambler viii
not bet on a sure thing, and if he does h,
stands discredited forever after anon,
his associates. These Senators knew
from day to day just how the suga
schedule stood and they used their
knowledge to gamble in sugar certif.
Gates with no possibility Of loss.
Another curious feature about the re.
port is the fact that Senator Camden Il
unwilling TO swear that the order L
purchase 500 shares of stock (Which !
assumed a forgery was in fact a forg
cry. Mr.. Camden, on the contrary
while refusing TO swear that IL is
forgery. admits that the signature an,
the handwriting Of the order itself some
what resembles his own. The commit
r tee seems disposed to adopt the theor,
which Camden evidently wishes to hav
adopted, that the pretended order was
forgery, and that IL was intended to b
5 used for " a n improper purpose" Tn
improper purpose, Of course, must hav
been blackmail.
I Senator Camden makes us think O
y the woman who called at the baggag,
. room OF n big railroad station and in
{ quired for her trunk. She kept the bag
: gage master pulling down trunks an
: ovorhauling baggage until he was abou
exhausted. Finally the woman pointe
out a little rickety old leather trun
with one hinge and all tied ny with ror