The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-28
ElEHNOI ~ EEESUIG1
ThatInspired theVitriol Singer
Who Wrote
The Malignant Attack on Sena-
tor PETER
In THE N. Y. JOURNAL.
The Son Of Senator on Whose
Funeral
twenty-five Thousand Dollars
Was Thrown to the Dogs.
Owns the New York Journal, a
Plutocrat Organ,
Which Accounts for the Villain
Gus Mendacity
OF THE DIATRIBE.
Which Accounts for the Villain
Gus Mendacity
OF THE DIATRIBE.
Orgies of the Hearst Funeral
Were Disgraceful.
Scarcely Any of the Statements
About PETER Were True.

From the State Journals Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Feb. 29.-The malicious
attack which was recently made upon
Senator PETER by a writer in the New
York Journal, needs no refutation by
those who are acquainted with Senator
PETER and know his acts. His bitterest
enemies and most heartless ridiculers
have never in seriousness accused him
of dishonesty, nor have they been able to
point to instances where he has profted
illegitimately by his position.
The article in the New York Journal
can hardly be explained any other
grounds than that it was ordered by the
manager of the paper who is a
son of the late Senator Hearst of
California whose funeral expenses
cost the government $4,000. If the
son of the California millionaire senator
was angered because Senator PETER in
stanced his fathers funeral as a case of
! extravagance in congressional funerals.
! he should have paused before ordering
| column from his venom singer to be
| thankful for the gentleness with which
| Senator PETER dealt with that across-the-
continent orgy The senator from Kan
sas treated this case all others men
toned in his speech on congressional
| funerals WITH the utmost OlSnlly ana
| consideration.
! He might however have told what a
man who was one of the Hearst funeral
! party related to the JOURNAL CORES pond
ent, that the funeral committee indulged
! in the widest extravaganza. They
smoked 80 cent cigars, drank champagne
every meal. had other wines, and differ
ent wine for each course. and poker
| game was going in every seat
! If Senator PETERS funeral speech was
tho melting motive of the malignant ar
ticle in the New York paper, which may
| or may not be, the manager should have
rather been thankful for what was left
unsaid.
The misstatements in the TRADE are so
many that it is hard to believe thers is
even word of truth in it. In the first
place Senator PETERS rooms in the
| Maltby building are no more than what
! every other Senator has. The ''oriental
| luxuriousness" consists in the ordinary
furniture of an Office which is put into
every senator's room. The "soft couches"
and "magnificent furnishings" fade in the
| light of reality into few chairs and a
roIl-t top desk. One of the rooms assigned
to the senator is not even carpeted.
The statement that his daughter was
| sent with a congressional funeral party
on her way home in order to ride free is
| absolutely without truth as she never
travelled in that way. There has not been
| a congressional funeral going in that di-
rection since Senator PETER has been in
congress with the exception OF Senator
| Plunbs and at that time Miss PETER was
not in Washington.
The 'juuket' which Senator Peff er
is charged with instituting and putting
himself into is as untrue as the other
statements. Instead of having summer
vacation at the Worlds fair at govern
ment expense Senator PETER spent just
two days there, less, perhaps, than any
other person of the millions who came
| from q distance to attend that wonderf ul
| exposition.
Senator PETER gave the JOURNAL cor
| respondent true account of the
| 'junket," which shows II to have been
anything but simply lark.
"ln the first place." said Senator Pef-
fer, The resolution 10 inquire into the
| AGRICULTURAL depression not intro
duced by me at all. 1t was first offered
| by Senator Paddock. OF Nebraska, in
! 1892 It was renewed by Senator George
in the fifty second congress. which was
| the first one l served in. The resolution
was adopted March "A, 1898. In
the meantime l was made a member of
the agricultural committee. The COM
mlttee met after il had been directed to
make the investig ations into the agri-
| cultural depression called for IN the reso-
| luton, and subcommittee were ap-
| pointed. One was TO investigate cotton
and another composed of Senator Wash
burn of Miunesota and myself was to in
| Quire into wheat.
81 went to Topeka and hired room
for $12 month and had the necessary
printing of questions and envelopes done.
l sent these questions out to farmers all
over the country. My daughter Nellie
helped me and as she was already In the
nj of 10 9h6 FAcAlV6C
no other pay and there was no expense
for a stenographer.
81 went to Kansas City and visited the
packers, merchants and millers and told
them that at certain time I would cal
| on them for information the character oi
which l outlined. This was done tc