The San Francisco call., 1896-04-17
Populists Accused of Attempting
to Stir Up a Scandal for
Political Purposes.
ALLEN MAKES a COOL REPLY
Declares That the New York Senator
Gets as Mad as a MasSassugua
Snake in August.

WASHINGTON, D. O., April 16.-Sena.
tor Gray concluded his argument to-day
against the right of Mr.. Dupont to the va
cant seat In the Senate from the State OF
Delaware. The case then went over till
some future day, and the resolution offered
by PETER of Kansas for an inves tigation
into the facts and circumstances connected
with the secret bond issue was taken up.
Hill opposed the resolution in a speech
which attracted attention from both Sena
tors and spectators for nearly three hours,
and which he had not finished when the
Senate at 5 80 P. NJ. adjourned until Mon
day.
After the routine morning business Nor
rill (R.) of Vermont, who celebrated his
eightysixth birthday few days since,
addressed the Senate to show the necessity
of new building for the National Museum,
At the close of MorrilPs remarks the bill
for the new museum building was placed
on the calendar.
The Dupont election case was taken up
and Gray CD of Delaware continued his
argument begun yesterday against the
claim OF Dupont to the vacant seat in the
Senate from the State of Delaware. Gray
closed his speech at 2:20 P. NJ. and the cleo
tion case went over without action.
Under the unanimous consent PETERS
resolution for an investigation of bond
issues was taken up for considera tion after
considerable antagonism by the Appro-
prlations Committee.
Hill Cd of New York addressed the
Senate in opposition TO the resolution. 1t
was, Hill said, Populist resolution. 1t
had its inspiration in the Populist party.
In vestigation was pressed without formal
charges, without specifications, without
allegations of wrong-doing, of irregulari-
ties or of corruption.
The only reason assigned for it by the
Senator from Kansas was public curios-
ity." The resolution was to be passed in
the dark. The resolution did not charge
wrong-doing, but insinuated it. The
Farmers" of the Senate-the Senators
from Kansas, Nebraska and South Caro-
lina-Peffer, Allen and Tillman-had at
various times denied the authority of the
Secretary of the Treasury to issue bonds
under the act of 1870. There was no ques-
tion to be investigated. Everybody knew
what had been done and that it had been
done in pursuance of law; therefore, it was
silly, it was undignihed, it was unworthy
of the Senate, to appoint special investi-
eating committee to determine facts which
every Senator was absolutely familiar with.
Hill commented upon the resolution in
detail. One of the points to be investi-
gated was, he said, whether any officer of
the Government had received commits
sion or personal reward in connection
with these bonds.
"What Senator" he exclaimed, 'dares
to rise in his place and make the allega-
ton? No one. Has anybody made an
affidavit to that effect2 No. Where is
the Senator who rises in his place and says
he expects to prove that Mr.. Carlisle or
any subordinate gained one dollar of ad-
vantage? 1 pause for reply"
Allen (Pop.) of Nebraska spoke of Hill
getting as mad as a Massassugua snake
in August" when questions of this kind
were approached.
Hill asserted that the resolution had
been got up in aid of speculative lawsuit
against the Secretary of the Treasury.
The House of Representatives, he said,
was open to have impeachment proceed
ings begun against the Secretary of the
Treasury if he had violated the law in any
particular. But the trouble was that the
resolution was only part of the clap
trap of the times. It was part of an en-
deavor to get up scandal in order to
affect a political question.
Stewart (Pop.) of Nevada asked Hill
whether the administration was opposed
to the investigation.
81 am not authorized to speak for the
administration" Hill replied. 81 have
never exchanged a word with any officer
of this administration, high or low, on this
subject, and l don't propose to. 1 oppose
it as l would oppose any foolish, silly, I'M
necessary investigation which can only Tin
my humble iuogm ent) add disgrace to the
Senate. 1 would oppose it whether the
Secretary of the Treasury were Democrat
or Republican. If this resolution should
pass the men who instituted the investiga-
tion will be covered with humiliation and
shame, and will deny that they ever
charged anything wrong against Mr.. Car
Isle and his subordinates.
Hill then went on to analyze Peffer's
speech in support of the resolution and to
ridicule the pretension that PETER and his
Populist friends were the representatives
of the people, and he compared the pre-
tension with the proclamation of the ''three
tailors of Tooiey street, " beginning, "We.
the people of England" He characterized
the Populist Senators as deserters and as
having offered to sell or exchange their
votes on the tariff question. They had no
settled, fixed purpose.
land this Senate" he said. ''is deliber-
ately to agree to this Populist resolution
OF investigation, on the eve OF Presiden-
tial election, so as to enable these men to
throw mud at the Democratic party and
at the Republican party. 1t is about time
for the Senators who represent States in
terested in this question to act together.
''The object OF the resolution" Hill con-
tinued, "is to disseminate scandal. The
Populist party lives and thrives on dis
seminating scandal against the two old
parties"
Then he took up the Presidential oues-
ton and sent to the clerks desk and had
read his views as to Senator Chandler's
charge about the Mckinley "boodle fund.-"
He would not say word, Hill said. against
Mr.. Mckinley. He admired the man In
many respects. Mr.. Mckinley had the