The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-08
4 BOND INVESTIGATION ORDERED
The Resolution Passes the SEN
ate by Decisive Vote.
Only Blk Senators Voted Against It and All
Were Democrats-Tho Investigation
VIII be q Rigid and Searching Ono.
House Business Obstructed by Mr.
Picker Because Pension Bills Were Not
Considered.

cisive vote Of 81 to the Senate to- day
inaugursted an investigation to be con.
Quoted by the Senate committee on
finance into the facts and circumstances
connected with the sale Of United States
bonds BY the Secretary of the Treasury
during the last three years. The six
adverse votes were cast by Senators
Cahrey, of Louisiana; Faulkner, of
West Virginia; Gray, OF Delaware;
Hill, OF New York; Mitchell, of Wis.
conain, and Palmer, of Illinois, all Dem.
ocrats.
The resolution directing the investi-
CATION Is very explicit. ss follows:
Resolved, That the committee on
finance be directed to investigate and
report generally all the material facts
ana circumstances connected with the
sale OF United States bonds by the Sec
1894. 1895 and 1896.
Second, To investigate and report
specially with the amount of available
funds. classified in the United States
Treasury and on deposit and in other
places subject to the order of the Seo-
rotary OF the Treasury at the time the
bonds were sold or offered for sale,
whether there was or was not coin
enough on hand to meet all coin obliga-
lions OF the Government due at the time
said bonds were sold or when offered
Tor sale; what obligations were due at
that sime and the amount Of each,
stated; what was the reason for any un-
usual withdrawal OF coin from the
Treaaury shortly before the bonds were
sold or offered for sale; IL such unusuel
Withdrawals were in fact made, and by
what persons or classes of persona and
for what purpose or on what account
such Withdrawals were made; who pur-
CHASED the bonds, in what amounts and
where, whether in the United States or
In foreign countries, and In what pro-
portions and from what persons or
classes Of persons the gold WAS pro-
cured to pay the bonds; what the bonds
sold for, and what was the market price
4 OF our Government bonds ct the time,
h and what effect the bond sales had on
1.-THE credit and business OF the people of
She United States.
Third, To investigate and report as to
tpe manner OF disposinR Of said bonds,
~ what authority, and what contracts,
Advertisements, or proposals were made
bY the Secretary Of tho Treasury In re-
lation shereto; what agreements, or
whether publicly or privately, were en-
tered into by the Secretary of the Treas.
ury and any syndicate or person or per-
sons with respect to the sale and pur-
chase of she bonds, and the profits made
or to be made by such syndicate or any
person or persons connected with such
syndicate. directly or indirectly;whether
guch contract or agreement had any and
what effect on the prices OF the differ
emit bonds. what the effect was and who,
II any person, profited by ii and to what
extent"
The debate had been animated and at
times sensational, throughout the eerly
hours of the day. Mr.. Pslmer's opposi.
sition to the resolution and his refer
ence to snap conventions" brought on
heated colloquy with Mr.. Vest and
Mr.. Cockrell
II oppose this resolution" said Mr..
Pa mer, because regard 1t as an lille
CLIMATE means Of procuring material to
affect and inflame the public mind"
The Senator went on to say that he
did not suppose any Senator, except
possibly the Senator from South Dakota
(Pettigrew), questioned the integrity OF
the Secretary of the Treasury. The
Secresary's Judgment might be disputed;
the correctness OF his acts might be
questioned, but there was no question
of integrity involved.
Mr.. Palmer reviewed the platform
utterances Of the parties. Citing the
old adnge "the world do move" Mr..
Palmer said the country had moved
since the platform declaration of 1892
and 1t was evident that the financial
plsnks made st Minneapolis and Chicago
would not satisfy the country. In men.
tioning the return to the White House
in 1893 Mr.. Palmer said the Presidents
had called to his aid that able states
man, that pure and honest man, j. G.
Carlisle"
At another point Mr.. Palmer referred
to the cowardice Of candidates for the
Presidency and for Congress in not be-
Ing specific on thet- financial views
and In this connection the Senator had
at article read frora the desk arraigu-
ing Governor Mckinley for his ~ anus
faced" attitude on finance; and yet"
ADDED Mr.. Palmer, "all indications
point to the fact that the gu bjec Of that
criticism wall be the Republican candi-
date for the Presidency"
A Senator across the aisle whispered |
to Mr. Palmer the substance OF the bull |
letins from the indianapolis convention,
whereupon Mr.. Palmer added: "In fact |
l acknowledge that the opposition TO |
him has broken down" Mr. Palmer was
drawn into - hot colloquy with the two |
Missouri Senators, Mr.. Vest and Mr..
Ccckren. The former wanted 10 know |
what Mr.. Palmer meant by n reference
to snap" conventions favoring silver.
III mean" replied Mr.. Palmer, con-