The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-05-15
MORE Stir
over SUGAR.
Mr.. TiIlman Says the Charges
Warrant Investigation.
HE MADE a SENSATIONAL SPEECH.
THE CHAPMAN CASE pRoDUc.
TIVE OF SOME INTERESTING
TALK-THE OPINION GENER.
ALLY EXPRESSED THAT THE
WITNESS OUGHT TO BE SUM.
MoNED AiATN AND COMPELLED
TO ANswER THE QUESTIONS.

Stt"r slIuhClon. According to Senator
Tillman the direct charges that certain
Senators have been specializing in sugar
stocks and tint the trust controlled the
framing of tie sugar schedule in the new
tariff bill must be investigated or else
the matter otght to be allowed to drop.
He made thealternative very plain in a
speech of few minutes. which created II
sensation in the Senate chamber vester-
day. 1t wasalso followed by some an
plause in the galleries
The subject under discussion was the
future proceeding in relation to MIR.
Chapman, tie witness who .declined to
answer in the last investigation, and who
is about to serve IL month in Jail. Whether
his troubles will end with..the serving of
the sentenceis matter yet undecided
the Judiciary committee of the Senate
having had the whole question referred
to it for report. Senator Hoar, the chair
man of the Committee, has promised that
the resolution shall not be entombed, and
from his pubic declarations is Known to
favor the sunmoning of Mr.. Chapman be-
fore the bar If the Senate and compelling
him to answer the questions which he re.
fused to answer when he was on the stand
a resolution to this effect would I'M
doubtedly plss the Senate, for the debate
Yesterday, which lasted nearly the entire
uay, Showeda very strong sentiment in
favor of sucl action. 1t was emphasized
in the discussion that the supreme court
has decided that the unanswered cues
tions were PERTINENT, and this being the
case, it is til, duty Of the Senate to en-
force the anwers thereto. This ground
was taken iy nearly every Senator who
participated in the debate.
1t was Senator Tillman, however, who
bn ntoc
Senate. File went Mt the subject in his
usual brusaue, blunt way, mot mincing
his words. He said:
We are not alter Chapman. The crig-
inal investigation was not intended to
punish Chapman, but to discover whether
any Senator cn this floor has been guilty
of using his official position to make
money by Specializing in stocks which
were influenced by his action as n Senator
on the committee which reported the
tariff bill. 1t is not worth while to try
TO cover up the matter with bnndinage and
fiippancy.
There are to-day in the newspapers of
this country charges floating about and
being sent broadcast, signed bv CORE
spondents in the gallery, to the effect that
last week, when the new tariff bill! was
reported with Il change in the sugar
schedule that three Senators had specu-
lated i'll sugar stock. We have another
stencil on our hands. and instead of it
being diferential in favor OF the trust
n third OF Il cent, as that was, it is now
wo-thirds in favor of the trust
'Tncre are two correspondents who
have over their own signatures charged
that Senators have specialized within the
last week and made money. Now, if you
want to investigate, you have new rea-
son to investigate. II you intend to get
Mt the true inwardness Of the matter, to
get ut the truth and to punish those who
are guilty, say so and do so, or else hush.
That is the whole sum and substance of
it. We do not want Chapman. We want
llaVemeyer We want the man who
bought your men, if they were bought.
We want the man who bought your com
mittee last week, if they were bought.
That is what we are here for; and now let
the Senator who has moved to refer The
matter and who loves thessdignity of the
Senate as much as any other man, take
the resolution to his committee and bring
back measure here that will mean some
thing. we can now make those men who
have charged that Senators have specu.
lated say where they got the information,
or we can punish them for contempt. We
can call on Havemeyer and the sugar
trust grandees, and make them answer
or put them in Jail for contempt. Either
inve"tigate, 50 as to find the truth and
punish the criminal, or hush.'
From the beginning of the debate to
the end there was no lack of interest
Direct assertion, supplemented by an
evident desire to insist upon answers to
the questions Mr.. Chapman declined to
answer, rs we'll rs the possible effect
upon the sugar schedule and future inves-
tigation. gave to the talk value far be-
yond that involved in the personality of
Mr.. Chapman. Senator Aliens position,
stated by him in the beginning of the
discussion, was very plain. lie could
wei! understand, he said, how Mr. Chap.
man and those who stood with him would
be glad to escape from the execution of
the Senate.
'But, " he added, "this is government
of law and order. The authority of the
Senate to make the investigation has been
openly and flagrantly challenged and VIC
lated, and we cannot afford, as the repre-.
sentatives of seventy millions of people,
to permit Mr.. Chapman. rs the agent of
some orgnnization-one that has been
charged to possess unusual and extensive
influences over this body and the other
branch OF Congress-to 90 unwhipped OF
the Justice his conduct II erits."
senator Allen described the sentence to
which MIR. Chapman had been subjected
as "a mere 5agatclle, one that signifies
nothing" and he thought that the au-
thority of the Senate and the wound that
has been inflicted on the American peo-
pie would only be healed by Mr. Chap
man answering the questions