The news & observer., 1897-07-23
Too Many Of ThemsAre in
e the Speculation.
IT is ENOT EXPEDIENT
SENATE REPORT ON TILLMAN
RESOLUTION.
NEWSPAPER MEN DO NOT. COUNT


Well Sunoorted Testimon" Of the Derellc-
"S sy-ssaKa
= ton of One Of its Number Before g-,... g.
Ordering an Investigation.
Washington, D. O., July 0.-Sena-
tor Jones, of Nevada, chairman OF the
committee on Contingent Expenses, to-
day submitted to the Senate the report
of that committee on the resolution in
troduced by Senator Tillman for an in
yestigation of the charges of specializing
in sugar stocks, etc. The reports takes
a strong position against ordering the
investigation and is a very exhaustive
review of the procedure of the Senate IN
the past in such matters.
The report takes the position that
aside from the names of the newspaper
men themselves only the name of Sena-
tor Smith, of New Jersey, is mentioned
in the newspapers making the charges
on which the resolution was based. The
position is taken that the newspaper
men do not count, 'inasmuch as those
gentlemen do not profess to write from
knowledge and usually, if not always
decline to disclose the sources of their
information"
With reference to Senator Smith the
report says: Here is a newspaper
charge made against Senator Of the
United States without any averment of
personal knowledge On the part Of the
writer and without the slightest particle
of evidence to sustain it-nOt even as
much as would warrant a justice OF the
peace in summOning witnesses to deter
mine the truth of a complaint by one
citizen against another with reference
to the most trifling incident of every day
life. 1t is the bold and naked asser-
ton of a man who does not profess or
pretend to have any knowledge what
ever of the alleged fact Of which he
writes. On the other hand we have
definite, explicit and absolute denial OF
the charge from the Senator affected
q denial publicly made from his place
in the Senate, upon the responsibility of
his position. as a Senator of the Uni
ted States"
AS to the clause Of the resolution
which charges that brokers in New
York knew in advance as to what the
finance committee would report as to the
sugar schedule" the committee say
they can find in the newspaper clippings
presented in support Of the proposed in
uuiry, nothing but indefinite delusions,
insinua tions, guesses and inferences
drawn by correspondents from hearsay
statements and the hearsay some times
several degrees removed. Many of their
expressions indicate the flimsiness Of the
foundation on which they have erected
this structure Of scandal"
The attack of one Of the correspond
ents is characterized as deliberate,
unfair and envenomed determined, to, II
possible. bring upon the sub committee
Of the Finance committee the contempt
Of the country.
'sWhenever," the report continues, I'VE
approach a statement, that, judging from
the sensational headings Of the article,
seems about to give us definite and re-
sponsible information, which could be
reached by an investigation, We are dis
appointed to find that instead of afford
ing evidence of the alleged fact the state
ments consist Of insinuations. mysteri-
GUS hints and indefinite illusions made on
the authority of some person whose
name the correspondent does not disclose.
All these guesses, differences and innu-
endoes, are met in the most direct and
emphatic manner by the statement Of
the Senator from Rhode Island, Mr.. AL
drich. the chairman Of the sub-commit-
tee of the Finance Committee, having in
charge the arrangements Of the details
Of the tariff bill.
Senetar Aldrich's reply to Senator
Tillman, in which he refers to Senators
Jones. of Nevada, as the only Senator
outside of the sub committee who had
knowledge Of it's proceedings, Is quoted
at length.
Replying to this statement Senator
Jones makes an individual parenthetical
statement lin which he says: ''He is
member of the Finance committe Of the
Senate and that such information as he
obtained from the subcommittee on the
occasion referred to by the Senator from
Rhode Island was information received
in legitimate, official consultation with
the members of the subcommittee, and
that such information was conveyed by
Mr.. Jones to no human being in any form
OF manner before the presentation Of the
p rticulars to the Senate and this publ
cation in due and orderly course"
The report takes the position that the
distinct assertions of Senators are not
to be outweighed by newspaper attacks
instigated by men "willing to make state
ments to newspaper correspondents with
a view to publication, and then, like as
sassins who use the stiletto in the dark,
skulk behind those correspondents and
refuse to permit their names to be made
known, even for purposes of evidence"
sIt would" the report continues. "be
monstrous to set in motion the investiga-
ting machinery Of the Senate every time
that such an attack is made upon a Sen
ator and the committe concludes that ''if
every unfathered rumor and unsupported
charge We're to be held sufficient ground
on which to base an investigation into
the official conduct of the peoples repre-
sentatives, there is no legislative body in
the world that could for single day
carry on the work for which it was de-
signed. It's entire time would be given
over to the work of investigating rumors,
whispers and charges. Before the invest
igation of one such could be completed,
another would have made its appearance