Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-23
AGAINST AN INQUIRY.
MERE RUMons ABOUT SENATOR'S
NO GROUND FOR ONE.
ms FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.
l.. Importance Duly Recognized
Tnrcnsonnhlcncss and Futiiity of
vr,inu 10 Keep News out of the
rapcrs--Thc sugar Trust.


..ruod TO the Senate the report OF
n.t committee ON the resolution intro
,..l ty senator Tnlman FOR an inves-
..ran OF the charges Of specula'ing in
e..r stocks. etc. The report takes a
.r8ur position against ordering the in
,.ueaaon. and is "a very exhaustive re-
,.w ot tac procedure Of the Senate in
.e mast boo such matters. The report
Like. Che position that aside from the
names OF he newspaper men them
solves ory t.c name of Senator Smith.
o. Sew Jersey. is mentioned in the news
papers making the charges on which the
resolution was based The position is
...a hat thc newspaper men do not
...at 'lalsmuch as these gentlemen do
.0. profess TO write from knowledge.
..I usually. IL not always. decline to dis
tae sources OF their information"
Wuh reference 20 Senator Smith. the
r..u says. Here is newspaper
Df.. made against a senator of the
I...l States. without averment Of
personal knowledge ON the part Of the
ru..r and without the slightest parti-
... 0f evidence TO sustain it--not even as
i. as would warrant a justice of the
t.... u -ummoning Witnesses 10 deter
mr. tle truth Of "a complaint by one
..I.u against another with reference
r tae most trihng incident of every
..r Ife. 10 is the bold and naked asser-
don lf man who does not profess or
pretend to have any knowledge whatever
ol t.e alleged fact OF which he swrites
On 'hc other hand. we have q definite
explicit. and absolute denial Of the
charge from the senator affcctcd-a de-
u publicly made from his place in the
senate. upon The responsibility Of his
position as senator Of the United
rtates" AS 20 the clause of the resolu-
tlu which charges that brokers in New
York knew in advance ms TO what the
Finance Committee would report as to
the Sugar schedule the committee say
they can find no newspaper clippings
presented il support of the proposed in-
Qury. Nothing bat indefinite couciu-
s.1us insInuatious guesses. and infcrcn-
ces. drawn by correspondents from hear
say statements. and the hearsay some
tImcs several degrees removed. Many of
their expressions indicate the fimsincss
0f the foundation ON which they have
erected this structure Of scandal
ENVENOMED ATTACK.
The attack of one Of the correspondents
is characterized as deliberate. unfair.
and envenOmed determination TO. if pos
s.hlo bring upon the subcommittee of
tuc Finance Committee the contempt of
the country
Whenever" the report continues, I'VE
approach a statement that. Judging from
the sensational headings of the article
seems about 10 give us definite and re-
spousible Information, which could DE
reached boy an Investigation, we are dis
appointed 90 find that instead of al
fording evidence Of the alleged fact. the
statements consist of iusinuauons. mys-
-erious hints. aud indefinite illusions,
made on the authority OF some person
whose name the correspondent does not
disclose. All these guesses. inierences
and iununendoes are met boo the most
direct and emphatic manner by the s'ale-
meut of the Senator from Rhode lslAno
Mr. Aldrich. the chairman Of the SUD
committee of the Finance committee
having i'm charge the arrangement OF '"e
details of the tariff bill -
senator Aldrich's reply TO Senator llll-
man in which ne refers to Senator Jones
of Nevada. as the only Senator outslde
II the subcommittee who had knowledge
- its proceedinus. is quoted at length.
Rcplving TO this statement Senator
Jones makes am individual parenihellcdl
statement. iu which he says. 'hr is
rncmb,r of the Finance Committee OF lhc
S.uate. and such Information as he ob-
t8ipcd from the subcommittee on the
occasion referred 90 hy the Senator from
Rhode island was Information received
Inn Legitimate official consultation with
the members of the subcommittee. ana
,t,ch information was conveyed by Mr.
F.. r
manner before the presentation of the
particulars % the Senate. and its pub
lcaron in due and orderly course
eKULKING BEHIND NEWSPAPERS.
rre report takes the position that the
distinct assertions of senators are not
q. I. outweighed boy newspaper attacks,
I...atcd by men willing 10 make state
mns To- newspaper correspondents win
t.N TO publication. and then, IKE
.-...e.us who use the stiletto IN the
l.-k -bulk behind those correspondents
and refuse to- permit their names to be
Ids known. even for purposes oil eN-
..ucc"
Do would the report continues, be mon
sr0us t0 set in motion the investigating
machinery Of the Senate every time sucA
su attack is made upon senator ana
OH, committee concludes that. "if every
uule 90 he held sufficient ground ON |
which To- base an Investigation into the |
.Hc.a conduct Of the peoples ropresen-
arvo- there is no executive body in The |
world that could for a single day carry |
.n thc work for which 10 was designed |
IL. entire time would Doe given over to |
Oh. work of uVestigating rumors. Whis- |
I..s and charges Before the investlsa- |
t.n of one such could be completed an |
other would have made its appearance, /
..I when The second had been investi-
E.',I 90 third would nave been provided. /
.. would bc ready, which Ina turn, /
would he succeeded by "a fourth and the
i..'.a boy Z NTH. There would be no
I.v say the Senate has on several
ons held with reference 20 proposed
.'.eations into the conduct Of IFS
members that in order TO warrant so
'. proceeding, there should he
SOM. Hneible evidence. some tansibly
el properly supported allegation OF TACT
HOm responsible source. and not merely
vague general charges or rumors
Iao committee say with reference TO
ile porIo of the resolution which re-
l.ir's the re0pening OF the inquiry OF
-Nl that ro new evidence has been pro-
aa'ei. arl that the proceedings I'm the
courts 'Iu the matter Of certain con-
'.miC.ous Witnesses DO not show any
probability of securing information be-
y.ni mat already adduced" They call
attention 10 the fac, that i'm an the
prose. uuons growing cut Of the former
inquiry there was only one cOnvc ion.
'he others beng acquitted on The ground
llti The questions put TO them were not
pertinent The committee concludes that
us status cannot be changed ty re-
opening the case
sUGAR-TRUST INFLUENCE.