Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-06-02
STIRRING UP THE SENATE.
Senator TiIlman Gets After Sugar Trust
Tinkers With His Pitchfork.

Senator Tillman Gets After Sugar Trust
Tinkers With His Pitchfork.
Senator Tillman has stirred up an
other big sensation. This time he is
after the members of the senate finance
committee, who are accused, by rumor,
with having lately profited by their
knowledge of probable legislation to
make money out of sugar stock. Dur.
ing the morning hour last Saturday,
Senator Tillman introduced the fol-
lowing:
"Resolved, That a committee of five
be appointed, with power to send for
persons and papers, to employ STEM
ographer and to administer oaths, to
inquire into the truth or falsehood of
the charges made in May, 1894, and
into the charges recently made; and
the scope of the investigation shall
cover everything embraced in the
resolution of May II, 1894, as well as
the methods pursued by the American
Sugar Refining company, better known
as the Sugar Trust, in controlling leg
islation in its favor at the present time.
Especially whether it has in anywise
contributed to or controlled the election
of senator in this body at any time" "
Senator Frye, who was in the chair
in the absence of the vice president,
promptly ruled that the resolution
should 60 to the committee on contin-
gent expenses; but Senator Tillman
desired to make a statement and his
request was granted. He commenced
by saying that the senate had arrived
at time when it could no longer
afford to rest under the damning accu-
sations that had been made against
senators. He referred to the former
investigation that had been made "to
determine whether senators were being
bought and sold like CATTLE" and said
that the result was unsatisfactory.
Then it was Democrats who were being
investigated. Now it is Republicans.
He cared nothing about party; but
wanted to purge the senate of all who
are guilty of the offences that had been
charged.
Before Senator Tillman got very
far, Senator Pettus, of Alabama, asked
him to specify the guilty senator's by
uame. Senator Tillman said he was
coming to that later, and as he got
further with his remarks, he sent up
to the desk of the clerk and had read
number of signed newspaper state
ments involving different senator's.
One of the statements was to the ef-
feet that Senator Smith, of New Jer-
sey, had realized $4,000 in sugar stock
speculations while the finance COM
mittee was deliberating over the sugar
schedule. Another article gave infor-
nation of the handling of 5000 shares
of stock in one day by broker for
three senators. Still another article
told of how New York broker
named White, maintained in Washing
ton sumptuous Offices while the sugar
schedule was under consideration, and
how, after the schedule was agreed
upon by the finance committee, the
broker closed r.: office and went back
to New York.
In conclusion, Senator Tillman said
that he thought these newspaper arti-
cles pretty good showing for start.
1t was TO be presumed that the writers
of the articles knew what they were
talking about. If so, they could be
made to testify. In the event it should
develop that their stories were untrue,
then it would devolve upon the senate
TO purge the press gallery. In any
event, he desired thorough investi-
CATION of the whole business.