New-York tribune., 1897-07-23
AGAINST A SUGAR INQUIRY.
ru.LMANs RESOLUTION UNFAvoRABLY
REPORTED.
THE CHARGES AGAINST SENATOR'S sAip ~ ID"
BASED ONLY ON IRRESPONSIBLE NEWS
PAPER sTATEMENTs-sHARP CRIT
IcIsM OF SENSATIONAL


IcIsM OF SENSATIONAL
JOURNALISM
Washington. July Ex-senator Jones, OF NeVaoa'
chairman of the Committee on Contingent EN-
nenses to-day submitted the report Of that COM
,,,oo on the resolution introduced by Senator
rr,,lman for an investigation of the charges that
Senators had speculated I'm Sugar STOCKS e'c ~
takes strong ground against ordering the ih'eSu-
cation and Is an exhaustive review or the procedure
of the Senate In such matters. The report taxes
the position that aside from the names OF the
newspaper men themselves only the name OF Sen
ator Smith, of New-Jersey, Is mentioned IN the
newspa pers making the charge on which the reso-
luton was based. 1t says that the newspaper men
do not count "inasmuch as those gentlemen 90
not profess to write from knowledge. and usually.
IL not always. decline to disclose the sources OF
their information. with reference 10 SENATOR
Smith, the report says:
Here Is newspaper charge against Senator at rot OF
sSpn Se she g. Of i 10
justice just Of the peace in summonins, witnesses to
determine the truth of complaint by one ,rde GTen
incident of everyday life. 1t is the bold and naked
assertion 10 OF man wnI dSes HDa Of The
legged fact of which he writes, On the other
dena of the charge from the Senator affected
denial publicly made from m MS pase n tas as sn
ator Of the United States.
AS to the clause of the resolution which charges
that brokers in New-York knew In advance what
the Finance Committee would report az TO the su-
gar schedule" the committee says 1t can ma IN
the newspaper clippings presented In support Oh
the proposed inquiry nothing but indefinite alu-
sIons insinuations guesses and differences drawn
by correspondents from hearsay statements aho
the hearsay sometimes several degrees removed
Many Of their expressions indicate the him5iness Oh
the foundation on which they have erected this
of oI,1 nf
correspondents Is characterized as "a deliberate
unfair and envenomed determination to. II possible
bring upon the subcommittee OF the Finance COM
mittee the contempt OF the country"
'Whenever," the report continues, I'VE approach
a statement that judging from the sensational
heading of the article, seems about to give us
definite and responsible information which could
be reached by an investigation. we are disappointed
to find that instead Of afordng evidence OF the al
legged fact, the statements consist or insnuatiohs'
mysterious hints and indefinite illusions made on
the authority OF some person whose name the cor
RESPONDENT does not disclose. All these gucsses'
differences and innuendos met in the most direct
and emphatic manner by the statement OF the sen
ator from Rhode Island. Mr.. Adrich. the chairman
of the subcommittee of the Finance Cohihit'ee
having in charge the arrangement Oh 'he ue'a"' u
the Tarif bill"
No INFORMATION GIVEN TO BROKERS.
Senator Aldrch's reply to Tiliman in which he
refers to Mr. Jones' of Nevada. as the only senator
outside OF the subcommittee who had knowledge
of its proceedings is quoted at length Replying 10
this statement. Senator Jones makes a statement
in which he says:
the Senate and such information as he oo-
tanned from the Subcommittee on me H was
information received In legitimate olcia cohsuta
ton with the members OF the sup-committee,1 anu
such information conveyed by Mr. Jones
~ M human being in any form manner before
the presentation of the particulars 10 the oeha'e
In due and orderly course.
The report takes the position that the distinct
assestions OF Senators not to be outweighed
by newspaper attacks instigated by men willing
to make statements to newspaper correspondents
with a view to publication and then, ike assas-
sins who use the stiletto in the dark. skuk behind
those correspondents and refuse to permit their
names to be made known. even for purposes OF
evidence" ..
Il would the report continues, be monstrous to
set In motion the investigating machinery OF the
Senate every time that such an attack Is made on
| Senator, and 'if every unfathered rumor and
| unsupported charge were to be held sufficient
| ground on which to base investigation into the
| official conduct OF the peoples representatives,,
there is legislative body In the world that could
for q single day carry on the work for which 1t
was designed Its entire time would be given over
! char reg. Before the investigation or one sucn
aopeirance and when the second had been lnvesti-
| gated. third would have been provided and would
NJ N,
fourth, and the fourth by fifth. There would be
| no end - ,.. o,oxo, ~ .. a., .o
tion of the resolution which requires the reopening
! Of the inquiry of 1884, that no new evidence has
courts 'in the matter of certain contumacious wit
DO SssnS shw Sn S sScrs
ton is called to the fact that IN all the prosecu,
only one conviction the Others being acquitted on
the ground that the Questions put TO- them We're hGt
| status cannot be changed by reopenng the case.
SENATORS AND THE SUGAR TRUST
With reference to the proposition that inquiry be
made whether the Sugar Trust has contributed 10
or controlled the election OF Senator In this body
at any time" the committee expresses the opinion
that 'the time TO investigate a subject OF that
character will be when some evderce is offered to
show cause for the inquiry" and adds that upon
the election Of a Senator his political other
opponents sufficiently active and alert in their
own interest or in the interest OF their party TO
cause for contest in his election In so far as the
the Of s f
dealt with according to law. We are not the apollo
ss or ho of ar any o Other
of itself be held to be ground FOR investigating
duty. t upon our own initiative and without the
slightest warrant from any known fact. to nvesti-
Controlled the election Of Senator in this body at
any time Why stop at one rorPors To- WHY not
STATES call up the officers Of each and examine
in any wise contributed to or controlled the cleo
ton OF Senator In M this body at any time? The
would be time for the performance OF any egis-
| latvc duties"
The committee goes at length into the question OF
the propriety OF expelling from the Senate press
gallery or sending TO prison newspaper correspond
ents who make false charges, taking position
! against both suggestions. They say that expulsion
from the gallery would be disproportlonate to the
| offence a the other galleries OF the Senate would
| be open the offender 1T might even be-" the
| committee adds. that the notorety acquired by a
correspondent by reason OF such expulsion instead
source OF promotion in his profession" Further.
more, 1t l. said that such punishment would have