The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-05-28

moved that the court instruct the Jury
to order an acQuittal on six grounds,
The principal one of which was that the
question asked was not pertinent.
District Attorney Davis made val
liant attempt to induce the presiding
Judge to overrule the motion The ques-
lion put to Mr. Havemeyer, Mr.. Davis
Insisted. was pertinent to the inquiry.
II had been allowed by the newspaper
articles. the truth of which the COM
snittee was investigating, that a d.
rector of the sugar trust had stated
that the trust cared nothing for the
benate. He was quoted as having said.
N'We own the United States senate,
body boots and breeches; brain, NOR
nls and ALL" In the face Of such allie
cations was 1t not the duty of the
committee. he asked, to find out wheth-
sr the trust had contributed to local
elections, upon the result of which
hung the fate Of United States senat-
prs7
The honor, dignity and integrity of
HE senate was at stake in the inquiry
Its purpose was to vindicate the purity
of the senate If the charges were prov
en- to be false and to adopt means of
purglng itself of corruption, If such
a-eofruption was found to exist. MIR.
Davis described the trust as a con-
Bcienceless octopus" reaching from
coast to coast. using the leverage of its
power in politics, by the admission of
Its president, as a Republican in Re-
publican states and as Democrat in
Democratic states.
AS to the pertinency of the question
relating to local and state political
contributions, Mr.. Davis pointed out
how United States senator, hard
pressed in his local elections, might
have appealed to the Sugar Refining
company for funds. with the under
standing that, if he triumphed, his vote
and Influence would be at the disposal
Of the sugar trust That may be bru-
tally blunt said the district attorney,
'but 1t is a possibility" AS to the con-
tention Of the defense that Mr.. Have
meyer should have been warned that
Che question he declined to answer was
a committee question: Mr.. Davis point
ed out that Mr.. Havemeyer was duly
warned that he was making himself
recusant.
Mr.. Johnson. for the defense, was
trict attorney for his inuendoes. The
senate's resolution creating the investi-
eating committee, he pointed out. asked
them to inquire what contributions,
large or small, had been subscribed to
the Democratic campaign fund to Sc
cure the insertion of the sugar sched-
hle in the tariff bill as alleged, He was
proceeding to speak of the report of the
committee eKOnerating the senator's
when District Attorney Davis inter-
rupted somewhat breezily:
IF my honorable brethren will per-
NIT me-" said he. II would like to say
that like the flowers that bloom in the
spring, what the committee did or did
not report has nothing to do with the
case"
Mr.. johnson replied at some length |
TO the arguments advanced by the dis |
trict attorney.
In rendering his decision, which was
very lengthy and consumed over an
hour in It's delivery. Judge Bradley |
declined to rule on the main question |
as to the jurisdiction of the senate
committee. He said the questions in
tvolved in that proposition were of
such grave Importance that he would
not rule on that point without further
and more careful examination. But
re held it was unnecessary to rule on
the main contention. Practically he
sustained the motion upon the single
ground that the question calling for
data to state and local contributions,
demanded Information not within the
knowledge Of the witness, which he
had testified he had no personal know
ledge Of and which, II given at all,
must have been procured from the
books and Of which the books them
selves were the best testimony AL
though the verdict Of mot guilty" was
given by tho jury. It was a verdict re-
turned under the courts directions and |