Birmingham state herald., 1897-06-04
4 QUESTION OF VERAC|TY Figured Prominently in the Sen-
 ate Proceedings. TlLLMAN THE INSTIGAT0R Of a. Heated Debate Over His Resolution on Sugar Speculation lnyestigaton-Tarif Bill Moves Slowly Along.

made good progress on the tariff bill
 today covering about ten pages of the
 metal schedule and almost completing it.
 The formal contest against the meas
 urs was maintained, but all amendments
 tending to change the bill as reported
 were voted down and the finance com
 mittee sustained. The debate was main-
 ly of a technical character. The re-
 publican senators continued the policy of
 refraning from making speeches. Be-
 fore the tariff bill was taken up Senator
 Tillman, of South Carolina, gave the sen-
 ate an hour of exciting controversy over
 the proposed sugar investigation com
 mittee.
 MT. Vest of Missouri, offered reso-
 lution reciting that skeletons of Amer
 ican sailors killed at Buena Vista in 1857,
 were now exhumed and asking the state
 department to investigate the subject
 and report the facts to congress.
 A letter was read in this connection
 from Consul General Crittenden saying
 the matter should receive the attention
 of the authorities at Washington. A
 clipping was enclosed stating that the
 bones of American soldiers were bleach
 ing in the sun. The resolution was then
 agreed to.
 MT. Tillman then came forward with another phase of the proposed sugar in-
 vest!gation, closing with motion to dis
 charge the committee on contigent ex- pense from further consideration of the
 resolution recently offered by him to in-
 vestigate the alleged speculation in sugar
 stock The motion contemplated an
 immediate vote by the senate on the su-
 gar investigation resolution.
 MT. Tillman spoke in his usual vthem-
 ent style which attracted much atten-
 tion and drew crowds to the galleries. He
 began by presenting-a clipping from a; Haverhll, N. H., newspaper referring
 to the recent speech of MT. Tillman and
 adding query as to whether the pro-
 posed sugar inquiry would be supple
 mented by an inquiry into the charges
 of exSenator Butler, in connection with MT. Tillmans amendment of the South
 Carolina dispensary law. The charges against him were stale, MT. Tillman said.
 He had met them before and he read an
 open letter written to the people of South Carolina, characterizing the charges as islanders. This was an attempt to divert attention from the sugar scandal the senator begun, but the attempt would fail. He had come from the plough to the governorsh,p of South Carolina, over the prostrate forms of those constituting the old regime and it had won, him many enemies All the crimes In the decal-. ogue had been charged against him. He had appealed to his people and they had sustained him, sending him to the senate after a heated canvass in which MT. But Ter had sought to "f1y-blow" his eI1ll- man's) character. Now the same old eggs were brought forward. If any man de- sired to look into his character then, said MT. Tillman, he courted the fullest in- ouiry. And any other senator, against whom there was the breath of scandal, should have the charges probed to the bottom and the scandal dispelled. He had made no charges against the sen ator from New Jersey, Mir Smith, he de- clared, but had merely supmitteu i tne published charges now before the pubMc and since the committee had made no report on the resolution, MT. Illlman said he would now move to discharge the committee from further consideration or the resolution. a tion 'senators can now put themselves | on record as to whether they want these charges investigated.
 MT. Tillman dropped into his char, put was quickly on his feet again lie hau, he said. approached the chairman Oones of Nevada). of the committee on com fn- gent expenses, and had been told by him that he was ready to report the resolu- tion, but was aWaiting the aclfon or the cLher two members of the committee (Jones of Arkansas and Gallinger Of New Hampshire. ,
 MT. Gallinger then secured recognition for A. statement of The arttitute of the committee, he being the senior member in the absence of the chairman, Mr. Jones of Nevada. of falya critics" he said, "amd must the senate pause every time such accusations
 are made to waste its time and spend the
 money of the United Staltes in inves1gat- ing such charges? If such is to be the case then there will never be tarlH Dill nor any other bill"
 MT. Vest said there was precedent for ignoring charges against the personal character of a senator. He referred to the att itude of Senator Thurman when an investigation was proposed against one of his associates He had held that the courts were open for private redress and that it was no! for the senate ito un-
 dertake to right private wrong. There had been nclt one disserting voice from
 this position, MT. Vest asserted, and 1t
 was no for the senate to put aside It's public business to attend to the private character of senators.
 Mr Tillman was again on his feet. The
 newspapers were trying to make fire in his rear, while he was engaged In fire in his front. His resolution simply sought
 .o determine whether the finance com | mAttee was the creature of the Sugar trust whether senators were the loose and paid agents of the Sugar trust, or whether they were performing their duty as honorable men,
 MT. Gallinger, proceeding, said the peo-
 pie of each senator's state must pass upon his character The people of South Carolina had passed upon the character
 of the senator from South Carolina and
 that was sufficient vindicat ton without
 an appeal to the senate
 "Can Senator Aldrch and the com
 mBttee deny hearing" queried MT. Till
 man. when the paper making the charge
 offered to appear and prove the charger"
 MT. Gallinger said this investigation of charges might go on indefinitely Sup
 pose another paper made ar >ss 1T charge.
 Must the senate start an investigation of, that charge? And then suppose
 other charges were made, must further investigations be settled? Was that the kind of business the senate must embark upon instead of attending to pressing legislation? MT. Tillman was still standing at his desk and hurled back the answer: "If these charges are false then 1t is time to stop the lies spread before the public, this islander of ink and punish the men guilty Of the fs,rshood ard until you dc so you stand convicted before the Amer ican people."tis N't, 's The time had not arrived, MT. Gallinger proceeded calmly, when -sthe American