Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-07-23
THE CONTINGENT EXPENSES
Committee Reports on TiIlman'S
Resolution on Speculation.
NO INVESTIGATION ASKED
And the Committee Recommended That None
Be Ordered.
IT WAS ONLY A NEWSPAPER STORY
Without Personal Knowledge Enough to
Sustain 1t, They Say-Monstrous to
Investigate Every Charge.
In the House.
NO INVESTIGATION ASKED
T WAS ONLY A NEWSPAPER STORY

Washington, July Ex-senator Jones, of
Nevada, chairman of the committee on
contingent expenses today submitted to
the senate the report of that committee
on the resolution introduced by Senator.
Tillman for an investigation of the
charges of speculating in sugar stocks,
etc. The report takes a strong posi-
ton against ordering the investigation
and is very exhaustive review of the
procedure of the senate in the past in
such matters.
The report takes the position that aside,
S from the names of the newspaper men
only the name of Senator Smith is men
toned making this demand basis. The
contention is made that 1.-The newspaper
to write from knowledge and usually if
not nearly always refuse to disclose the
source of their information"
With reference to Senator Smith, the
report says: Here is a newspaper re-
port made linst sen tor of tn United
States without any ayerment OF personal
knowledge on the part of the writer and
without the slightest particle of knowl-
edge to sustain it, not even as much as
would warrant justice of the peace to
summon witnesses to demand the truth
of complaint of one citizen against an
incident of every day life. 1t is the bold
and naked assertion of man who does
not pr fess II pretend o have any know
edge whatever of the alleged fact of
which he writes, On the other hand
we have a definite, explicit and absolute.
denial of the charge from the senator af-i
fected-a denial publicly made from his,
place in tn: senate Vi the res. onsib:lity
of his position as senator of the United
States"
<xf fI,a INIT TOT
which charges that brokers in New
York knew in advance as to what the
finance committee would report on the
sugar schedule" the committee say that
aside from the newspaper clippings pre-
sented in the inquiry nothing but in
sinuati tions, guesses and differences drawn
by correspondents from hearsay state
ments and the hearsay sometimes sew
eral degrees removed. Their express
siors show the f1imsiest of foundations
on which they have erected the story OF
scandal" e-
One of the stories of the correspondent
Is characterized as "a deliberate, unfair
and unvenomed determination ito, IL pos
sibls, bring upon the subcommittee or
the france committee the contempt of
the country"
eWhenever" the report continues, 1--WE
approach a statement that judging from
the sensational holdings of the article.
seems about to give us definite and re-
sponsible information which could be
reached by an investigation we are dis
appointed TO find that instead of afford. ing
evidence of the alleged fact the state
mant consists of insnuations, mysterious
hints and indefinite illusions made on
the authority of some person whose name
the correspondent does not disclose. All
thesa guesses, influences and inuendoss
are met in the most emphatic statements
that the senator from Rhode Island. Mr..
Aldrich, the chairman of the sue-com-
mittee, having in charge the details of
the tariff bill''
In Senator Aldrch's reply he replies to
Senator Jones, of Nevada, as the only.
one outside of the subcommittee having
knowledge of it's proceedings, is quoted
atlength.
Referring to this statement Senator
JorI.s makes an individual parenthetica1
statement in which he says: Il am
member of the senate finance committee,
and as he obeyed the summons of the
committee the information referred to
by the senator from Rhode Island was
received in official capacity and that
such Information was conveyed by Mr..
Jopss to no human being in any form or
manner before the presentation lof THE
facts to the senate and this presentation
in due and orderly course
The report takes ths position that the
distinct statement of Sena tors are not to
be outwsighef by newspaper attacks in-
stigated by men willing to make state
a view to nuhTca tion and then like as
sassins who use the etiletto in the dark.
skulk behind those correspond nnts and
refuse to permit their names to bs made
known even for the purpose of evidence"
1T would be. the report continues, mon
strous to set in motion the investigation
machinery of the senate every time such
an attack is made upon senator and the
committee concludes 'fthat II every I'M
fafhered rumor and unsupported charge
+ 1,111 n oil
an investigation into the official conduct
into the peoples represent there
is no legislative body in the world that
could for a single day carry on the work
for which II is designed. It's entire time
would be given over to the work of in
v=stigatifg rumors. whispers and charges
Before the investigation of one such could
be completed another would have made
it's appea rance apd when the second had
besn investigated a Third would have
been provided and ready which in furn
would be succeeded by fourth and the
fourth by the fifth, There would be no
end"
They say that the ssnate has on sew
eral occasions withheld reference to pro-
posed investigations into the conduct of
its members '1lhat In order to warrant
so grave a proceeding there should be
some tangible evidence, some properly
supported evidence of facts from respor-
sible sources, and NOT merely vague gem
eral charges of rumors"
The committee says with reference TO
the portion of THE resolution which re-
fars ito the inquiry of 1894 that no NV
evidence has been repore ed and that the
proceedings in the courts In The nature
of several contumacious witnesses do
not show any proba bil1ty of occurring in
formation beyond that already adduced
They call attention to the fact shat In
all The prosecutions growing out of the
former inquiry there was only one CON.
diotion. the others being acquitted on
the ground that the questions put to them
were not pertinent.
The comniibtee concludes that this sta
itus cannot be changed by re-opening the
case.
with reference to the proposition that