The Saint Paul globe., 1897-05-29
new SUGAR SCANDAL
Stirred Up in the Senate by
Mr.. TiIIman, of South Carolina.
NO MINCING IN
HIS LANGUAGE.
Tariff Bill Taken Up Later and Rapid
Progress Made on 1t.

WASHINGTON, May ZS.-Arter
long period Of silence, Senator Tillman
(S.C.) startled the senate today by
speech no less dramatic in it's delivery
than sensational in its allegations. He
preceded 1t by presenting resolution
for the appointment of a special COM
mittee Of five senators to investigate
charges of speculation by senators,
while the tariff bill was before the
finance committee. In advocating the
resolution, Mr.. Tillman threw aside the
usual conventionalities Of the senate,
and with plainness Of speech seldom
heard about the halls Of congress, call
ed on his associates to investigate the
published charges Of senatorial specu-
lation, and If found true, purge the
senate of those who debauched 1t. Mr..
Aldrich in charge Of the tariff bill,
answered Mr.. T1llman in sweeping
denial. The Tillman resolution was
referred to the committee on contingent
expenses Of the senate.
Considerable progress was made on
the tariff bill, thirteen pages being
covered. Several votes were taken dur
ing the day. but the finance committee
had a liberal majority in every instance.
The Democratic members of the finance
committee made a strong effort to re-
duce the rates on window glass, but
their amendments to this effect were
defeated The bill will be. considered
tomorrow, the usual Saturday recess
being abandoned.
Mr. Tillman's resolution quotes the
of 1904
thorizing the original inquiry, and then,
after reciting the proceedings in the
Chapman and Havemeyer trials, pro-
ceeds:
Whereas, within the last thirty days sundry
newspaper correspondents have openly charged
senators with speculating in Sugar stock
while the sugar schedule was under discussion,
and also charged that brokers in New YORK
knew in advance as to what the senate nhance
committee would report as to the sugar
schedule; all of which involves q question OF
the highest privilege, to wit: the r1ght OF
the senate to protect it's members from SIAN
der and to protect the body as Wnole from
these open charges of corruption. Inerelore,
be it
Resolved That a committee of five be ap-
pointed with power to SEND 13r persons ana IN
papers, to employ stenographer and to ad-
minister oaths, to inquire into the truth or
falsehood of the charges made in May, 1884,
and into the charges recently made, ana the
thing embraced in the resolution of May II,
1894, as well the methods pursued by the
American Sugar Refining company, better
known as the sugar trust, in controlling legas-
lation in it's favor at the present time. And
especially whether 1t has in any wise con-
tributed to or controlled the election of
senator in this body at any time.
The presiding officer, Mr.. Frye,
promptly ruled that the resolution
should go to the committee on contin-
gent expenses, but Mr.. Tillman obtain
ed consent to make a statement.
I'VE have arrived at a time," he be-
gan, when the senate can no longer
afford to rest under the damning ac-
cusations made against senators. If
there are men here debauching the SEN
ate, then we should be purged of them.
If these reports are ISLANDERS, then the
| press galleries should be purged. We
cannot afford to lie back on our dignity
any longer, and say we will not investi-
gate"
It had been charged, he said, that
President Cleveland met the sugar
magnates on a yacht and discussed de-
tails Of the schedule of the then pend
ing tariff bill There was nothing to
fasten that damning accusation upon
the president, Mr.. Tillman said, but
Senator Jones, of Arkansas, had recent
ly furnished evidence to the effect that
| the president told him the trust should
| have one-fourth-centa a pound. Mr.. Jones
| quickly arose and stated that on two
| occasions Mr.. Cleveland had said to
him that he thought the one-forth- h-cent
| on raw sugar was necessary to the
American refneries, and that one
| enghth-cent would drive the refiners
| out of business.
Proceeding, Mr.. Tillman said it might
be that Mr.. Cleveland desired to carry
out bargain and If so the senate ought
to find 1t out.
Here Mr.. Gray Of Delaware, chair
man Of the former sugar investigation
committee, interrupted The statement,
he said, that sugar schedule had been
made upon Mr.. Benedict's yacht, when
| the president was on board, with Off
| GERS of the sugar trust, was not true
and it's falsity had been established
after the committee had probed the
statement to the bottom.
Continuing, Mr.. Tillman exclaimed:
| Both parties are involved and one is
as deep in the mud as the other is in
| the mire You know of the reports
against certain members Of the old
| finance committee, and now we have
more damning accusations against the
present committee"
Mr.. Pettus (Ala.) interrupted to ask
Mr. Tillman not to deal in generalities,
but to put a mark on the senators by
| name.
.sThat is what I want an inquiry for
| to mark these men," responded Mr..
Tillman. 'I do not want the poor man
to suffer while the -millionaires are
turned loose"
After protests from Mr. Pettus that
Mr.. Tillman should name at least one
senator accused, Mr.. Tillman went on to
state that when the former tariff bill
was framed the finance committee had
| left their committee room and had
taken quarters at the Arlington hotel.
"The senator Is grossly mistaken
interrupted Mr.. Vest, of the finance
committee. THE Democratic members
| of the committee did not go to the
Arlington hotel or anywhere else out
side their committee room at the capi-
| toll"
Mr.. Tillman said he was glad the
| Democratic party was relieved to this
extent, but added: "Now no one denies
that for the last two months rooms at
| the Arlington have been occupied by
the finance committee, in easy touch
| with the telephone to New York and
| easy reach of agents Of the sugar
| trust.
''Why is it," he asked, 'that the sugar
| trust can always command specific
/ instead of an ad valorem duty? Why is
it that they cleared $25, ,000, 900 In three
years? 1t was the Democratic party
| who made it possible in 1894. And
now," he proceeded, with g. disgraced
and demoralized Democratic party out
| Of poxro,p nd the p onaI Ivfoo II, oh a ver<