The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-06-03
Senator Tillman Makes Some
Grave Charges.
HE WANTS THEM INVESTIGATED.
Good Progress Made on the Tariff and
the Committees Report Not Amended.
A Strong Effort Made to Reduce the
Tariff on window Glass.

il by presenting a resolution for the APP
pointment of a special committee Of
five senators to inv estigate charges Of
speculation by senators while the tariff
bill was before the finance committee.
In advocating the resolution Mr.. Till
man threw aside the usual convention.
alities of the senate and, with plain.
ness of speech seldom heard about the
halls of congress, called on his associ.
ates to investigate the published
charges of senatorial speculation, and
If found true, to purge the senate Of
those who debauched it.
Mr.. Aldrich, in charge of the tariff
bill, answered Mr. Tillman in a sweep.
ing denial
The Tillman resolution was referred
to the committee on contingent ex-
penses of the senate.
Considerable progress was made on
the tariff bill, IL pages being covered.
Several votes were taken during 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 is to lie considered
today, the usual Saturday recess being
abandoned.
Mr.. Tillman's resolution quotes the
senate resolution of May II, 1894,
authorizing the original inquiry and
then after reciting the proceedings in
the Chapman and Havemeyer trials,
proceeds:
Whereas, Within the last 80 days sun
dry newspapaper correspondents have
openly charged senators with speCulating
in sugar stocks while the sugar schedule
Is under discussion, and also charged that
brokers in New York knew in advance as
to what the senate finance committee
would report as to the sugar schedule,
all Of which involves n question of the
highest privilege, to wit: The right of the
senate to protect its members from SLAM
der and to protect the body as a whole
from these open charges of corruptioni
therefore, be il
Resolved, That committee of five be
appointed with power to send for persons
and papers. to employ stenUgrapher and
to administer Oaths, to inquire into the
truth or falsehood Of the charges made in
May, 1884, and into the charges recently
made, and the scope Of the Investigation
shall cover everything embraced in the
resolution Of May II, 1894, as well as the
methods pursued by the American Sugar
refining company, better known as the
Sugar trust, in controlling legislation in
its favor at the ipresent time. And espe-
cially 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 90 to the committee on contin.
gent expenses, but Mr. Tillman OBJ.
tanned consent to make a statement.
1--WE have arrived at a time, he be.
vhnV, . ln
afford to rest under the damning aCCu.
satiOns made against senators. If
there are men here debauching the
senate then we should be purged of
them. If these reports are ISLANDERS,
then the press galleries should be
purged. We cannot afford to lay back
on our dignity any longer and say we
will not investigated
1t had been charged that President
Cleveland met the sugar magnates on a
yacht and discussed details of the
schedule of the then pending tariff
bill. There was nothing TO fasten that
"damning accusation" on the presi.
dent, Mr.. Tillman said, but Senator
Jones l(Ark.) had recently furnished
evidence to the effect that the presi.
dent told him the trust should have
one.fourth cent pound.
Mr.. Jones quickly arose and stated
that on two occasions Mr.. Cleveland
had said to him that he thought the
one. fourth cent on raw sugar was
necessary to the American rehners and
that oue.eighth cent rate would drive
the refners out Of business.
Proceeding Mr.. Tillman said that it
might be Mr.. Cleveland s,desire to carry
out a bargain, and If so, the senate
ought to ind it out.
Here Mr.. Gray Del.J, chairman of
the former sugar investigating commit
tee, interrupted. The statement, he
said, that sugar schedule had been
made upon Mr.. Benedict's yacht when
the president was on board with officers
of the sugar trust was not true, and its
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
rs deep in the mud as the other is the
mire. You know of the reports against
pertain members of the old finance
committee, and now we have more
damning accusations against the pres.
ent committee"
MIR. Pettus (Ala.) interrupted to ask
Mr.. Tillman not to deal in generalities,
but to put mark on the senate ors by
name.
"That is what I want an inquiry for
to mark these men, responded Mr..
Tillman. II 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 finance committee did not go to
tine Arlington hotel or anywhere else
outside their committee room at the
capitol.
Tillman said he was glad the Demo-
cratic 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
che telephone to New York and easy
reach of agents of the Sugar trust. I"
Why was it, he asked. that the Sugar
trust can always command specific
instead of an advalorem duty? Why
was it that they cleared $25 900. 600 in
three years? Ii was the Democratic
party who made it possible in 1894.
''And now" he proceeded, with q
disgraced and demoralized Democratic
party out of power, and the Republi-
cans 10 charge of affairs, we have an.
other damning evidence of the Sugar
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