Birmingham state herald., 1897-05-29
PULLMAN CROWS DRAMATIC  StartIeS the Senate With Charges of Corruption
  AGAINST SOME OF THE BOYS DabbIed in Sugar While the Tariff Was Being Adjusted Asks for Names of the Accused and One Is Given.

 riod of silence, Senator Tillman, of South Carolina startled the sena.e today by speech no less drama tic in it's delivery than sensational in its allegations. lie preceded it by presenting resolution for the appointment of special comlnh- tse of five senators to investigate charGes of speeula ton by senators while the taf if bill was before the finance committee. In advoca.ing the resolution MT lilimda threw aside the usual convenionalltles 9L the senate and with a plainness ot speech seldom heard about the halls of conSft ss called on his associat tes to investigate the published charges CT senatorial SpecuI3- Gion, and if found true purge the sehat@ Of these who debauched IL. The senator had published articles read from the desk statirg that senators had recently mace large sums of money in speculalhS in Sugar stock, and in ore instance the name of a senator was mentioned.
 MT. Tiliman spoke for nearly an hour. every line of his speech being pune tua ted with intense invective.
 ,dr Aldrich, in charge of the tariff Dill, answered MT. Tfliman in a sweeping de- nial of all irregularfty on the part cf the finance committee and a specific dental of charges thag the Sugar trust had dicr ta ted the sugar schedule to the tariff bill.
 The Tillman resolution was referred to the committee on contingent expenses of the senate.
 COnSlQerdDle progress was 1nduS on lHe tariff bill, thirteen pages being covered. Several votes were taken during th= doy. but the fina nee committee had a liberal majority in every instance The .demo- cra:ic members of the finance commit tee made a strong effort to reduce the rates on window glass, but their amend ments to this effect were. defeated. The bill will be considered tomorrow, the usual Saturday recess being abandoned
 During the morning hour MT. Cullom, republican, of Illinois, gave notice of two amendments to the Cariff bill. One of them proposes to strike out the item pros posing an increase in the tax on beer, and to substitute tax of 50 cents per gallon on distilled spirits.
 MT, Tillman then arose to question of privilege and presented a resolution for another sugar Investigation. The resolu- tion reciced the work of the last i1vesti- gating committee, the present impriSon- ment of ElVerton R. Chapman and the ac- quittal yesterday of Havemeyer on a technicality 1t related the reports of the last thirty days that senotars have specu- lated In sugar stocks and that advance reports on Ghe sugar schedule reached the New York Speculators. The resolu- tion provided for the appointment of a committee on investigation to be made up of five senators, who are fully em- powered 10 summon witnesses and call for papers In connection with their i'm quries. The resolution, emitting the pre- amble, is as follows: S- ,-
 Resolved, That committee of five be appointed with power to send for persons and pape S, to employ stem apher and to administer oaths, to inquire into the truth or falsehood of the charges made in May, 1894, and into the charges re- gently made; and the scope of the inves- tigation shall cover everything embraced in the resolution of May F, 1894, as well as the methods pursued by the American Sugar Refinery company, better known as the sugar trust in controlling legisla- ticn in its favor at the present time. Es- pecially whether 1t has in any wise con- tributed to, or controlled the election of a senator in this body at any time" -.
 Mr. Frye, who was in the chair owing to the absence of Vice-President Hobart, promptly ruled that the resolution should go to the committee on contingent ex- penses. But MT. Tfllman was not to be stopped. He asked consent to make a statement on the resolution and this be- dng granted the South Carolina senator began a speech which proved to be one of the most sensational heard in recent years. MT Tillman spoke with his char acterstic vigor of voice, which fairly rang through the chamber and corri- dors adding expressive gestures to his utterances.
 "We have arrived at time," he de- clared, when the senate can no longer afford to rest under the damning accusa-i tions made against senator's If there are men here debauching the senate then we should be purged of them. If these reports are islanders then the press gal 1eries should be purged We cannot af- ford to lay back on our dignity any longer and say we will not investigate"
 Both parties were face to face with this scandal, he said. The former sugar Investigation sought to learn whether members of the finance committee then democrats were bought and sold like cattle" That investigation involved the president, the secretary of the treasury and the finance committee. Now, he added, we have the same question. but the parties are changed and nothing but cowardce would prevent senators from energetic action to protect our good name. It would be recalled, he said, that it was charged that President Cleveland met the sugar magnates and discussed the details of the schedule of the then pending tariff bill. There was nothing to fasten that "damning accusation on the president MT. Tillman said, but Senator Jones, of Arkansas, had recently furnished evidence to the effect that the president told him the trust should have a quarter of a cent differential
 MT Jones quickly arose at this refer ence to him. On one or two occasions, he explained, MT Cleveland had said to him that he thought the Ac. on raw sugar was necessary to American refiners, and that 1sc. rate would drive the refiners out of business
 PrOceeulnS, MT. I1llnldR SdlO IL mlSnl be that MT. Cleveland desired to carry out a bargain. He (Tillman) did not1say was the case. But, was it the case? If he (the president did this. the senate ought to find it out
 Here MT. Gray, of Delaware chairman n of the former sugar Investigating com mittee, interrupted. The sta tement, ghe said, that sugar schedule had been made upon MT. Benedict's yacht when the president was on board wtah refinsrs of the sugar trust was not true, and it's falsity had been established after the committee had sifted the matter to t he bottom. Both MT Havemeyer and Mr. Searles had testified that no such meeting ever occurred. and dhat they never met MT. Cleveland.
 MT. Tillman said he was glad to hear this. He wanted everything to come out that would clarify the situation" He was attacking no c,ne, but on behalf of the American people believed t.here was corrupt deal in 1894 just as much as $ he believed there was something rotten In Denmark now"
 Both parties are involved. exclaimed