The Portland daily press., 1898-06-10

inc IN ra+r;ot,sm and none OF them, none
Of sba,np 70 pa,9,sls n,t,sans viii eyer attempt to
ox+ ~ sueir .. o.t. fTom the government The
oArorS asporS, = cshe os INV friend from Montana
we're Hvpelses nuosllsd for and unwas7antsd BY the
facts. 100 offered by Mr.. Gaiiineer.
which had started rug @ aooo''' was 0noi'
passed mdcf nd@e of MASSACHUSETTS, preoipitated
III, ar, Lous sdiscussion by Offering the fol-
1oT ThaS tbs committee on claims be direct
al 4n innI1ire and report to whom the
~ 1aopex w was paid under the claim Of the
Methodist Book Concern South; and
LEO &c to all circumstances connected
aiSJ a,i%h tbe passage of the bill providing
for m1'i. the payment Of said claims and with
the ba 81 subsequent payment of the money
MI" Mr Lodge explained that when the
hill appropriating 1888, 000 to pay the
calm Of the Methodiat Book Concern
was before the Senate he had offered an
amendment providing that not more
or lobbyist for working for the bill. His
amendment had been received with in
dignation and a reflection upon the honor
| of men who were rendering to the Me-
thodist Church South servics Of love.
"We were assured said Mr.. Lodge
| ''that no part of the sum appropriated
was to be paid to agents; but IL now de-
| yelops that a contract existed for the
payment of 35 per cent of the proceeds
| Of the claim to lobbyists and that one
man has received the immense sum of
500, ,00O.'
Mr.. Lodge then presented several
newspapers clippings in which the whole
scheme was exposed. In response to a
suggestion he said he made no charge
against the Methodist Church South,
but in the clippings which he presented,
there were serious charges AGAINST the
accredited agents of the chur Oh.
Mr. bate OF tennessee who had dssstrong-
ly advocated the payment of the church
claim. was much exercised over the
disclosures. Ha denounced the action of
the agents as an outrage on individual
Senators and upon Congress. He ia
transaction ito the end that The responsi-
BILE persons might be exposed.
Mr.. Bate read a letter from Barber and
| Smith, agents of the Methodist Book
Concern, stating that nobody was to re-
ceive commission for working fof the
bill.
Mr.. Pasoo made statement similar in
tone to that of Mr.. Bate.
quired Of Mr.. APasco If he did not think
such thieving practices would operate
against the payment of other Southern
claims pending before Congress- He de-
cIared the transaction was an outrage and
swindle.
Mr.. Wilson of Washington said the
proceeding was an outrageous one, and
| 1t was evident that the government had
been bupcoed.
Mr.. PAsco said the government had
not been cheated out Of anything, as no
more had been paid than should have
been. It was the Southern Methodist
the church should make the inyestiga-
tion. Without disposing of the Lodge
resolution, che Senate took up private
pension bills and passed A Of them
Consideration of the "Omnibus claim
BILL" which was read yesterday was re.
sumed. After some unimportant amend.
ments were agreed to, the Senate substi
tute was passed.
Mr.. Platt OF Connecticut desired it to be
understood that he voted against it.
The measure as passed carries over
| So. 000, 900. A conference on the bill with
the House was asked for, and Messrs
Teller, Pasco and Stewart were appointed
Senate conferees.
Bills were passed as follows:
Permitting Col. Anson Miles, third U
s. cavalry to accept and exercise the
office of boundary commissioner between
an act establishing court of private
| land claims, requiring claims to be filet
before March 8, 1901, and granting pen
sion of $l00 month to Olivia Worden
widow of the late Admiral John L.
Worden. The Senate at 4. IS p. M, wenl
| into executive session and soon aftsr
ward adjourned.