Evening star., 1898-06-02
CHARGES BY BUTLER
An Animated Discussion Aroused
in the Senate.
METHODS In THE LAST ELECTION
Mr. GaIIinger Willing to Have
an Investigation.
BILL PASSED

At the opening of today's session, the
| Serate passed bill comforting American
| registry upon the steamship China one of
! the fleet of the Pacific Mail Steamship
| Company. The China has been chartered
| by the War Department to transport troops
to the Philippines. The China is now I'M
| der the Hawaiian flag.
| Consideration of the war revenue bill
| was resumed, and Mr.. Butler On c. ad-
dressed the Senate. He regretted that the
finance committee had not seen fit to pre-
| sent to the Senate genuine revenue bill
| In the circumstances, the responsibility for
| delay in the passage of the pending meas
| ure rests, said he, upon those who have
placed in the bill provisions that have no
| place in revenue measure He expressed
his regrets that those holding peculiar
views on the money question had seen fit
| to raise those controverted questions of
| finance Incorporated in the measure as it
| forced those who differed from the commit
| tee on those questions to discuss them.
| MIR. Butler Attacks the Republicans.
Mr.. Butler made an attack upon the re-
publican party, in the course of which he
| arragred what he said was the determina-
| ton of the majority of the Senate to in
| corporate in the bill provision for the
| issue of bonds He made serious reflections
upon the Serate itself, charging that it's
| majority had been "unduly influenced"
| upon the question of bonds.
| The statement brought to his feet Mr.
| Gatlinger IN. h. who demanded that Mr.
| Butler make his charges more specific
| In the course of a colloquy between the
| two senators, Mr.. Butler declared that i'm
| mense sums had been contributed to the
| republic an presidential campaign fund by
| the trusts. and monopolists, and bondhold-
| ers, and money Changers and that 80 per
| cent of the money had been raised and
| paid over to the republican party under d
| contract that certain legislation promoting
| the interests of the trusts and mOnopolieS
| should be enacted.
| Mr.. Gallnger insisted that the charges
| should be made specific. that Mr.. Butler
| had no right under the rules. to arraign
| him or his party unless he had definite
and specific charges to present, and If the
| rules of the Senate gave him that right
| they ought to be changed.
| At this point the political engagement
| which had been brewing for several min
| uteS became general.
Mr.. Kyle Is. D. inquired of Mr. Butler
| what authority he had for saying that 80
| per cent of the money paid to the republi-
| can campaign fund was paid under con-
| tract that the donors should have special
| legislation.
Il wish to congratulate the republican
| rarty upon its new defender" replied Mr.
| Butler.
Criticised by Mr.. Kyle.
IF expressing desire for definite infor-
| nation is defending the republican party
| declared Mr.. Kyle. L am glad to do it, AS
| the chairman Of the populist party the sem
| ator (Mr. Butler) has made a charge that is
| at least extravagant. He is making his
| statements as the representative of the
| populst party, and he ought TO be certain
| of his position before making them"
| Mr.. Butler said that while he believed the
statement to be true he had not made it
| upon his own responsibility with personal
| knowledge of its truth.
| Il have learned" said he, "in the course
| of my experience as chairman of the popu-
| list party committee, that there are inter-
| ests which ill contribute to the support of
any party in return for an agreement that
that party will support legislation favorable
to those interests"
| Mr.. Hawley Comm interjected the re-
mark that he had no doubt that the senator
| (Butler) knew what he was talking about,
| but republican senators had not been ap-
| preached in any such manner indicated.
| Mr.. GaIinger and Mr.. Allen followed in a
heated coloQuy over the resolution intro
| duced by the latter. providing for in
| veSoigation Of the campaign methods of the
| various parties In the last presidential cam
paign.
| The former, who Is member OF the COM
mittee to audit and control the contingent
| expenses of the Senate to which the resolu-
| ton referred said that he was willing
| to go into that investigation at any time,
| but no proof had bean presented to the COM
|
| out that the other two members of the
| committee had supported the same presi-
| dental candidates in 1885, as had Mr.. Allen,
, and that he ought to labor with them If he
| desired action upon his resolution.
| Mr.. Allen insisted that Mr.. Gallinger was
| endeavoriDg to escape responsibility by at
| tempting to load 1t upon the shoulders of
| others.
| MIR. Teller Charges Corrupt Methods.
| Mr.. Taller (Col.), in the course Of brief
| but heated statement, said that the charges
| made by Mr.. Butler were believed by the
| people and ought to be Investigated by the
| Senate and declared that it was notorious
that the republican party had spent more
| money in the campaign of 1896 than it had
| spent in all previous campaigns since 1856
| He added that no party had ever employed
! methods in campaign so corrupt as were
| the methods of the republican party in tnat
campaign, and that such methods were a
| menace to our form of government. He
| would be glad, he said, to give up three
months of the hot weather in making such
| an investigation as was provided for by the
! resolution of Mr.. Allen.
Accepts the Challenge.
| Mr.. GalliEger replied that he was will
| ing to enter upon the investigation as soon
| as Mr.. Teller could induce his political col
! leagues to take action. He directed atten-
| ton to the fact that the committee was
composed OF one democrat, Mr.. Jones (Ark.).
| chairman of the democratic national COM
| mittse; Mr. Jones (Nev), a member of the
| populist party, and himself republican.
| Mr.. Chandler said he had directed atten-
| tion to the charges of the large OF
| money by the republican campaign manag-
| ers in 1896 and had suggested that they
| ought to be Investigated, but the resolution
| OF MIR. Allen had gone to its death on the
| 4th Of last March, mot through any fault
of the Gallinger family. nor through any
| fault of the New Hampshire family, but
|
| family"
| While expressing a willingness that every
| act of the democratic national committee
| should be scrutinized, Mr. Jones (Ark.) did
| not believe any tangible results would come
| from such an investigation had been
| contemplated.
Mr.. Butler Resumes.
| Mr.. Butler resumed his speech, in the
course of which he opposed any increase Of
| the bonded debt