The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-06-06
CONTRIBUTION FROM cRAMP.
ALLEGED DONATION TO REPUBLI-
CAN CAMPAIGN FUND.

Deal Had Decn Made with Cramp
in IS92-faannn's Record Attacked
and He Made n Hot Reply.
Washington, June 5.--A tornado of part
isan de bate swept over the Senate to-day
with Senator's Hanna of Ohio, Pettigrew
of South Dakota and Carter of Montana
the chief figures.
Fer sensat onal criminations and re-
ordinations, for bitter personalities
and for poignant invective the debate
exceeded anything heard on the floor of
the chamber for many years. The lie was
not passed directly. but the truthfulness
of statements was challenged very
sharply.
Mr.. Bacon of Georgia precipitated the
scene by repeating a charge made several
days ago by Mr.. Pett'grew that Mr..
Cramp, the Philadelphia shpbuilder, had
contributed 100000 to the Republican cam
paisn fund in 1892, with the understand
ing that he would be reimbursed by con-
tracts for the construction of warships
for the government This charge Mr.. Ba-
con said, had been denied neither by Mr..
Hanna, the present chairman of the Re-
publican National Committee, nor by Mr..
Carter, who was chairman of the commit
tee in 1892
Then the storm broke. Mr. Hanna
vigorously denied any knowledge OF such
a transaction and expressed his opinion
that It was false. Mr.. Carter declared
the statement properly could be brand d
only as lie.
f. A..
statement but created Tremendous SEN
sation by asserting that his authority was
no less a person than Mr.. Cramp himself,
and that in a conversation with Mr.. Car
ter that senator substantially had veri
fed the story. He also attacked Mr.. Han
ma relative to his election to the Senate.
Mr.. Hanna replied in kind and express
ed doubt of the South Dakotan's sanity.
Mr. Carter also vigorously denounced
the charges and Mr.. Pettlgrew as well
Brought Up by Bacon.
When Mr. Bacon reiterated Mr.. Petit
crews charge about the Cramps alleged
contribution, Mr.. Hanna was on his feet
"If." said he, sharply, II should under
take to reply 90 all such statements made
on this floor, l would occupy more time
OF the Senate than even the Senator from
Georgia does Laughter) 1 heard the
statement and considered 1t unworthy of
notice. and ] declined to dignity il by a
denial.
II had nothing to do with the campaign
of 1892 but have heard this story. and I
say most emphaticaily and decidedly, that
! believe II Is not true. So far as such
illusions are made to the campaigns of
1896, / desire to say that no promises
were made, no considerat tions were offered
to any person or any corporation for con-
made
MIR. Carter then replied.
''The statement OF the Senator from
Georgia." said he. "is the first intimation
I have had that such a charge was made
by any person. AS to the statement, some
body ought to be responsible for II. /
say now, and there are snators on this
floor who will bear me out, that any
charge that contributions were thus re-
ceived, or that any promises were made
TO corporations or TO individuals, is abso-
lutely false and can he branded properly
OILY as a lie Money was received by the
but only through voluntary
In that campaign the par
~ was defeated and the country paid the
penalty OF that defeat"
Pettigrew's Serious Charge.
Mr. Pettigrew again spoke He said:
81 made the statement thet a contribu-
ton of 100000 had been made by Mr..
mittee In 1892 and that he was to be re-
imbursed for 1t with contracts for addi-
tional warships. My authority for the
sta tement is Mr.. Cramp himself
This created sensation in the cham
ber.
S"He told me. not I'm confidence, as / be-
lieve on an ocean liner coming across
the Atlantic. He did not know where the
money had gone and had employed de-
tectives to find out. He intimated that IL
had not been used for campaign pur-
poses. Moreover" continued Mr. Petit
grew. his words almost Kissing through
the chamber II have said the same thing
TO the senator who was chairman OF the
Republican National Campaign Committee
Of that year. and he waved II Off. smiling
ly. with the statement: We'll, we did hit
the old man pretty hard "
Adverting to Mr.. Hanna. Mr. Pettgrew
brought up the charges of bribery which
bad been made against the Ohio Senator
at the time of his election to the Senate,
reading voluminously from the report of
The minority of the Committee on Privi-
Ieges and Elections. including newspaper
stories of the accounts of alleged tele- |
phone Conversations between Mr. Hanna's |
friends and other persons. These state
ments, Mr.. Pettigrew thought, could not |
be swept aside lightly by Mr. Hanna.
MIR. Hanna Makes Reply.
As Mr.. Pettigrew resumed his seat half |
1 dozen senators clamored for recogni ion. |
among them Mr.. Hanna and Mr. Foraker. |
his colleague from Ohio The form r |
rose 70 question OF privilege. Mr.. For
aker was recognized and said the re-
narkable statements made by the eenat |
from South Dakota required some reply. |
Il was an Ohio matter. he sald. and the |
Ohio senators felt abundantly able to |
lake care Of H.. He had Intended 10 spelk |
himself, but would yield 70 his colleague.
Mr.. Hanna said he felt like Offering an |
apology to the SeVate for pursuing the |
,ubject further, and he would not do so |
4 he did not desire 10 show to The Sem
,te that the whole matter was conspira-
,y--a part OF a concerted plan to work up |
some political capital"
There was a pretty lively scrap In |
Columbus" said he~good humorcdly. ut
vas due partly to the Democratic party. |
md partly 10 the work OF traitors TO their
,arty, and to their country. like the Sen
,sor from South Dakota"
Mr. Hanna said these charges had been
,ub,ishcd first In q Democratic newspaper
II Columbus, and fully and completely |
ienied by him at the time. He referred |
o Senator Burke OF Cleveland, as one OF