Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-28
DR.. Lyons
PERFECT
Tooth Powder
Used by people Of refinement

ton to the prime minister of Denmark,
which resulted in putting on foot the
negotiations leading to this treaty
Now l am not here to charge and
do not charge, that any American
congressman or senator has been
bribed in this matter, but here is the
declaration of this agent and or the
Danish government and of our own
government that he had contracts for
$500. 900 of the money which we sup
posed we We're paying into the treas
ury of Denmark for these islands, TO
| be used, as he said, for the corrupt
| purpose of bribing American congress-
| men.
| Now. does this not demand an in
| vestigation at our hands? Are we to
| sit here and permit this paper to be
published in the leading papers not
| only OF Denmark and of the United
States-because a portion of this report
making these charges has already been
printed in a Philadelphia paper and in
! some other papers in this country, but
also in the London Times. 1t has been
printed, / venture to say, in the leading
papers of every capital of Europe.
| These charges have gone forth to the
| world that there is condition of af-
! fairs in the United States Congress as
described by this minister that is sim
ply horrible and that he has known it
| for long time.
| Does such a state of affairs exist,
| Mr.. Speaker? Every member of Con-
gress can be called upon and interro-
gated upon his oath, if he met this man
| Christmas, if he dined with him at the
| Hotel Raleigh, if he sought in any way
| to make public opinion in favor of the
ratification of this treaty for the pur-
| chase of the Danish islands.
| Il have so far made no reflections
| upon any American official, but | do
say this, that these facts that | have
submitted here, the extracts from these
| Danish papers, show that all this cor
| rupt contract business has been ex-
posed and published since the 2Sth day
of January in the Danish papers. l
| take it that the Senate of the United
States did not know, on the 18th day
of February. that $500, 900 of that money
had been bargained away for the cor
rupt purpose of buying them and you
| and the balance of us, into the support
day of February, the American Senate
almost unanimously, as 1 believe and
| has been published in the newspapers,
| ratified this treaty. Did they know,
| Mr.. Speaker, when they ratified this
| treaty, that these things were being
published in Copenhagen, Denmark?
Did these United States senators, did
the committee on foreign affairs of the
| to
this is the first time the attention of
| this House has been called to this dis
graceful state of affairs. 1t seems to
me there is one thing objectionable in
this whole business, and that is that
the department of state must have
known Of the publication of these in
| famous charges in Denmark and in Co.
penhagen for two weeks or nearly three
weeks before the treaty was ratified
Hit pointed out that as framed the
resolutions asserted facts on the respon-
sibility of the House Of Representatives
whereas they were mere charges of an
outside party. Richardson thereupon
| changed the preamble so as to read:
Whereas it is alleged etc
Cannon Gid made the first reioinder
of any length, so far as he could catch
the charges as they were read. he said
| it appeared that some man named Christ
mas, who acknowledged himself a. brlb-
er and worse made charges on which it
was proposed to make an investigation
whether any member of the House OF
Representatives was guilty of the accept
| ance of brides.
Cannon pressed Richardson to know
whether the representative gave the name
| of member of members of the House
! said to have been bribed, and they en-
gagged in very sharp clash. Cannon was
| plainly laboring under considerable ex-
| element.
Richardson insisted that the represent
alive did charge members of the House
| and Senate. II have mentioned several
| them if need be-
| 1T seems to me-" said Cannon. break
| ing in, that it would be wise to make
this investigation. if it is worthy of in
| vestigation. after the members of the
House have had opportunity to examine
| the documents which the gentleman from
| Tennessee has read. They are to be
printed in the Record. When they are
| printed we can see what substance there
| IS in them. There is no man on the floor
| of this House who does not demand a
full investigation If the honor of any
member is authoritatively called into
| question.
But l do not believe that there is a
| man in the House who wants to investi-
| gate the mere statement of an acknowi-
| edged thief | would be glad if the whole
| matter would go over until tomorrow,
| when members can have had an oppor-
| tunity to examine the documents | make
| this suggestion in the greatest good
| faith
And l have offered the resolution in
| the greatest good faith" observed Rich
| ardson.
| THE gentleman asks action on a doc
! ument the extracts of which only have
| been read retorted Cannon holly.
| THE gentleman need not become excit-
| ed or agitated. | am perfectly willing to
| have the clerk read the entire document
| responded Richardson.
| TN have to postpone the considerations
| of the resolution until tomorrow" inter-
posed Cannon. Thereupon Miers Und)
| protested that tomorrow was pension da y
and asked that Cannon modify his motion
to make it Saturday.
us not the honor of a member of the
| House more important than the passage
! of few pension bills?" cried Pierce
! CTennD.
Underwood (Ala.) then got the floor. He
/ declared that the honor of the country
was at stake in this matter and that
rose far above the honor of a mere indi-
| vidual. He insisted that Christmas after
coming here to negotiate the sale of the
islands had gone hack as the accredited
| agent of the United States. 1t mattered
not. he said. whether he was thief or
knave; he had made the charges. While
he hoped, for the honor of the country
! that they were not true, they should be
! thoroughly investigated.
In answer to an interrogatory from
! Hit md Richardson stated Christmas
report was dated Oct. /, 1871.