The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-04-03
CONGRESS STARTLED
Richardson HurIs Bribery Boom
In Midst of Lawmakers.
REFERRING TO DANISH TREATY
Charge Is Made that Half Million
Dollars Was Paid to Carry Pur.
chase of the Islands
Through.

~ w
opening of the session of the house
Thursday, Mr.. Rishardsop, Of Tennes-
see, the minority leader, offered as
a matter of privilege resolution lot
the appointment of committee OF
seven to investigate the charges said
to have been made by Walter Christ
mas, a semi-ofiicial representative OF
the government of Denmark ina secret
report to his government in which 1t
was made to appear that he was to re-
ceive 100000 of the purchase money
for the sale of the Danish West In
dies for bribing newspapers and mem
bers of congress. The resolution was
very long and detailed, and its reading
created great excitement on both sides
Of the house.
The resolution presented by Mr.
Richardson, and finally adopted, was
in part as follows:
Whereas, one Walter Christmas,
a subject of Denmark, who is now and
who has been for several years dip
lomatic agent and representative OF
the government of Denmark, author
lied and empowered to negotiate with
the government Of the United States
for the sale Of the Danish West Indian
islands to the United States, and VINO
was also the agent of the United
States for the purchase Of said Islands,
has submitted a secret and confden.
tial report to his own government;
and,
"Whereas, the said Walter Christmas,
agent and representative, as afore-
said, in his report to his government,
declares and sets forth among other
things the fact that the government
Of Denmark has contracted, agreed
and obligated itself to pay and turn
over to him, the said Christmas. ten
percentum or about s5O0,000 of the
proceeds Of the purchase money aris-
ing from the sale of said islands to the
United States when the same shall
have been paid by the United States
to Denmark for the expressed purpose
as has been declared and set forth by
him in his said secret report to his
government, for the bribing of mem
bers OF the United States congress, in
cluding members of the house of rep
resentatives and other prominent citi-
zens of this country and for subsidiz-
ing American newspapers, to the end
that the pending treaty between the
United States and Denmark for the
sale of the islands by the latter to
the former government may be COLI
summated.'
The resolutions further recite shat
said secret report states that the $780,,
900 shall be Immediately paid to
Christmas. if the purchase money is
paii - the United States for the cor
rue: objects set forth.
She resolutions recite that select
>cs1mittee of seven members of the
house of representatives be appointed
by the speaker to examine into the
charge and the alleged circumstances,
contracts, etc., (which in any manner
have for their object the bribery of or
the attempted bribery of members of
the United States congress or for the
payment of any valuable consideration
of any kind or character to them or to
any of them to vote for or TO assist in
procuring the proposal, adoption or
ratification of the said treaty of sale
of the said islands,"
There are suggestions of improper
influence used upon some members OF
congress, though it is fair to say that
these allegations are very general in
their character. The particular point
made by the democrats is that the
state department was in possession Of
knowledge of these Christmas charges
when the purchase treaty was before
the senate and the members of that
body were not informed of these
charges tending to throw suggestions
Of taint upon the negotiations.