Morris tribune., 1902-03-29
STIRS Up HOUSE
SENSATIONAL CHARGES IN CON
NEcTIoN WITH SALE OF DAM
IsH WEST INDIES.
AN INVESTIGATION ORDERED

AN INVESTIGATION ORDERED
Agent Of Denmark, in Secret Report
to His Government, Declares 1t Nee
essary to Spend $500, 1000 Of the Pur-
chase Money to "Bribe Members Of
Congress and Others and subsidize
Newspapers"
Washington, March 28.-At the
opening of the session Of the house
Mr.. Richardson (Tenn.). the minority
leader, offered as a matter of priv
ilege a resolution for the appointment
of a committee of seven to Investigate
the charges said to have been made by
Walter Christmas, semi-official rep
resentative of the government of Den
mark, in secret report to his govern
ment, in which it was made to appear
that he was to receive 100000 of the
purchase money for the sale of the
Danish West Indies for bribing news
papers and members of congress. The
resolution was very long and it's read
ing created great excitement on both
sides of the house.
The resolutions presented by Mr..
Richardson are 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 and en-
powered to negotiate with the govern
ment of the United States for the sale
of the Danish West Indies islands to
the United States and who was also
the agent of the United States for the
purchase of the. said islands, has sub
mitted secret and confidential report
to his own government, and
Whereas, the said Christmas, agent
and representative as aforesaid, in his
said report to his government declares
and sets forth among other things the
fact that the government of Denmark
had contracted, agreed and obligated
said Christmas, 10 per centum, or
about 100000, of the proceeds of the
purchase money arising from the sale
of said islands to the United States
when the sum shall have been paid by
the United States to Denmark, for the
express purpose, as has been declared
and set forth by him in his said
il Secret Report to His Government
of bribing members of the United
States congress, including members Of
the house of representatives and other
prominent citizens of this country, and
for substituting American newspapers
to the end that the pending treaty be-
tween the United States and Denmark
for the sale of the islands by the latter
to the former government may be con-
Summated. Er5
The resolutions further recited that
said secret report states that 100000
shall be paid Immediately to Christmas
if the purchase money is paid by the
United States, for the corrupt meas
ures set forth. The tendency of the
ratification of the treaty is also set
forth. ....
In conclusion the resolutions cite
that select committee of seven mem
bers from the house Of representatives
be appointed by the speaker to exam
inc into the charges and the alleged
circumstances, contracts, ETC., which
in any manner have for their object
the bribery of or the attempted brib-
cry of members of the United States
congress or of the payment Of any val
liable consideration of any kind or
character to them or to any Of them to
vote for or to assist in procuring the
disposal, adoption or ratification OF the
said treaty of sale of the said islands"
The Republican leaders hurriedly
consulted during the reading of the
resolution and when the reading had
been concluded Mr.. Payne, the major
ity leader, Immediately made the point
of order that the matter presented was
not privileged. The basis of the reso-
luton, Mr.. Payne said, contemptuous-
ly, was based on an alleged secret re-
port to the Danish government. In
stantly Mr.. Richardson met this with
the statement that he had copy OF
the secret report to the Danish gov
eminent.
"On my honor as a member Of this
house." said he, Il have now, on my
desk what purports to be, and what
believe is, that secret confidential re-
port. Assuming the full responsibility
of my words l believe 1 have unmis-
takeable evidence that this report was
made to the Danish government by
quasi, if not a real agent, of that gov
eminent" ....
"When did the gentleman obtain &C.
cess to the secret archives of the
Danish government" interposed Mr..
Payne sarcastically.
81 have never been to Denmark" re-
torted Mr.. Richardson, 'but the gen
tleman knows there are other ways of
obtaining
Authentic Government Documents.
! have the evidence here. This is
grave charge. l do not bring it here
for the purpose of making political
capital Here is charge that $780,
900 was paid for the express purpose
of bribing the American congress-, yet
the gentleman from New York seeks
to interpose technical objection"
Speaker Henderson at this point
called attention to the fact that the
language of the resolution charged
,,aucnanprc and IF