The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-04-04
FROM THE CAPITAL.
Our Correspondent Talks in
General About Wash
ington.
(Cotnmunicatedl.
WASHINGTON.
Mar. 31st., 1902


No event in the history of the
Fifty Seventh Congress has pro-
duced the CONSERVATION that was
occasioned on Thursday when
Representative Richardson of
Tennessee rose to question of
privilege and introduced series
of resolutions reciting that one
Captain Charles Christmas, a
quasi agent of the Danish govern
ment, had, in secret report to his
government, stated that he had,
as a promoter of the treaty con-
veying the Danish West Indies to
the United States, pledged brides
to the amount of ~ per cent of
the purchase price to effect the
sale to this country. Mr.. Rich
ardSon's resolutions further called
for the immediate appointment of
an investigating committee. AS
the clerk proceeded with the read
ing of his resolutions a mum Der
of the members are said to have
turned pale and there was intense
excitement in the chamber. Rep.
resentative Payne claimed that
the point of order was not well
taken and finally the resolutions
were adopted and an investiga
ting committee consisting of three
Democrats and four Republicans
was appointed.
Speaking of the subject later,
Mr.. Richardson told me that he
knew nothing as to the correct
ness of Christmas assertions but
he believed the matter was Of
sufficient Importance to warrant
its being probed to the bottom.
He criticised Secretary Hay for
not having called the attention
of Congress to the report before,
so that it might be investigated
and repudiated before the ratitica-
ton of the treaty. "The honor
of Congress is at stake" said Mr..
Richardson, "and if this thing is
a tissue of SANDERS that is all the
more reason why it should be SO
branded A Democratic Sena,
tor, speaking on the subject, said:
Il cannot believe that any mem
Der of the Senate has permitted
himself to be bribed. However,
Christmas statement shows that
he approached very near the
fountain head of certain legisla-
ton. His statement that a mag
nate of the Standard Oil Company
claimed that he could control the
votes of twenty six Senators is not
new. That these things are done
by bribing is not true, but that
great corporations influence legis-
lati0n, is unfortunately, far truer
than it should be. The general
extravaganza of Christmas allega-
lions is demonstrated, however,
by his statement that Senator
Lodge is the only man in Ameri.
can political life who will not
take BRIDE That is, of course,
nonsense: | anticipate that the
investigation will demonstrate
that Captain Christmas is an I'M
principled adventurer who may or
may not have expended money
along lines which lie believed
would influence legislation. The
one gave error in the affair seems
to me to have been made by
Secretary Hay in having any
dealings with man who was not
only not properly accredited but
who had not even an introduction
from the Danish Minister" In
reprecludeS my expressing myself
in regard to Abner Mckinley"
During the first four days of
the past week the Senate discuss.
ed the anti Oleomargarine bill and
on Thursday evening it adjourned
until this noon, when the same
bill will be the Irregular order.n
The spirit Of rebellion against the
dictatorship VIII ic h Speake r
Henderson has been exercising in
the House has extended to the
Senate end of the Capitol and
yesterday Republican Senator
told me that if the Speaker con
tiued to suppress certain measures
which had been passed by the
Senate the latter body might con