Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-27
CHARGES MADE
BY RICHARDSON
Minority Leader Springs a Sen.
sation in House OF Repre-.
sentatives.
Secret Document From Denmark
ALLEGES That American Con.
fress Was Bribed.
C.l A. Have
Denmark Agent Said to Have
Paid $500, 900 In Connection
with Treaty.

ing Of the house today Richardson, OF
Tennessee, minority leader, offered, as
4 matter of privilege resolution for
~nnointment of a committee Of seven to
Investigate the charge said to have
,soeen made by Walter Christmas, a
semi-offlcial representative Of the gov
nrnn,ent of Denmark, in which 1t was
made to appear he was to receive $780,
BOO Of the purchase money for the sale
Of the West Indies (Danish) for bribing
the newspapers and members of con-
rress, The resolution was very long
and its reading created great excite
ment. Republican leaders hurriedly
consulted and when the reading Of the
resolution was concluded, Payne, ma
dority leader, Immediately made the
point of order that the matter present
ed was not privileged. The basis OF the
resolution, Payne said contemptuously'
was based upon an alleged secret re-
port to the Danish government. In
stantly Richardson met this with the
statement that he had q copy Of the Sc
cret report to the Danish government.
seOn my honor as q member OF this
house." said he, II have now on my
deck what purports to be and what
believe is that secret, confidential re-
port. Assuming full responsibility for
my words believe ! have unmistak-
able evidence that this report was
made to the Danish government by
uuasi. IL not real agent Of that gov
ernment."
"when did the gentleman obtain ac-
cess to the secret archives Of the Dam
Ash governmente' interposed Payne,
ea.castically.
..I have never been to Denmark" re-
torted Richardson, but the gentleman
knows there are other ways of obtain
ing, as they are government documents.
1 have the evidence here. This is a
grave charge. do not bring 1t here
for the purpose OF making political cap
atal. Here is charge that S5OO,0OO was
paid for the express purpose Of brlbing
the American congress, yet the gentle
man from New York seeks to interpose
technical objection"
Speaker Henderson at this point
called attention to the fact that the Ian
Euage of the resolution charged that
the newspapers and members of con-
gress had been bribed. Members OF
congress-" he said, did not necessarily
include members Of the house. If MEM
bers Of the senate, that body must be
custodian of its own morals" He
thought If the resolution was to be
privileged it should specifically include
the members of the house.
Il am prepared to say" replied Rich
ardson, that these charges do include
members of the house, and will amend
the resolution to that extent"
Speaker Henderson thereupon ruled
the matter presented was privileged
thus bringing 1t before the house for
consideration.
BY this time interest In the house
Mas intense. Almost every seat was
occupied and the members listened
eagerly as Richardson proceeded to pre-
sent his case. First he read extracts
from the press at Copenhagen. Then
be read Christmas account of his in
terview with the prime minister OF
Denmark in which he was said to have
told the minister of the necessity for
the use of money to bring negotiations
Tor the sale of the island to success
ful termination. He told of his ac-
qlaintance with Abner Mckinley, Pres
ident McKinley's brother, and his law
partner. Col. Brown, two gentlemen
whom Christmas described as having
the entire" to the white house and as
being familiar with the ways of Ameri-
can politics and what members Of con-
gress would have to be paid to accom-
plish the results desired"
The report then described how
Christmas had enlisted not only Presi-
dent McKinley's brother and partner,
0ul Two press dSSOCldClOnS, one IN New
York and one in Washington, and a
prominent banking house in New York
In the sale of the islands. In the re-
port Christmas said, among other
things, he had as his special assistants
&C. w. Knox. an intimate friend of
Senator Hanna, and Lawyer Richard p.
Evans, who represented Mr.. Gardner
and his friends in the house The Dan
lsh foreign minister was reported as
disgusted with the methods which had
been pursued, but as finally giving his
acquiescence.
Richardson said he had not charged
that any senator or member of congress
had been bribed He had simply pre-
scented the allegations Of this agent
that money had been used for bribing
congressman. Richardson said there
was one unpardonable feature to the
affair, In that the state department
must have known Of these charges and