The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-28

but the gentleman from tennessee, haNlne
stated upon his honor as a member OF the
House that the charges are true
"Oh. no. Mr.. Speaker interrupted MI.
Richardson. Il did not say the report was
true. 1 vouched for the fact that MT
Christmas had made them"
The gentleman having vouched Tor the
authenticity Of the charges. continued the
speaker, the chair holds that the matter
is one of privilege and. recognizes the gen
teman from Tennessee"
RICHARDSON'S SPEECH.
BY this time the interest in the House
was intense. Almost every seat was occu-
pied and the members listened eagerly as
Mr.. Richardson proceeded to present his
case. First he read extracts from the press
at Copenhagen. These were followed by an
affidavit from Neils Gron concerning his
dealings with certain people here, but they
were not particularly sensational. Inc rear
sensation came when he started 10 Ieau
from what purpOrted TO be the report OF
Walter Christmas concerning the neSolld-
tions. He p~refaced the reading by the
statement that il would show a 'corrupt
bargain" worthy of the consideration OF
the House. The report was too long 10
read in full, he said. I will only rede
the lucious extracts which, II true, snouil
bring the blush of shame to the cheek of
every American" said he, for the state
ments will disgrace this country In the
eyes of every foreign court IN the WoIIo;
This is what this corrupt bargainer says.
He then proceeded to read Mr.. christ
mass account of his interview with the
/ prime minister of in when ne
was said to have told the minister OF tne
necessity for the use OF money TO BRING the
negotiations to a successful termination.
He told of his acquaintance with Aoher
Mckinley, President Mckinley prolher'
and his law partner. Colonel Brown, two
gentlemen whom Mr.. Christmas DESCRIBED
as having the entry 10 the mite Rouse
and being familiar with the ways OF Amer
lean politics and what members oI oil
gress would have TO be paid TO ccompi
the results desired"
The report then described how Mr.. CHRIST
mas had enlisted not only President Mckin-
ley's brother and his partner, but TWO press
associations, one in New York ana one III
M Wash Il New an Sor < i PrO tRe sale Of the
stands In the report Mr.. Christmas sdlu'
among other things, that he had as ms
special assistants C. w. Knox. an mt
mate friend of Senator Hanna, and a wash
ington lawyer named Richard L. Evans,
who represented Mr.. Gardner ana ms
friends in the House" The Danish foreign
minister was reported as dlSgusteu Will
the methods which had TO be pursued, Dut
as finally giving his acquiescence.
Mr.. Richardson said that Christmas was
speaking of inviting members OF Congress
to dine with him at the Hotel Raleigh IN
this city. He then quoted from the report
as follows: 1T was not alone the mem
bers Of Congress / had TO invite. L had as
my special assistants two men-C. w.
Knox, who was an intimate friend or Sen
ator Hanna, and Richard p. Evans. a law
/ Yer OF W aSnlItGlOH. WIZ Represented All"
Gardner and his friends in the House.
These took an active part in the personal
agitation, since they talked with a large
number of members Of Congress ana agl-
tated for the purchase of the islands. l
had contracts with them both, according TO
which they and through them certain mem
bers of Congress should nave a snare Oh
the commission il the sale took place; out
the two gentlemenS agitation expenses,
etc. bills in restaurants and hotels, 1 had
to pay. The two press associations ApneI
RFoIEfnIaxr nn6 RFnWn Evans Knox ana
others, l had promised that their contracts
should be guaranteed by the house OF Sellg-
man. To this the banking house hao
agreed. as ii should, in one way or another,
have to be recognized by the Danish gov
eminent"
INVESTIGATION ASKED.
Mr.. Richardson then proceeded: Now,
Mr.. Speaker, L could make more of these
quotations, but l will not take the time
of the House. 1t is enough to show what
a report this creature has made TO the
Danish government, this man whom our
secretary Of state used as an agent was
about TO say tool, but as an agent-to carry
a trusted diplomat from our legation IN
London TO the court at Copenhagen and
there entertain this trusted agent and pro
cure him admission and introduction tC
the prime minister OF Denmark, which re-
suited in putting on foot the negotiations
leading TO this treaty.
Now, / am not here TO charge. and / dc
rot charge, that any American citizen OF
senator has been bribed in this matter,
but here is the declaration of this agent
of the Danish government and OF our own
government that he had contracts for $500,
coo of the money which we supposed we
were paying into the treasury at Denmark
for these islands, to be used, as he said
for the corrupt purpose OF bribing Amer
lean congressman.
Now, does this not demand an investi.
cation at our hands? Are We TO sit her,
and permit this paper to be published II
the leading nanerS not OnlV of Denmark
and 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 thi:
country; also in the London Times. 1t has
been printed, L venture TO say, In the lead
ing papers of every capital in Europe
These charges have gone forth TO the worlt
that there is d condition of affairs in the
United States Congress. as described by
this minister, that Is simply horrible, anC
that he has known it for a long time.
DID SENATORS KNOW?
Does such a state of affairs exist, Mr.
Speaker? Every member Of Congress car
be called and Intercepted upon his oatt
if he met this man Christmas. if he dineC
with him at the Hotel Raleigh. if h,
sought in any way TO make a public opin
ion in favor of the ratification of this treaty
for the purchase of the Danish islands.
II have so far made no reflections upoI
any American official, but / do say this
&AAaLA 49, ~ NH1N r. ASA1
the extracts from these Danish papers
show that all this corrupt contract bust
ness has been exposed and published sine,
the 2Sth day of January in the Danisl
papers. l take 1t that the Senate of the
United States did not know on the 18th day
of February that 100000 of that money
had been bargained away for the corrupt
purpose of buying them and you and tn,
balance of us into the support of this meas
ure, and yet, on the 18th day of February
the American Senate almost unanimously
as | believe, and as has been published in
the newspapers, ratified this treaty. Die
they know, Mr.. Speaker, when they rati
fed this treaty that these things were be
ing published in Copenhagen. Denmark
Did these United States senators. did thu
committee on foreign affairs of the Senate
know this? / do not know, but this is tn,
first time the attention Of this House hai
been called to this disgraceful state Of af
fairs. 1t seems TO me there is one thinl
objectionable i'm this whole business. anC
have known of the publication of thes,
infamous charges in Denmark and il
Copenhagen for two weeks or nearly threl
weeks before this treaty was ratified"
Mr.. Hit pointed out that as framed tn
resolutions asserted facts on the responsi
bility of the House Of Representatives
whereas they were mere charges of an out
side party
Mr.. Richardson %thereupon changed tn
preamble so as 10 read Whereas, il is al
legged
MIR. Cannon made the first rejolnder o
any length. So far as he could catch tn
charges as they were read, he said, IL ap
peared that some man named Christmas
who acknowledged himself "a briber an,
posed 10 make an investigation whethe
any member of the House WAS guilty n