The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-04
ALLEGED ABUSE OF THE
FRANMNG PRIVILEGE
Charges Made at the Hearing of
Protests Against the Original
Package Bill.
MAILS TAMPERED WITH

WASHINGTON, March 3.-Charges that
the ranking privilege of the members of
Congress had been abused in the campaign
in favor of the Dolliver-Hepburn bill grant
ing police power to the States over original
packages of intoxicating liquors shipped
into their borders was made just as the
hearing before the House committee on
judiciary was closing this afternoon by
Duncan B. Harrison. representing the
United States Brewers Association.
Mr.. Harrison produced a number of en-
velopes bearing the frank of Representative
Clayton, of Alabama, member of the COM
mittee, and passed them around the COM
mittee table for members to open. They
contained a speech of Mr.. Clayton printed
in a section of the Congressional Record
and a number of other documents, which
were declared to be seni-official one bear
ing a portrait of Gen. Nelson A. Miles.
Mr.. Clayton demanded to know how the
other documents got inside the envelope.
He declared that he had ordered sent to
E. c. Dinwiddie, the legislative superin-
tendent of the Anti-Saloon League, these
speeches in his franked envelope sealed up.
IF these documents were inserted after
ward" he declared somewhat heatedly. cit
was done wholly without any authority. and
l say that if Mr.. Dinwiddie did ii he had
no right TO do IL, and if il is a Violation
OF the law, l shall have him prosecuted
for it,
Mr.. Dinwiddie, who was present. ex-
planned that he had been in Washington
for four years. and believed he had a very
good idea of the proper use of the Thanking
privilege. He said he should furnish the
committee his affidavit and also that of his
secretary to the effect that nothing i'm
proper had been ranked.
But interjected Mr.. CLAYTON. elf Won
sent anything except this congressional rec
ord you violated the use of this frank -
Representative Hepburn demanded NJ
Mr.. Harrison a further explanation as 10
now he got possession or the envelones
This looks, he said, las if some one had
been tampering with the mails We aIso
understand" he continued, that Won have
been stating that have been rnisusinP my
ranking privilege"
Mr.. Harrison was quick to deny this alb
solutely. He said he never had made any
such statement. He had stated that ths
temperance organizations urging the pas
sage of the bill had done So He exnlained
further that he had secured the evidence
presented by having people write TO the
headquarters of the Anti-Saloon Ieaeue
in this city from New York asking for LITER
allure in favor Of the bill. He read q let
ter replying TO one of these requests which
stated that the litera ture had been mailed
and that the league was sending out mil
lions OF copies. Mr.. Harrison said he had
the written authority from these New
YORK people 10 open the envelopes addressed
TO them which they had forwarded and on
eight packages of which they had paid
postage aggregating S2-2S.
The Rev. Wilbur +. Crafts, who repre-
sents the temperance movement for the
bill, demanded further proof At this point
the committee held a secret session, after
which it adjourned for the day. The hear
ing will continue tomorrow.