The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-06-19
lichigan Man Classed As Or
Plantation Expert and Leader
of Attempt to Purchase
"GOOd viii" of Paper
|ROTESTED LETTERS GIVE
PROOF OF LOBBY'S POWER
EttOrneys Representing Truaf
Heads Overruled in Attempt
to Halt Inquiry

WASHINGTON, June lS.-Sugar
Fotection interests made a final des-
crate effort today to save from pub
exposure the secrets of their pub.
city campaigns"
Counsel for the two expert legisla-
We agents protested TO the senate
bby investigating committee against
hrther reading OF correspondence un-
arthed In search of the beet sugar
roducers' headquarters here and the
bmmittee went into executive SEES
on to thresh out his objections. SEN
tor Ransdell, OF Louisiana, one OF
DO Democratic insurgents" against
rec sugar, was scheduled to appear
tier before the committee and argue
gainst further barring OF the protec-
onist sugar interests secrets
After an hour executive session,
owever, the committee voted to over
ile the attorneys protest and to
bntinue reading the letters.
"Oxnard and Palmer have testified
hat for 80 years they have been ac-
We against free sugar" Chairman
verman stated. These letters are
DrrObOrative OF their testimony and
RE. therefore, admissible as evil
ence."
Present Bill Only Concern.
John w. Yerkes attorney for Henry
A. Oxnard and Truman G. Palmer.
ED that under the language OF the
esolution empowering the lobby
robe, the committee could investi-
ate only the lobbying against the
resent tariff bills: that lobbying
gainst other tariff bills was not au-
horized. In this way he argued the
ommittee had no right 10 read let
ers dated as far back as 1906.
The correspo ndence indicated
that the moving spirit In the or
oanizatlon and the prime mover
In the attempt to purchase an In.
terest in the Chicago inter-Ocean
90 sugar beet men would have an
organ that would specialize In
their kind Of news, was Charles
B. Warren, president of the Mich
ioan Beet Sugar Co.
II was understood that Senator
lansdell will hold the bringing OF
he sugar lobby's correspondence be-
ore the committee TO be violation
Il constitutional privileges: that the
enate sergeant-at-a exceeded his
authority under the subjenae duces
ecum In seizing papers not specifical
called for nthe writ Only few
etters we're read prior to the execu-
i've session. These told Of attempts
o influence campaign counsels and
brew further light on the sugar in.
erests publicity" methods.
| One telegram, dated Feb. 10, 1912,
BENT TO F.. A. Gillespie, at Garden City.
kas.. and signed by G. c. Hamlin, un.
! II recently chairman OF the executive
Committee OF the Beet Sugar Produc-
|brs association. and Washington rep
|-esentative of that interest, read:
Write me full yabout your new
and how he can best be
|reached. Would get up new petitions
hot only at Garden Citl. but also at
Sylvia and other places. Also have
las many letters sent as possible. Let
hers TO your new congressman from
Democrats very desir-
able"
In most cases the answers to these
letters are also In the files.
One disclosure in the letters read
koday was that Henry T. Oxnard was
relieved of his duties as an officer OF
khe beet sugar mems association so
khat The might do better work out
side" The correspondence showed
that many discussions were also held
Through the mails and the powers IN
the sugar mems association finally de.
|cided that c. G.. Hamlin. nephew OF
Senator Clark. OF Wyoming, would
make the best Washington represent
native because of his excellent con
INJECTIONS here.
Flohts To Hold Correspondence.
Almost Immediately after the hear
ing began today a desperate fight was
started by John w. Yerkes, who an
bounced himself as attorney for Henry
|T. Oxnard and Truman q. Palmer
to prevent further reading OF cores
pondence. He insisted that the com
mittee was exceeding Its right In
reading letters written prior to the
sitting OF the committee, and made a
long argument In support or his con
tention.
Two more communications, how
ever were spread on the records be-
fore Yerkes could object In one OF
these. dated July 10, 1906, Henry T
Oxnard multi-millionaire Legislative
expert OF the beet sugar association
congratulated Truman G.. Palmer FOL
having Aaron Cove, Greatwesterr
Sugar Co. employe. "go around trying
- xA,no<o aop Uroaompn "
The letters to which Yerkes partic
ularly objected was one written tc
Henry r. Oxnard in 1907, concerning
Aaron Gove's anxiety to buy an In
fiuential newspaper and secure space
in an eastern newspaper. II was car
bon copy, unsigned. The letter re-
ferred TO a former correspondent on
Chicago morning daily, expressing the
belief that his trip was not to help
the free sugar fight. The letter con
cluded with the information that
"Messrs. Corbin and Cutter had got
ten the Wyoming and Colorado state
legislatures to pass strong anti'free
sugar memorials"
The most significant paragraph
however. was as follows:
Draqs TAFT In.
"Mr. Collins Ia very anxious about
the Taft situation and hopes thai
there will be some way to make II
known that there would be grea
doubt about his ability to carry such
states az California, Idaho, Utah
Colorado and Michigan. and that u
we can't head him of, we might b.
able to get a promise from him rela