Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-06-19
BEET. : SUGAR Trust.
NOW BEING EXPOSED.
But II Is ii anAttempt to Influence
Newspapers, The Associated Press
And Others in Preventing a Re-
duction Of the Tariff on Sugar.

| THE Lobby" the Senate has been fol
| lowing more than 2 weeks. led, Tues
| day, into the private, files of thos'
men in charge of the Washington of.
| fees of the United States beet sugal
| industry, the leading instrument of The
campaign against free sugar. and b,
originals of letters and kilograms ant
what purported to be copies of Others
developed testimony of what appeared
to be an attempt at far-reachine
campaign to create public sentiment
against free sugar through the coll
umns of individual newspapers ans
the facilities of the press associations
1t was a trail SO long, so compli-
Gated and so winding. that after more
than two hours of patient effort. the
committee had succeeded in reading
into its record only a small part oil
the mass of correspondence which
senator's believed had produced the
most sensational evidence yet devel-
oped. BY subpoenas duees tecum, The
committee got possession OF letters
and kilograms of Clarence c. HaAnlin
Colorado Springs newspaper owner
in charge of the Washington Offices
of the American Beet Sugar Associa-
tons, two years ago. The papers in
eluded what purported to be carbon
copies of letters unsigned, but fur
nished as genuine by Harry A. Aus
tin, a clerk in the Offices of Truman
G. Palmer. representative of the Unit
ed States beet sugar industry.
The Industry succeeded the As
ISOLATION, about two years ago, and
Palmer succeeded Hamlin in charge
While the committee was after the
private papers, Palmer, after confer
ence with Senator Clark of Wyoming.
Hamlin's uncle, was wiring Hamiin,
urging him to get a lawyer to repre-
sent his interests. The committee has
knowledge of that and hurried the let
ters into the record without regard to
sequences. More than 10 had been read
when adjournment was taken, tonight.
Those reading the record were di-
rected to managers of beet sugar COM
pauies, officers of the American Beet
Sugar Association and friends OF
Hamlin. at the time of their writing,
was an active figure in campaign u
organize support for the protection OF
the beet sugar industry and secure
publicity against tariff reduction.
Some told of Hamlin travelling to
large cities, giving out interviews, 9TH
ers written in Washington Indicated
that he was trying to circulate mat
ter in defence OF a sugar duty through
The Associated Press and
other channels to offset what he
thought misleading statements put out
bl sugar refners.
The text indicated that his attempts
at publicity had not always been as
successful as he had hoped. Othei
letters referred to plan launched by
Hamlin to have the large beet sugar
take over $4,000 in bonds
of the Chicago Inter-Ocean. Other
letters disclosed attempts to interest
bir railroad systems in the anti-free
sugar campaign and to have profes
sors of agricultural colleges appear
before committees of Congress with
arguments favorable to the beet su
gar men.
Nome of the letters disclosed that
the railroads had been Interested or
that the great news agencies hau eeeii
extensively used or that the Inter
Ocean bonds had been bought. Let
ters introduced did show that the SUI
gar men had been dissatisfied VITA
their efforts to have interviews car
ried nv The Associated Press.
Austin and a serGeant-at-arms OF .ht
senate brought big box or the teie'
grams and letters to the committee rom
this afternoon. The committee suspend
cd the examination OF witnesses ANY
chairman Oyerman. Senators Reed anc
walsh began reading them into the rec
ord. no
.ruo kilograms were excnanged pc
tuae, Hamlin. Senator Clark and 1ru
man G. Palmer. The first of these. g'Vei
ont nv Palmer, after the committee ao
journed tonight, read:
.Sepate sergeant-at-arms has requires
Austin to produce box SAID to CONTAIN
your private and business papers nav
talked with your uncle and We sueses
YOU should wire retaining attorney y
protect your rights under fourth amehu
ment to the Constitution until you az
rive"
Hamlin's telegram in reply, sent 70 nv
uncle. Senator Clark, was given to TN
committee. 1t said:
nave wire IlOfH
retain attorney to prevent delivery
nv papers to committee. Austin, Of
whom service is made, may have SOM
Of my private correspondence or papers
but so far as i remember there is hotn
ing among them which / would object t
being made public
Hamlin added that he would hire Wash
ington attorneys If Senator Clark though
it advisable.
The correspondence covered mucn
1911 and the early part of 1872, when IN
Underwood free sugar bill was intfodue
ed in the House. The letters produces
lnuicated that Hamlin mad made con
tracts with news "plate" concerns ina
furnish matter to smaller papers, ant
had urged beet sugar men In dliieren
parts of the country to attempt to secur
publicity in their own localities an
through news agencies. Including In tn
mass of correspondence were letters fron
Aaron Cove, which showed that he ma
made an extensive tour TOR the sam
purposes.
one letter from the Hamlin nie
Charles b. Warren, president OF I'll
Michigan Sugar Co., said in part:
visited one big town each day OF m