Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 May 1894 — SENATORIAL INVESTIGATION. [ARTICLE]

SENATORIAL INVESTIGATION.

The investigation of the alleged attempt to buy the votes of certain Senators on the tariff bill began behind closed doors, Monday. Both Senator Hunton and his son stated that Major C. W. Bnttr was the man who approached young Hunton with a proposition to pay for the Senator’s vote. Senator Kyle stated that he was first approached>by Buttz about two months ago, with the proposition to vote against thetariff bill and receive pay for his vote, the amount offered being>l4,090. In reply to a question Senator Kylesaid he was confident that Buttz represented other parties, and that the proposition,if it had been accepted, would have been made good. Buttz. who was allowed to have his attorney with him, was before the committee for an hour. Fragmentary references to the proceedings leave little room for doubt that when the report, of bis testimony is published it will make very racy reading. He was then confronted with the statement that Senators Kyle and Hunton had identified him as the man who had attempted to corrupt them, and having, in his letter to Senators Hanstrough, laid the responsibility for this charge at the doors of the newspapers and relieved tho Senator from all blame, he was placed in a somewhat embarrassing position, and the brief references to his testimony indicate that he made am attempt to excuse himself and explain away the entire charge.