Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1858-05-18
Appeal Of Moses II. Strong, from the Legislature
to the People
e The People ofAe State Of. Wisconsin !.

appear OF moses Il etroEg, from the Legislature
| to the People
| 1e the People of the State Of Wisconsin
| have been accused of a serious offence
contempt of the Assemhly-have been declared
and adjudged guilty without being permit ed
! to plead to the accusation, without anv proof Of
its II nth, without any trial, and after refusal
to allow me to be heard. Judgment having
been rendered under these circumstances / was
sentenced to Imprisonment In the county iail for
an indefinite period of time, TO be determine ed
by certain contingencies, specified In the sen
tence. AT the expiration of one week after the
sentence the Assembly having complied with
willingness to go before the Investigating Com
mittoe, be sworn and testify, and l was there
upon released from my confinement in Jail, and
placed in the custody of the Sergeant at A rms
In whose custody l remained until the I'D in
slant, on my parole.
If was really guilty of the offence of which
1 was accused, l have done a most grievous
wrong, not only to the peoples representatives,
but to the people themselves, whose laws have
violated; and l cannot present the apology of
ignorance of my duties. II. on the other hand
l was really innocent Of the offence of which
was adjudged guilty, the judgment, sentence and
imprisonment violated my rights in a manner of
which L feel that have just cause to complain.
And, whether guilty or innocent, the mode in
which the Assembly arrived at its conclusion
COUNSEL to demand the nature and cause of the
accusation against me 10 meet the witnesses
face to face, and TO have compulsory process to
compel the attendance of fwitnesses"-was a vio-
lation of my constitutional rights Constitution
of Wisconsin, Art. /, Sec ~ TO which i may
justly except, not only in my own behalf, but in
behalf or every citizen of Wisconsin.
The Assembly have adiudged me guilty of a
contempt. l declare that | am innocent. We
are at issue. There Is no appellate tribunal pro-
vded by law which can decide this issue. 1t is
true that the Circuit Court has ordinate iuris-
diction, and challenge my accusers to present
their accusation before that tribunal, and / shall
be ready for the trial But the people of he
State are the ultimate and the appropriate judges
of all political issues, and believing that they
Will take sufficient interest in this to warrant my
appeal 70 them. and that they will make up a
Just verdict, feel warranted III submitting it TO
their determination.
In the first place | premise that a false issue
was, Immediately upon the happening of the
events of which ] complain, presented by the
press of the State TO the people, and wrong
motive attrii uted to my conduct 1t was stated
by the whole newspaper press fthe State. with
scarcely a. exception, that had absolutely and
unqualifediy refused to be sworn before the In
vestigating Committee, and with nearly the
same unanimlty the motive ascribed to me- was
an unwillingness to disclose facts within my
knowledge. / do not complain of the press for
this 1t was the natural result of the course
adopted by my accusers. / ask however, that
the people in passing upon this, my appeal, viii
dismiss from Their minds every impression, de-
rived from these sources and give me. what their
Representative denied a fair hearing.
In reference to my Willingness to disclose the
facts within my knowledge in relation to the al
legged frauds and bribery, / never entertained
and never expressed the slightest objection to
stating all l knew, to any person or tribunal,
that had any authority to ask such a statement
iSf hat I he'll rod and ~
believe that the Legislature, any of it's Com
mttees. have any such authority. Nor are my
opinions changed by the fact, that the Judges
of the Supreme Court have expressed contrary
opinions. Their opinions upon political ques
tions have little weight with me. They have
furnished too many evidences that under our
elective judiciary system, on all political ques
tions, they can be relied on to sustain the party
to which they are attached, to entitle their de-
cisions on such questions to much confidence
And the belief which l entertain, that if the
truth is arrived at, it will disclose that
of their number I A. ID. Smith, received $4,000
of bonds for his agency in etfecting the dIsposi-
ton which was made of the Land Grant, is not
calculated to increase my confidence In the de-
cision of those Judges upon this question. l
intended, however, after the decision was made
to submit to it. and stated on all proper occa-
sions.
l never avoided going before the Committee.
On the contrary went to Madison on the 25th
of January and remained there until the lst of
February. The Committee did not during this
time, by sup9na or otherwise, indicate any wish
that l should appear before them. My private
business rendered IT necessary that during the
month of February, | should be absent from
Madison, and part of the time absent from the
State. On the 9th of February, while on my
way to Madison, / was served with a sLppna to
appear before the Committee on the of March.
On that day ] reported myself TO the chairman
of the Committee. but the Committee did not
call me before them until the 18th of March. |
at all times ready and willing to disclose
every thing within my knowledge, pertinent TO
the investigation, and | refer to my testimony
when it shall be published, and the manner in
which 1t is given, an evidence OF the full and
explicit answers which gave to every question
propounded to
Having stated that false Issue was presented
to the people, now proceed TO state what was
the true issue.
A short time after the Committee was appoln
ted. movement was made in the Assembly, to
exclude two of its mel nbers (knowlton and Ma
sony on the simple ground that one was mem
Der cf the Legislature 10 1856 tie other ~ lo5f,
This movement failed. Il was well understood
that the Committee extremely pariizaD, and
that it was selected by caucus OF the domln-
ant party With this [ find no fault. The re-
pubicans had the power, and the responslb ability
1 did not say that having been a member of the
Legislature at either of the sessions when the
ted did of itself constitute sufficient reason for
excluding any such members from the Commit
Tee. But when it is remembered that the Com
mittee was raised TO Investigate no specihc
charges against any person II particular but
only vague ruuors affecting alike every mem
Der of the Legislatures of 1856 and 1857, the
lection of anv of its members of those sessions
to act upon this Committee was sort of en-
dorscment in advance, that such members were
not subject 10 the imputations, resting by rum
l. Il IL
republican caucus intended TO select pure men,
and feel sure the speaker would not knowing
" endorse any others.
therefore felt, when ] went before the Com
mittee, tha, it was entirely proper for me to pre-
sent charges of corrupt conduct or corrupt mo
tives against any member OF the Committee, and
to refer to Witnesses by whom believed such
charges might be sastained. Under this i'm
pressio which still epteraiD submitted to
the Committee a statement IN writing, express
L T,ru thaC ssrv..iI