The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-05-19
Appeal of Moses Nj. strong from
the legislature TO the
PnlnIn.

People.
Mr.. STRONG has sent us his appeal
from the Legislature to the people of this
State, with the request that we publish it
entire. Our limited space forbids this !;
but we give such extracts as will enable
our readers to judge Of Mr.. Strongs po-
sltion -
To the People Of the State of Wssconsin. !.
| have been accused of serious offence
"a contempt of the Assembly-have
been declared and adjudged guilty with
out being permitted to plead to the accu-
sation, without any proof of its truth
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 jail for an indefinite period of time,
to be determined by certain contingencies,
specified in the sentence. AT the expira-
ton of one week after the sentence, the
Assembly having complied with the con
ditions proposed by me, | sgnifed my
willingness to go before the Investigating
Committee, be sworn and testify, and [
was thesaupon released from my confne-
ment in jail, and placed in the custody of
the Sergeant Arms, in whose custody I
remained until the 22d instant, on my
parole.
If was really guilty Of the offence of
which was accused, [ have done,a most
grevious wrong, not only to the peoples
representatives, but to the people them
selves, whose laws | have violated; and [
cannot present the apology of ignorance
of my duties. If, on the other hand, |
was really innocent of the offence of which
| was adjudged guilty, the Judgment
sentence and Imprisonment violated my
rights in manner of which l feel that [
have just cause to complain. And, whe-
ther guilty or innocent, the mode in which
the Assembly arrived at its conclusion
giving me no "right to be heard by my
self or counsel; to demand the nature and
cause Of the accusation against me; to
meet the witnesses face to face, and to
have compulsory process to compel the
attendance of witnesses" violation
of my constitutional rights Constitution
of Wisconsin, Art. l, Sec. 7, to which |
may justly except, not only in my own
behalf, but in behalf of every citizen. of
Wisconsin.
Mr.. SrRoNG next goes on to say, that
the Press of the State generally ascribed
t, him an unwiliingness to disclose facts
within his knowledge; which charge he
answers as follows:
In reference to my willingness to dis
close the facts within my knowledge in
relation to the alleged frauds and bribery,
never entertained and never expressed
the slightest objection to stating all | knew
to any person or tribunal, that had any
authority to make such statement. 1t
is true that [ never believed, and do not
now believe that the Legislature, or any
Of its Committees, have any such author
ity.
| I.never avoided going before the Com
mittee. On the contrary, I went to Ma
d son on the 25th of January and re-
manned there until the LIST of February
The Committee did not during this time,
by subpoena or otherwise, indicate any
wish that [ 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 February, while on my way to
Madison, [ was served with subpoena to
appear before the Committee ON the 4th
of March. On that day I reported my
| self to the chairman of the Committee,
| but the Committee did not call me before
them until the 10Th of March. I was at
all times ready and willing to disclose
everything within my knowledge, peril
nent to the investigation, and I refer to
my testimony when it shall be published,
and the manner in which it is given, as
an evidence of the full and explicit ans
wers which | gave to every question pro-
pounded to me.
Mr.. STRONG then says, that he refused
to testify before the Committee, because
he believed that Tenney, the Clerk, and
Knowlton one Of the members, had been
guilty of corruption in former Legisla-
lures, and he wished for an opportunity
to bring the facts before the Assembly.
For this purpose he gave the chairman of
the Committee a paper which read as
follows:
Il respectfully refuse to take the oath
rendered me by the committee for the
following reasons: @
LIST. The committee have no conshtu-
tional or other authority to require me to
take the proposed oath.
2nd. | am unwilling to take such oath
while Horace A. Tenney is acting as
Secretary or James Fl. Knowlton as a
member of the committee, and | refer to
the papers | have already laid before the
committee"
Again, he says:
IF I had been allowed more time fol
elaboration, [ should have omitted the
first of the reasons stated, and [ regret
now, that it was inserted, because Intends
to complicate the subject, and renders
necessary statement of the reasons why
it was inserted. Up to the moment Of
preparing and presenting that paper, nc
word of exception was uttered by me,
against the authority Of the Committee,
and | had never an idea of taking any
exception to it, until after their action had,
IN nv iudpment, rendered it imperative