The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1876-02-24
Mowry Expelled.

The Mob called the House of Representatives,
on last Thursday afternoon expelled Mr. Mowry,
by vote of 65 to 81. Mnwry may be guilty OF
the offence charged, or he may not be; but the
fact of his expulsion from that body proves moth
ing. The temper the House has been in from the
start, the laundering blindness with which they
have proceeded, and the demagogue innnence Dy
which they have been led, have made il imPossi-
BILE for them to do anything within the bounds
of reason.
It is supposed, when n man is charged with
crime, that the law gives him the right to pro-
cure witnesses to prove his innocence, and sum-
mons and compels the attendance OF those wit
nesses, the same as those for the prosecution.
The lawmakers should govern themselves by
the law. In Mowry's case, the Committee on
State Affairs seem to have labored under the be-
lief that il was their duty to convict Mowry, not
to make thorough investigation, to ascertain
vbere the guilt lay. They went to work in Sc
cret almost, and carefully guarded their testi-
1nony from being known even to the other MEM
hers of the Legislature. of course, they sent, as
thew were empowered to do, for such persons and
uapers as they wanted. At length it was made
known that they had fixed the crime Of bond
forgery upon Mowry. Then Mr.. Mowry went to
a leading member of the Committee, saying that
if they were about fixing the crime upon him, he
wished to have persons and papers brought as
evidence in his favor. The member coolly replied
that Mowry knew the charge against bin, and it
was his business to have had his witnesses there!
Here was fairness, with q vengeance! The Com
mite, assuming the character of prosecutors,
and proceeding secretly, had secured such eyi-
dence as suited them, at the expense OF the
State; but it was the business of the accused to
know what they were doing, and to have his
witnesses there, at his own expense!
Upon this secret evidence, papers were got out
for Moyry's arrest as q criminal, when he, get
ting wind of it, hastened off (as he says) to pro-
cure papers and witnesses. Immediately upon
his heels went two or three Sheriffs and detec-
tiyes, and then followed a proclamation by the
Governor, offering reward of 800 for his appre-
hension, as an indueement for all his neighbors
to watch his house, and hunt him down. Mowry
keeps ont of the way until the pursuit is aban-
doned, when he voluntarily gives himself up,
and returns to Topeka. Here he is arrested, and
required to give a heavy bond; but the Attorney
General privately instructs the Sheriff not, under
any circumstances, to permit him to 60 where he
could obtain the bond! He went, nevertheless,
and got all he wanted. Upon his return to To-
peka, the House proceeded to expel him. One
of the principal reasons given for this procedure
was that he had violated the rules of the House,
by vacating his scat for several days, without
leave of absence-that is, he had gone to procure
evidence, at his own expense, which the Comm
mittee Of the House had refused to procure for
him, or give him an opportunity to procure!
The outrage was SO glaring, that even Mr..
Click, the leader of the Democratic side of the
House, who was expected to lead off for expul-
sion, but who is a lawyer and parliamentarian,
made an argument against it, as unjust and un-
precedented. Hallowwell, who favored expuE
sion, agreed with Click, but insisted upon ex-
pulsiOn, because there was testimony locked mp
in dra,rer, showing that Mowry had committed
perjury before the Committe. In fact, the reso-
lutians Of expulsion recited that MOwry had COM
mitted perjury in his testimony before the Com
mittee; and the members were asked to vote,
and majority of them did vote, for the resolu-
tions, without being permitted to see that testi-
mony! Again We say, MOwry may be guilty;
but is the action of the House any evidence of
that factf
The following is the vote on expulsion:
Ayes-Aldrich, Bear, Baldwin Ballaine Barns Bates,
Benedict Benton Berry Biddle Bisse Bone6rake Brum
baugh Burdick Campbell Of johnson Charles Cochran
Conrad Critchfed Davis Of Brown, Dixon Of Russell
Elder, FarHell Foster Ferguson, Gest Hackney, Half
son Kelly, Kellogg. Kirk, Little 10y Magill- MELVILLE
Morse MOssr Nichols Of Cloud Nichols Of Miami Page
Perri Pierce Randall Richardson Root Saxon, Sivers
Smith, Stall Stone Taylor of Rene. TOmilson, Waters
Warning, West, White Williams Wilson Wright, and
Mr. Speaker-S5.
Esys-ArnOdr Campbell Of Marion Clark, Cook, Davis
Of Miami Dennis Dickson Of WOodsan, Duncan of Har
yey, Duncan OF LeaysnvOTth, Eskrdge Fenn Frost
Click, Green HootOn, Howell Hubbard, Long, Marvin,
RAgeF Reyie Reynolds Rogers, Snead, Stevens, Stew
art Of Bourbon Stewart Of Montgomery Stillings Tooth
aker Webb and WOOd-J.
Mr.. Campbell, of this County, was excused
from votingi he, having offered the original mo-
tion to investigate Mowry, and in view of subse
4uent action by the House, did not wish to vote.