Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-13
THE KANE INVESTIGATION.
sneech of the Hon. Grove L. Johnson, in
the Senate of California, Friday Evening,
April 9, 1880.

April 9, 1880.
The question being on a resolution offered by Sen
ntor Enos, to suspend Senator Kane for the re-
1nainder of the session, Mr.. johnson said:
Mr. President, / regret that | am not well
enough 10 speak upon this matter as | would like.
regret that am compelled to speak at all, but do
not propose to sit still and permit the Senator from
the Tenth lr Dickinson) TO be the only Senator on
this floor TO raise his voice in favor of equal and
exact Justice In listening to the speeches of the
Senator from Plumas (sir. Cheney, and from the
Thirteenth (Mr. Enos), and the Senator from Marin
(Mr Searsl had almost thought, sir, that this
Senate mad been turned into an amphitheater in
which 10 utter fulsome euloges of Ireland and the
Irish people.
j, sir, live in America am an American citizen );
drank deep Of the pure waters OF American law,
and follow American customs, believing them to be
better than any other This sir, is question that
interests legislation 1t is question notmerely be-
tween Thomas Kane and this Senate, but between
all legislation that may be attempted at this session,
or that may be attempted at any subsequent session
of the California Legislature. If this Senate says
by its cowardce in this matter If it says by its vote
in this matter that Senator may be permitted to
cast wholesale reflections upon any bill or upon any
measure-f this Senate says by its vote tonight
that Senator may be permitted to defeat such leg
islation ls he thinks is wrong by such means we're
adopted by Senator Kane, then, sir, the end of law
the end of discussion, the end of wise legislation
has been reached in California and it will only need
for a Senator to rise in his place and say "some
friend offered to bride me-" and the bill fails, and
the Senat receives the plaudits of admiring
public, and is eomplmented ON his devotedness to
the customs OF the old world
recognize no such law ; / believe in no such GUS
tom believe man must be judged by his acts
not by his words. The defense is made upon the
right hand, by two Senators who have spoken, that
Senator Kane is fool next to il the defense is
made upon the left hand that Senator Kane deserves
well OF the state because he has put up job, !"
and because he was smart enough to inveigle a
lobbyist into circumstances such that he might be
able TO expose him. Upon which side OF the ques-
tion will the friends of this substitute place them
selves? There is this proposition very plainly stated
either Senator Kane lied, or he has been bribed
If Senator Kane lied he ought to be expelled; if
Senator Kane was bribed he ought to be expelled.
This question has that appearance and none other
There can be no other legitimate deduction
from his speech and from his testimony
than that. The Senator from the Thir,
teenth (Mr. Enos) alludes to the fact that
Senator Kane took the oath of office here with up
lifted hand. He did. We all did it yet Senator
Kane comes before this Senate with that oath fresh
upon his conscence-wth that oath recorded by the
God that rules the worid-and asks this Senate to
excuse him from fulfilling that oath because he does
not like to violate his word Are We prepared to
say by our votes that we regard mans word more
than we regard a mans oath? Gentlemen, if we
support the resolution of Senator knes, backed by
the defense made for Senator Kane, do say by
our votes for the only defense made for senator
Kane being that he does not wish to break his word
but Wiling break MS Odtn. is t0at Inc custom
of the country that the Senator praises? is that
the custom wish to established in this land
that mans word is better than his oath? do not
believe IN such sophistry will not bow the knee
to any such Bael as that. for one, sir regard this
not case of sympathy. | am not one Of those to
be led aside from the path which deem to be right
and just by any horid or rhetorical appeals to my
sympathetic feeling, especially when can look back
in the past and that this is the third time that
Senator Kane has upon this floor made these same
insinuatons and given utterance to this same kind
of talk.
Twice the Senate passed 1t over, and the news
papers Of the State Il beg pardon for mentioning
them) abused this Senate, and some of theIn-one
in particular said the Senate afraid to inyesti
gate this matter Now, for the third time, Senator
Kane makes these charges upon the floor, they are
investigated and we are asked in the name of SYM
pathy, 10 pass them idly by because Senator hane
reverenees some Old World superstition. Sir, allu-
sion has been made to husbands and wives refusing
to testify; allusion has been made to fathers
fusing TO testify. My reading of Roman history
teaches me that there was a father in Rome who
killed his son because he did wrong. My reading OF
Irish history tells me that a father there hung
who guilty of a crime. Which precedent
will you follow They are both before you. | do
not blame Senator Kane so much in this mat
ter as l do the unolean ingrowth of this
unlicensed abuse of public men and public
measures that is becoming almost disease in Cali
forna. Men without warrant, men without leard-
ing, have abused people; newspapers destitute of
principle and character as some are in this State,
have abused public men and public measures, and
it was not to be wondered at that Senator who
had filed himself at such fountain should have
been guilty OF such remarks as Senator Kane has
been guilty of. But ignorance If the law excuses
no man, and man should be judged by his acts,
and his should be judged by their consequences
submit to this Senate submit to the people of
California if it is right if it s proper to leave it in
the power Of one Senator to defeat, or attempt to
defeat, any MEASURE by being permitted TO use such
expressions were used by the Senator from the
Elevt nth District Senator Kane)
Charity, sir, or sympathy; which is it. To be
eharita lie is the duty Of all mankind; but have we
no charity for ourselves? Have we no charity for
the law? Have we no desire to protect ourselves
our people and our legislation? If we have we will
do what will do-vote fIr the resolution intro
duced by the Senator from the Tenth (Mr. Dickin-
SOM, which is, in my judgment, the only manner in
which we can protect ourselves protect our legsla
ton and protect the State. | am not here en-
envy of Senator Kane ; am not here Haunting nv
purity am not here parading my own sym
pathes or charities. | am here to do that which
think is right to do that which think the law and
the facts OF this case demand. am here TO say for
that mans oath should be regarded more than
mans word under any such circumstances as
these
The President Your time has expired TCries of
Leave, leave ~
Senator Johnson-Mr President, the Senator says,
Shall we send him forth branded to go among the
people as Cam of old did | ask, Shall send him
forth triumphant? Shall we send him forth boast
defied the Senate" Shall we send him forth to go
to any part of the State and boast that honest Tom
Kane did not give man away? Shall we send HIM
forth be permitted to say, @ | told them | had
been offered hribe told them man had offered
me 81 900, and would not tell them who the man
was, and they did not do anything to me-? Shall
we do that? Recollect that must protect our
selves We must protect our dignity and our rights
We must have sympathy for ourselves. We must
zee to it that this is not permitte to 90 forth
like Corioauus of Rome to boast of the wounds he
received, but branded-branded because he has dis
obeyed the Constitution he was sworn to support
because he has violated his duty as a Senator be
cause he has violated his oath as Senator
Upon the adoption OF the substi ute the ayes and
moss were demanded by Messrs. Enos, Sears and
johnson. with the following result:
Ayes-Messrs. Anderson Carock, Chase, Cheney,
Enos Glasclck, German, ii irlan Hill, Kelly, Lamp
son, Langfsrd. Nelson, Pool, Rowell, Ryan Satter.
white Sears, Watson, West-20.
Noes-Messrs. Baker, Burt, Brown, Byrnes, Con-
ger, Davis, Dickinson, George, Hittell Hudson
johnson, Johnston, Moreland, Neumann, Nye, Par
dee, Traylor, Zuck-lS.
Substitute adopted.
MIR. Johnson desire to say, in explanation of
my VOTE that l vote no upon the proposition be-
cause do not propose, far as my vote is con-
eerned, to make this farce. l regard this as the
broadcast farce ever perpetrated in this State that
will ever be perpetrated here | Shall not vote for
it, and would rather let the go without punish
meut than to infiict such rosewater punishment as
this.
Mr.. watson moved reconsideration OF the vote
whereby the substitute to the original resolution
was adopted.
Upon which the ayes and noes were demanded by
Hessrs. Enos, Dickinson and Watson, with the fol-
lowing result:
Ayes-Baker, Burt, Brown, Byrnes, Carlock,
Conger, Davis, Dickinson, George, Hittell Hudson,
Johnson, Johnston, Moreland, Neumann, Nye, Par
dee, Trayor, Watson, Zuck-20.
Noes-Anderson, Chase, Cheney, Enos, Glascock
German, Harlan, Hill, Kelly, Lampson, Langford,
Nelson, Pool, Rowel Ryan, Satterwhite, Sears,
West-1S
Carried.
Upon the adoption of the substitute the ayes and
noes were demanded by Messrs. Enos, Dickinson
and Brown, with the following result
sAyes-Anderson, Carlock, Chase, Cheney Enos,
Glascock, German. Harlan, Hill, Kelly, Lampson,
Langford, Nelson, Pool, Rowell, Ryan, Satterwhte.
Sears west-19.
es-Baker, Burt, Brown, Byrnes, Conger, Da.
Wis, Dickinson, George, Hittell, Hudson, johnson
Johnston, Moreland. Neumann, Nye, Pardee, Tray.
lor, Watson West-19.
Substitute lost.
Mr.. Dickinson offered the following:
90 R solved, That Senator Thomas Kane by reason
OF his refusal to obey the orders of thus Senate and
to diyuge the name OF the person who attempted to
bribe him, is guilty OF 4 contempt of this Senate
and that he be and he is, hereby committed to the
custody of the Sergeant at Arms of this Senate Il
be by him held in custody and confined in the
county jsil of Sacramento county until the further
order of this Senat
Mr.. Enos proposed an amendment suspendine
Sen ,tor Kane from the privileges of the Senate, aud
said " [ would like to ask what man wants Sena
tor Kane sent to jailf"
Mr.. Johnson-I do.
Mr.. Enos-I have the floor and when | GET
through you can talk.