Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-31
HOUSE.

Mr.. Oates {Ala }, rising to q question Of priv
ilege, offered resolution for the investiga gation
of the charges Of corruption against members Of
the House contained in recent editorial in the
National Eeonomst
: Mr.. 0ates said that when . charge Of this
character was made by journal of respecta-
bility and wide circulation it should not be
passed over in silence. II the charge was true
the country ought to know ii. II il was not
true it was due to the good name of the men,
bers OF the House that this fact should be es-
tablished.
INDEFINITE CHARGES.
Mr.. Cannon Oil contended that the resolu-
ton did not present question of privilege.
The charge made in the editorial was indefinite.
Nothing definite was charged. For one until
somebody made q reasonably specific charge
and shows an ability to procure evidence that
would tend to establish it he thought that the
House owed to its dignity and to the business
OF the country to pay no attention to it.
House were to take cognizance of this charge
taithough practically it was no charge) the
resolution should first be sent to committee
The article charged that in these corrupt DAYS
man did not change his convictions without a
consideration. That was the writers Judgment
Whether he obtained it by personal experience
and observation did not appear.
Mr.. Rogers ARK. said that il was generally
understood that the Speaker passed all the
bills in this House. Therefore the charge was
an inferential charge against the Speaker; and
as amicus curiae, he thought that the resolu-
tion should be adopted
MIR. Peters (Kan.) was opposed to dignifyine
the editorial by paying any attention to it. The
man who could pen such an article must be
either corrupt or man Of the densest ignor-
ance. There was not man in the House who
did not know that the charge was absolutely
false. He denied that the writer had any right
to make q charge in the name OF the Farmers
Alliance
There were some members Of the Farmers
Alliance who were demagogues and who were
attempting to lead the alliance into politics
and outside OF its legitimate sphere of action.
And these men were feeding upon Just such
utterances as this editorial contained. They
were trying to create the impression that all
public men were corrupt, and that they were
THE ONLY vIRrUous MEN IN THE UNION
and therefore should be put into Office. There
were some members Of the Farmers Alliance
who were demagogues, and who were attempt
ing to lead the Alliance into politics and outside
men were feeding upon just such utterances
They were trying to create the impression that
all public men were corrupt.
Mr.. Richardson (Tenn.) characterized the
editorial charge as an assault upon the integ-
rity of the House and argued that the House
vestigated.
THE SPEAKERS RULING
After further discussion the Speaker ruled
that the resolution was not q privileged one.
In doing SO he said that the newspaper editorial
was Of the vaguest character. 1t made no
assertion except by inference. Il made no
statement upon which anybody could be
expected to- predicate . belief or a
conviction. II was within the knowledge
Of every member that paragraphs Of this
character were floating around in the newspa-
pers Of the country. The House could see the
Inconvenience which would result to the busi-
ness Of the House il any member had the
right on the production Of . paragraph like
this to demand an investigation.
The House sustained the decision Of the
chair-an appeal having been taken By Mr. |
Oates-by vote Of yeas IS, nays u.
THE sUNpRY CIVIL BILL.
The House then went into committee OF the
whole (Mr. Allen Of Michigan in the chair) on
the Senate amendments to the sundry civil bill. |