The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1892-08-11
DECLARED FALSE.
Chairman Boatner's Report on watson's
Charges.


Boatner, of Louisiana, submitted TO the
house the views of the majority of the
subcommittee Of the house committee
on judiciary appointed to investigate
the charges made by Representative
Watson, Farmers Alliance, of Georgia,
in the latter's campaign book, in which
he charges that drunken members had
been seen to reel through the aisles of
the house, disgrace to the republic,
and that drunken members had debated
grave issues on the floor, and had been
heard to ask: "Mr. Speaker, where was
atp"
The report says it developed in the
investigation that the charges that
drunken speakers have debated grave
issues on the floor and in the midst of
maudlin ramble had been heard to ask,
"Mr. Speaker, where was / at, referred
exclusively to Hon. j. Il. Cobb, of Ala
bama. ON the occasion of the latter's
remarks on the Noyes-Rockwell con-
tested election case. Mr.. Watson, the
report says, avowed his intention in his
publication of these charges to arraign
the house Of representatives and not to
bring discredit or odum upon those
whom he charged with these faults.
We have no hesitation, the report adds,
in declaring that the charges in the
sense which the author intended they
should be believed, are false and libel
Gus under the strictest definition of
those terms. The charge that drunken
members have reeled about the aisles, a
disgrace to the republic, is false because
manifestly directed against the whole
house, and seeking to create a belief
that drunkenness is common among
members and conspicuous in their ap-
pearance on the floor, while the facts
are that two and possibly four members
have appeared on the floor more or less
under the influence of liquor, but none
in the condition described. Consider
ing that the house is composed Of 1888
members and the session has lasted
eight months the falsity and intention
ally misleading character of the charge
is manifest. The second charge that
drunken speakers have debated grave
issues on the floor and in the midst of
"maudling ramblings" have been heard
to ask, Mr.. Speaker, where was at, +"
is false in the following particulars:
First-It is couched in the plural, while the
author admits he had reference only to one
member. If il were true that one drunken
speaker had addressed the house, the state.
ment suppressed the fact that he was the only
one who had done so, and the suppression OF
the truth is as reprehensible as the assertion
false.
Second-It is aimed at the whole house,
whom the author admits TO have been limo.
cent, while 1t concealed the name of the only
one whom he claimed to be guilty, and, finally,
the overwhelmingly convincing testimony OF
thirty-two witnesses who saw Mr.. Cobb, whom
Mr. Watson admitted was the member he re.
ferred to in the charge that drunken members
debated grave issues, etc, while delivering the
speech referred TO, and who heard his remarks,
contradicts the statement and shows beyond
sD question that Mr.. Cobb was not drunk, did
not indulge in maudlin ramblings, nor was
there anything to justify so injurious an inn
putatiou against the character of a house off,
Ger whom Mr. Watson admits to be able, re-
liable and conscientious.
Both charges, continues the report,
are libelous, because they are the wilful
publication of words that have a ten
dency 10 iniure the members of the
house OF representatives in reputation,
10 degrade and disgrace them in society
and bring them into public contempt,
and. being printed libel, is more repre-
hensible and criminal than one really
spoken. They are also libelous because
they are defamatory words falsely
spoken Of persons which impute to them
unftness for the performance of the of.
fees which they hold and want of in.
tegrity IN the discharge thereof.
A comparison of the membership of
this body 10 those who participated in
the feast Of Belshazzar, the effort to ere.
ate in the public mind the impression
that members Of this body insensible 10
the wants and needs Of their constitu.
ents whom they represent, are giving
themselves up TO debauchery and drunk.
enness on the floor Of the house. Is a libel
upon this membership for which the
committee are at loss 10 find either q
motive or excuse.
The otfense is aggravated, says the re-
port, by the fact that the party making
the charge is member of the house and
has confessed that his intention was to
discredit 1t in the public estimation and
to injure his colleagues, whom he does
not even accuse of the faults for which
he would have them suffer. The com.
mittee, in conclusion, recommend the
adoption of a resolution reciting that
Mr.. Watson's charges are not true and
constitute an unwarranted assault upon
the honor and dignity of the house, and
that such publication has the unquali-
fed disapproval of the house.
Representative Grout says in his re.
port that the Republican member of the
committee fully concurs in the findings
OF the majority, that Mr.. Cobb was not
In state of intoXicatioD In the house
while discussing the Noyes- Rockwell
election case.
Mr.. Grout refers to the two charges
made by Representative Watson in his
book, and says that in his opinion they
were not true, The report says that
Mr., Watson had Mr. Cobb IN his mind
when he made che charge that drunken
members had discussed grave issues on
the floor Of the house. This charge is
not sustained. The second charge-that
drunken members had reeled about the
aisles is wholly unsupported by proof.
No witness testified that he had ever
seen such sight in the aisles or on the
foor in the strict legal sense. This
would leave the gentleman from Geor-
gia justly exposed to severe criticism,
were it not for the fact that beyond dis
pute on one occasion member appeared
on the floor evidently under the infiu-
ence of liquor. But all witnesses testi-
fed that he was quiet and orderly and
no one said he was unsteady in his gait.
Continuing, the report says that the
charges given the committee to investi-
gate were, to say the least, gross ex-
aggeration of the slight incidents above
set forth, and are in substance and form
untrue, and amount to q grave assault
upon the integrity of the house, which
could hardly be pardonable by reason of
the license allowed in political discus
sions.
In conclusion Mr.. Grout recommends
that Representative Watson voluntarily