Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-02

EITrEE ToDAT-A CATEGORICAL QUESTION
CAUSES THE IRoUBLK-rHE TESTIMONY.
Today the House committee investigating the
allegations made by Representative Watson in
his book of drunkenness among members Of
Congress heard Mr.. Clarke ALA }, who testified
in brief that the only instance Of drunkenness
he had ever seen on the floor Of the House was
upon one occasion during the silver debate.
Mr.. COBB IN HIS OWN DEFENSE.
Mr.. Cobb ihen took the stand in his own de-
Tense. Chairman Boatner read the charges
from the book in question and requested Mr..
Cobb to make any statement he saw nit Mr.
Cobb prefaced his statement BY remarkirg that
he intended To quote from his address on that
evening To show that The was not maudlin
drunk or rambling in his talk" Mr. Cobb read
copious extracts from the original notes OF the
stenegrapher reporting his address and the
various questions put 10 him and his answers
during the debate. At the beginning Of his
remarks the floor he said he had appealed
to the House not to interrupt him. His request
not needed and several times he was ques-
toned by several members. Thi. Was particu-
larry exasperating. lac said. because he intended
making a strictly legal argument anu did not
wish to be interrupted.
ASKS No INDULGENCE FROM ANY ONE.
sin regard 10 this matter of drinking said
Mr.. Cobb. "let me say that am not asking any
indulgence from any one because I NAV look
like a weakling. for / am not" For several
DAYS before the night in question Mr. Cobb said
he engaged IN laborioGs work gathering
material and preparing his argument.
He had worked late and early and a result
when he began his argument on the floor he
was not in his usual physical condition. His
throat, he said, was particularly weak. and IN
or der To relieve soreness in II and ale, late the
an noyance of a tickling he had requested an
employe of the House. before beginning his
remarks. 20 bring HIM cup OF beef tea.
''Surely beef tea is d mild and non-into Kicating
! liquid said Mr.. Cobb, land il was a frequent
| thing for members TO refresh themselves
with it during a speech" lie had called for
| beef tea because il warm and soothing TO
| the throat. From time to time he had had the
/ cup sent back and replenished in order TO eX-
change the cold tea for hot tea, and from that
circumstance he thought all the trouble had
grown. II was not true, he said, had been
asserted by Mr.. Watson. that he had said to a
/ page. Bring me some more whisky.
The point IL this, raid Mr.. Cobb mo one
could have heard me ask page TO bring me
| some whisky, for L never said it..
DIDN'T KNOW OF ANY SUBSTITUTES.
Whether whisky was brought by page and
placed ON his desk for the beef tea he did not
know. He was too much engaged Mt the time
in his argument to notice who placed it on his
! DESK Nnttntr n page or '1rlcnd whom he
had requested to get him some stimulant had
brought it he not prepared TO saw Mr..
! Cobb acknowledged that some whisky was
brought him during the course of the evening
and placed on his desk. 1t had been brought
/ by a friend, and he had used il only 10 relieve
his throat. Ii it affected him in voice or man.
ner he was not conscious of it, He was ne
sober then as he was now. IL was true he had
drank little beer during the day.
| Mr.. Watson at this point interrupted the
proceedings by asking Judge Cobb how he
indicated that the beverage out and that
he wished the cup replenished, to which the
answer that SO far AZ he Mr.. Cobb remem-
bered he had said to a friend that he wanted a
little whisky or some stimulant. He hardly
thought, though, that his remark loud
enough to be heard any distance. ANY one
who said he had asked page TO get him
whisky mistaken. When the whisky was
put before him he had slipped it two three
| times. and when he concluded his remarks he
! took another sip, but he Was not made drunk
by it, nor did his state approach intoxication.
He was fully persuaded that If in his remarks
there was anything unusual IL resulted from
one of two causes. Either from his anxiety TO
put before the house every legal point in the
cause or because he had occupied the foor too
long and was anxious to complete his remarks.
HIS MANNER OF SPEAKING.
Continuing, Mr.. Cobb said his manner of
speaking nervous. He liked freedom of
action: he liked to be free from his desk, &C.,
that he might gesticulate and emphasize his as
sertions. Summing up, Nh. Cobb stated that
he was III no wise responsible for the investiga-
/ ton and he had not wanted il, but as the House
had ordered it he courted the fullest inquiry.
| In fact. he thought il was nothing more than
| a repetition Of the story Of the three black
| crows.
MI. wATsoNs STATEMENT.
| Mr.. Watson then made statement in refer
ence to the paragraph in the book which has
caused so much discussion, saying that il could
not be understood thoroughly unless the
whole chapter was taken into considera-
| ton. He then paid tribute to the
| character of Mr.. Cobb, and stated that he had
never meant to draw the gentleman into the
difficulty. Nor had he aimed at him individu-
| ally in his reference to rambling or maudlin
drunkards on the floor" His books he as
serted. was compiled for campaign and politi-
cal purposes. and he had no intention when he
wrote Of bringing odium upon Mr.. Cobb.
CHAIRMAN BoATNERs QUESTIONS.
Snow, if you did not intend to reflect upon
Mr.. Cobb who did you intend to reflect upon?"
said Chairman Boather. To this pointed ques-
ton MIR. Watson gave evasive anagers, but at
last, upon Mr.. Boatner insisting that he con-
fine his answer TO the question, Mr.. Watson
said he meant to apply 10 the members Of the
House.
'lid You mean TO arraign the House, said
Sir. Boatner.
"Yes, sir, did" answered Mr. Watson.
LIVELY WAR OF WORDS.
Mr.. Watson then proceeded 10 argue at some
length in explanation Of the paragraph in the
book. the substance of the argument being that
it meant to infer the House had not kept any Of
the promises Of the democracy and that il had
been virtually derelict In its duty to the
country.
His dissertation. however, was cut short byya
colloquy between himself and Mr.. Boatner, in
which both gentlemen accused each other Of
discourtesy in the course Of the Investigation
Some bad feeling between them was particularly
manifest during Mr.. Boatner's close cross-oues-
tioning TO draw from Mr.. Watson a statement
that his paragraph referred personally 10 Mr.
Cobb OF TO the House il general and Mr.. Wat
sons seeming indisposition to answer.
"Do you mean for me to answer that ques-
tion2" said the gentleman from Georgia
II certainly do" said the chairman
Then" said Mr.. Watson, With much en-
phasis and with evident feeling. 81 am ready 10
answer you right now or any other time"
Mr.. Boatner was apparently annoyed at Mr..
Watson's sharp retort, and replied that he
had always tried to treat the gentleman with
courtesy.
81 am glad to hear you acknowledge even
that" came back Mr.. Watson. IAN through
this investigation you have acted the part Of
the prosecutor"
But" said Mr. Boatner, 81 don't exsctly