River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-08-04
wATSON'S CHARGES.
Testimony Being Taken Before the spe-
cfal House Committee.

WASHINGTON, Aug a. - The special
committee of the house to investigate
Mr.. Watson's charges that members
were drunk during debate began taking
testimony.Saturday Mr.. Watson testified
that he had seen two members reeling
in the aisles during debate on the silver
bill. lie had seen a member drunk
while talking on the Noyes-Rockwell
election case.
In his opinion that speaker was in a
maudlin state. Continuing. Mr.. Wat
son said that in front of the speaker
was a cup and saucer. The cups con-
tents were replenished several times,
and it was noticeable that the more the
member drank the more he wandered
in his argument. Mr.. Watson testified
that he heard the speaker say to a
page: Bring me more of that stuff
that whisky"
Mr.. Boatner said re did not notice
anything of the kind. Messrs. Otis.
White, Halverson, Butler anu Clover
said they had seen mem bers intoxicated
on the floor, and Miss Bessie A. Dwyer,
reporter for the National Economist,
testified that she noticed the speaker
in the Noyes-Rockwell debate drunk,
as described by Mr. Watson.
Mr. Watson interrupted and asked
to be allowed to prove that there was a
barroom in the basement and members
were often seen drinking there. This
was ruled out.
Representative Rockwell. of New
York, testified that he was contestee
in the acknowledges contested cleo
ton case decided by the house some
time ago. He was present during the
discussion of the case in the
house. Witness had not seen any
members Keeling on the floor dur
ing the present session. He saw
no members whom he thought were
appreciably drunk. The gentleman
who made the remark: where was
at?" had made speech in his behalf
while the election case was in progress.
He (witness) was associated with
him great deal before the
speech was delivered assisting him.
The man had worked hard and
was considerably exhausted. He was,
Mr.. Rockwell said, in no sense intoxi-
cate3 or under the influence of liquor.
Witness saw the gentleman immediate
ly after the speech and he was not in
the least intoxicated.
Representative Oates, of Alabama,
was the next witness. During his tes-
timony it developed that Representa-
tive Cobb. of Alabam, was the person
who had made the speech in the con-
tested election case and who was the
person charged with intoxication by
Representative Watts
Some question having arisen as to
whether it was proper to allow the
name to remain on the record. mas
much as no other name had been given,
MIR. Cobb remarked that whether his
name was mentioned or not everybody
knew who was meant. He appealed to
the committee to let the matter proceed
openly, and asked 'he committee to
make thorough, searching inyestiga-
ton, saying that he was not afraid of
the result.
Mr. Oates said that while Mr. Cobb
was speaNing he appeared greatly eX-
hausted, and some one sent him some
thing to drink. The stimulant, he OBJ
served had some effect on Mr.. Cobb,
enlivening his manner. Witness de-
clared, however, that Mr.. Cobb was not
drunk. He had known him for twenty
seven years and never knew him to be
drunk, although he took drink some
times. Adjourned.