Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-14
UNDERWRITERS
MIR. sHEEHAN PROTESTS.
New YOrk's Lieutenant Governor Com
plains of Being Unjustly Assaulted.

plains of Being Unjustly Assailed.
Just before the gavel fell in the New York
senate yesterday Lieut. Gov. Sheehan adj
dressed the senate as follows:
by the indulgence Of the senate and
through it's courtesy, 1 desire to make
short statement.
''Since the beginning of this session. 1t
seems to have been the settled policy of
some correspondents representing certain
New York journals to misrepresent, pervart
the truth and to deliberately lie with refer
ence to your presiding officer. He has, with
out complaint. submitted to these calumniess
believing that personal rancor and dislike
would soon disappear before the apparent
injustice and cowardice of the attacks. But
the height Of these calumnies was reached
this morning. when. for the purpose of ip-
fluencing and prejudicing the minds Of sem
ators, certain of these papers published
sensational and baseless charges connected
with certain proposed Buffalo legislation. in
sinuating in a most cowardly and contempt
ible manner that he was attempting improp-
erly to influence senators on this question.
What remedy has a public man against
such acts?
There are many honorable exceptions to
this rule, among them the representatives
Of some of New York's leading journals. and
the rural papers as well, and l want to pay
publicly my respect to those honorable re-
porters who record in their journals the pro-
ceedings of this body impartially and
truthfully.
Finally want to characterize, in the
strongest possible manner as indecent, false
and venomous all these articles which
charge me directly or indirectly with having
In any improper manner attempted 70 in
iuence or prejudice the judgment of sena-
tors or members on this or any other SUBJ
ject."
senator O'COnnOr Joins Shechan.
When Mr.. Sheehan finished there was
silence for moment and then Senator
OConnor arose and said: II agree with
what the president has said. and it also
seems that senator's upon this floor might
make the same complaint. l remember that
the chairman of the election investigation
committee had liberties taken with his name
and also with those of his colleagues. /
assert and think the time has come for this
senate to assert its own dignity. There are
none of us who object to honest criticism.
1 object to the stiletto of the assassin; /
object to the cpwardly sneak who has no
basis for the charges he makes. How much
are we going to submit to? Are We going
to permit men who are on this floor by the
courtesy of this body to insult its presiding
officer and impugn the motives of COL
leagues? Are we so cowardfy not to bring
these correspondents to sense of the jecen-
cieS they owe the public? l believe the time
has come for members of this body to assert
themselves. l care nothing for the criticism
of the public press, except SO far as it is
honestly exercised. l have no objection to
every act of my public or private life being
submitted to the fullest investigation, but |
want no correspondent to deal in aspers,ons
upon the character of any officer of this
body or any senator of this house. / move
this matter be referred to the judiciary COM
mittee. with power to take such action in
the premises that it thinks meet and fit and
to advise some way to protect the members
of this body from attacks OF this kind"
Senator O'Sullivan said that he spoke for
Senator Cantor, who was unable to talk and
who was charged with staying away to
hamper proceedings in the senate. H.
The motion of Senator OConnor was
adopted.
In the afternoon, at the hearing before the
senate judiciary committee. Lieut.. Gov.
Sheehan appeared to give his reasons for at
lacking the newspaper press. He said that
in his ten years experience this was the
first time he had ever had occa sion to criti-
else openly the newspaper press. He had 70
objection to the criticism of his actions: he
even welcomed such criticism. but he cid
object to the impugning of his motives and
the motives of senators on the floor. He
then read the headlines of articles in certain
New York papers. declaring that money was
to be used by him to defeat the Buffalo
bills.
If he continued. 1.-The charges are true.
but before court of impeachment. l have
no quarrel with the newspaper men, but
they seem to have serious quarrel with
me. I will live just as long rs If these at
tacks did not take place but l do de an that
the time has come for me to protect my
reputation. a reputation 1 have struggled
and striven for. 1t is time for the senate
to make an example of the people who for
mulate these charges without any basis"
Senator OConnor asked If the lieutenant
governor had any idea as TO how the COM
mittee should proceed. The lieutenant gov
ernor said: II believe the senate should in
vestigate these charges and find out from
where they originally came. and If they are
true"
II move" said Mr.. Lexlow, that the COM
mittee present to the senate tomorrow
resolution allowing this committee to inves-
tigate all phases of this question:
The resolution was unanimously adopted
An explosion occurred at a small arms
testing factory at Liege, Belgium, Sester-
day. The director of the factory was kfllad