The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-02-14

The Judiciary Committee of the Senate
Has the Matter in Charge, and win
Probe Journalistic Insinuatlons OF Cor
ruption.
ALBANY, Feb 14-Just before the gaveI
fell i'm the senate yesterday Lieutenant
Governor Sheehan addressed the senate as
follows;
"Since the beginning of this session it
seems to have been the settled policy of
some correspondents representing certain
New York journa. TO misrepresent, per-
vert the truth and TO deliberately lie with
reference to your presiding officer, He has
without complaint submitted TO these
calumnies 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 u. purpose of influencing and
preiudicing the minds of senators, certain
of these papers published sensational and
baseless charges connected with certain
proposed Buffalo legislation, insinuating
in most cowardly aud contemplate man
ner that he was attempting improperly to
influence senators on this question.
"There are honorable exceptions to this
rule among them the representatives of
some of New York's leading journals, and
the rural papers as well, and / want to pay
publicly my respects to those honorable
reporters who record in their journals the
proceedings 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 hav
ing in any improper manner attempted to
influence or prejudice the judgment of sen
ators or members on this or any other sub
ject."
When Mr. Sheehan finished there was
silence for a moment, and then Senator
O'Connor arose and said:
~ agree with what the president has
said, and it also seems that senators upon
this floor might make the same complaint.
There are none of US who object to honest
| criticism. ] object to the stiletto of the
assassin; ! object to the cowardly sneak
who has no basis for the charges he makes.
| How much are we going to submit tor
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 our cOlleaguesP | believe the
time has come for members of this body to
assert themselves. move this matter be
referred to the Judiciary committee, with
power to take uch action in the premises
that it thinl, meet and fit and TO advise
some way to protect the members of this
body from attacks of this kind"
The motion of Senator O'Connor was
adopted
At the hearing before the senate judici-
ary committee Lieutenant Governor Shee-
han appeared to give his reasons for at
tacking the newspaper press. He read the
head lines of articles in certain New York
papers declaring that money was to be
used by him to defeat the Buffalo bills.
"If," he continued, ''the charges are true
my place is not here before this committee,
but before n court of impeachment. l have
no quarrel with newspaper men, but they
seem to have a serious quarrel with me. 1t
is time for the senate to make an example
of the people who formulate these charges
without any basis"
At today's session the judiciary commit
tee presented resolution allowing them
to investigate all phases of the question
The resolution was passed.