The herald., 1897-01-23
TwENTY.sIXTH YEAR. NO. 11s.
Francisco asked that Duckworth be

HreuSi, WHICH pTOVlueu THAT committed
or seven Disappointed by the house Il
investigate the whole matter of tempo
nary organization. Shanahan, the tai
sycamore of Shasta, moved that the
word temporary be stricken out, but the
motion was lost In the tumult.
Judge Bridgford of Colusa then got
the floor and made ringing speech thai
created profound impression. 1t was
an able argument as well as strong ar
raignment of all who were connected
with the scandal of the pay roll. He
said that If Duckworth was innocent he
should be given an opportunity to prove
! his Innocence If he was guilty hb
should be punished: but there were 9TH
ers on the floor of the house equally
as guilty as the clerk, and that all the
burden Of blame should not rest on the
shoulders of Duckworth. Those who
had shared the patronage bestowed by
the clerks abuse of power should not
attempt to stand behind him and see
him covered with all the ignominy.
The law had been clearly violated
he said. 1t was not question of abuse
of power. 1t was a question of the
| laws infraction, and the speaker read
from the code the numbers of clerks
who should constitute the organization
Of the house.
At the conclusion of Judge Bridgford' s
| speech North of Alameda offered an
/ amendemnt which gave Speaker
/ Coombs the appointment of the commit
! tee.
Then Duckworth asked that he might
/ speak before the amendment was ac-
cepted.
| Dennery renewed his motion that the
| clerk be allowed the privilege of the
! floor. but Shanahan said that the place
| for Duckworth to make his defense was
| before the committee.
While Dennery was pleading for him
| the clerk withdrew the request, and
| the question was called for.
| There was not the slightest sound
when the clerk began to read in a clear
voice Leavitts substitute. In the lat
ter occurred the sentence, And he de-
MES SAID charges"
Ducliworth read the words with such
vigor and force that half those who
We're present thought that he inserted
them. After that his voice became
thick, he placed his hand to his head
and it was with difficulty that he pro-
ceeded. His eyes were blurred with
tears, but he kept on till the end, when
the paper from which he was reading
dropped to the desk and. placing both
hands to his head. he reeled from where
he had been standing One of the as
sistant clerks caught him and led HIM
to n seat to where number of sympa-
thZers rushed.
The question was put the substitute
as amended carried, and the house ad
journed until Monday, while Duck
worth, whom the proceedings mostly in
terested, sat in the assembly partly ob =
livious to 1t all. DIR. Keables, the repre-
sentative from Bodle. attended the
clerk and said that he was suffering
from acute gastritis and neuralgia
brought on by over eXertion. After ad-
journment Duckworth was led away by
his wife.
Duckworth's answer to the committee
was as follows:
SACRAMENTO. Cal, Jan. 90.
Hon. c. NJ. Belshaw. chairman special
committee of the Republican caucus.
Dear Sir: The scope and extent Of
your authority in the matter of request
ing my resignation as chief clerk OF the
assembly is, of course, not known to
me. If. however, it is within your prov
ince to entirely direct the course of tae
proceedings; II my resignation rests en-
trely with the committee who waited on
me. then I address this statement to
you. On the other hand, if you are
simply to report my answer to some
higher authority beg you to do me the
justice Of transmitting this reply to that
authority.
am guilty of no offense. have done
nothing criminal in the sight of God and
man; and before you impose upon ME the
penalty of a crime, before you hold me
up to public opprobrium, before you dis
honor and humiliate me before the people
of this state, l ask for that one sacred
privilege this country gives to every
man before taking away his honor or his
liberty-a fair and impartial hearing.
Would you hold me responsible for
statements / never gave utterance to
and which l can prove to be false?
Would you make me the victim of rtl-
mors not founded on truth without Civ
ing me the simple privilege of denial'
Would you compel me to bear the stig-
ma of self confession of guilt when, Il
the privilege is granted l can prove my
innocence?
Am l to be denied even the crumb of
eXtenuation? Am / to be branded in
disgrace. not only as a coward. but as a
guilty coward? Is my silence to be con-
sdered as mute acknowledgements of
my shame when, as matter of fact, that
silence is forced upon me?
Do you want me to stand before the
bar of the house and the people of the
state with my lips closed and tacitly
admit the truth of everything that has
been charged against me without one
single word of official explanation or de-
fense?
do not believe that upon second
thought you will be so unjust. 1 do not
Del1eVe you Will deprive me or one SIM
gle utterance in my behalf. Your COM
munication to me, coming as it does
with the sacred privileges and exacting
of my own party caucus. leaves
me with no champion or defender from
that source.
You have through the check of the eau
Gus bridled the tongues of those of my
own party who might have come to my
aid. and I. in view of such conditions.
hereby petition your committee to grant
me the following:
ask for the right of counsel.
] ask that my witnesses may be heard.
! ask that may receive full and con-
else statement in writing of the charges
preferred against me.
I ask for the privilege of listening to
the charges of my accusers and the
right of questioning them in my own
behalf.
In brief. ask for the privilege of MAX
ing my defense as complete as truth,
honor and justice will permit
Very respectfully yours.
81. .DUCKWORTH,
The r,ssiNrity report of the committee
on atta..fes was as follows:
Your committee on attaches. to which
was referred the resolution calling for
an investigation into the conduct of s. j.
Duckworth, chief clerk of this assembly,
with reference to the temporary organ
ization of the house, beg leave to report
as follows: In addition to our former
report. we beg leave to submit the fol-
lowing: