Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-02-05
THE LEGISLATURE.
1T BEGINS TO SHOW UP m ITS
TRUE COLORS.

The Ha.Iv Action of tnc Senate
Committee 10 sExOnoraie,, Plum
mer, Defeats That Objcct-Eiasan.
>quire's Secretary, Makes Aft
davtt Fully Su>tniniu. CaIh0un,s
Charge House Committee Not aRe.
Ing Inclined 10 fail into the
same Ditch, Has Prolonged lis
Inquiries ana Members of the
House Grow KeStless-0ne of
Them Says the Committee Would,
IT Not Restrained, Send This Leg
islature Out - branded as hood
Iers"-Repeated Efforts 10 Recall
the Committee.
In the Senate, Saturday, the com
inittee appointed to investigate charges
against Senator Plummer filed Il report
which states that the committee sum
moned and examined the following
named witnesses: DIR. q. V. Calhoun,
George Turner, f. j. Short, Paul r.
Mohr and Senator Plummer. The
committee found that the words used
rejecting upon Senator Plummer were
much modified and explained by the
witnesses; that 10 money was used to
bride any member of the Legislature;
that the evidence showed that Plum
mer was given to understand that if
he worked for the election of Squire,
all of his legitimate expenses would be
paid by friends OF Squire, but under
no circumstances would funds be adj
vanccd for the purpose of corrupting
any member of the Legislature; that
the evidence further showed that
Plummer refused to accept any adj
vances or to vote or work for the cleo
ton of Squire; that it is the opinion
of the committee that the charges re-
ferrcd to have not been substantiatcd
by the evidence submitted, and, in
view of all the facts, that no money
was offered by any one, and that SEN
ator Plummer should be and hereby is
fully exonerated from rumors and
charges.
The charge made by DIR. Calhoun,
as it appeared in the P-I., was plain
and explicit that the Senator had So
licited money for his vote on the Sem
atorial question. The committees
report seems to have been devoted
towards an inquiry as to whether the
approach, or solicitation, had not come
from the other side-Squire and his
agents. The scope of the inquiry
appears very remarkable, considering
the expeditions manner in which the
investigation was made, enabling the
committee to report, after one meet
ing, that No money was used to bride
any member of the Legislature" 1t
will be seen that this not only exon
crates Senator Plummer, but Repre-
sentative Warner as well, and every
body else, under charge or suspicion,
and the committee repeats its finding,
to give it emphasis that "No money ,Uas
offered by any one" to corrupt the
law makers. Had the committee
called as witness c. H. Hagan, Sem
ator Squire's Private Secretary, they
might have had the following affidavit
i'll evidence, which was sworn to Mon
day, to back up the statement of DR..
Calhoun:
"That on or about the 18th day of
January, 1897, one w. II. Plummer,
State Senator in the Fifth Legislature
of Washington, from Spokane, in the
State of Washington, said to me, in
the lobby of the Hotel Olympia in sub
stance rs follows: Il have made a
proposition to DIR. Calhoun, and if it is
not accepted by o'clock it's off with
me- l asked him what he meant,
and he replied that he had told DIR.
Calhoun that he must have $500 by
5 o'clock or it was off with him. He
further said:
"' don't propose to have any more
God-damned monkey business about
it."
"DepOnent says further that the
CONVEX sation rs described and men,
toned aforesaid occurred near the
staircase of the lobby of the Hotel
Olympia. And further deponent
saith not"
The affidavit is signed by Mr.. Hagan
and sworn to before Supreme Court
Clerk Rinehart.
1t certainly looks as if the gentle
man under investigation, if innocent,
would have insisted upon more de-
Lucrative action.
The following bills passed
Senate Bill No. 20, by Taylor, relat-
ing to labOrers' liens and claims and
providing that laborers' wages shall be
preferred claims and shall create
first lien.
Senate Bill No. q, by Taylor, rela-
tive to bonds of contractors for Sc
curity to laborers.
Senate Bill No. 11S, i'll relation to
attorneys and counselors at law, pro-
viding for their admission to the
bar.
Senate Bill No. 119, defining mo-
tions and orders.
Senate Bill No. 121, relative to new
trials.
House Bill No. 100, by Cute, con-
corning the recording of deeds and
mortgages.
Ii was decided to have the calendar
printed, as usual, instead of adopting
the mimeograph proposition PROPOSE
ton of Mary L. Page at $1.25 per
sheet.
Senate Bill No. 100, by Runner, of
Spokane, to facilitate the execution
and transfer of real estate securities,
was referred to committee on Judic-
larry.
In the House, Saturday, Speaker
Cline introduced bill to give WASH
ington a liquor law similar to the
South Carolina dispensary law, with
the profit feature eliminated. Mr..
Cline says he had added amendments
that two or three years experience has
shown would make the law thoroughly
operative.
The House authorized the Speaker
to appoint a private Secretary at a
salary of So day. Two resolutions
to this effect were heretofore killed, as
it was believed the Speaker could do
| his own clerical work and he WAS given