The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-17

Representative DOnnelly, who had not
spoken a word up to this point, rose
and pointed out in a quiet, unobtruSiVe
manner that the two sides of the ques-
ton should be carefully weighed. Very
deliberately he contended that an eX
p&rte statement that attorneys fees
would not be granted might deter poor
men from contesting at their own eX
! pense, and that right here the state was
interested quite as much in seeing ev-
cry member get his rights as to prevent
any member from occupying a seat by
fraud or corruption.
There had been no sign of PARTISAN
! ship on the part, of the house, he said.
| There was no evidence that there would
be any unfair treatment, but he be-
Eeved that it should be borne in mind
that the house was esta blishing a pre-
cedent in placing this power in the
hands of committee which might not
act with such fairness
This exposition of Mr. DOnnelly'S
views evidently nettled the Minneapolis
man, for in a loud voice which clearly
betrayed his feelings, he stated that he
bad desired to establish a precedent
Then he paid his respects to Mr.. DON
nelly. There have been cases in this
very house." he said, where the time
and money of the house have been
used when there was not a ghost of
chance that the contestant had any
right to the seat But not only in this
house, but in the congress of the United
states, where, in one case brought, the
seated member had a clear lead of
5000 votes over the cOntesting member,
and congress, Notwithstanding that the
contesting member belonged to the
: majority, did not seat him.
Greek to most of the listeners, the
sally was recognized instanter by some
OF the veterans as being directed at
Donnelly. That gentleman rose again
to his feet and said: Il am sorry that
for the first time at this session. any
element Of acerbity, bitterness or per
sonalities have been dragged into the
discussion. l have had the highest
regard for the gentleman from Henne-
PIN, as man who had occupied DO
s'tions of distinction, and 1 have looked
upon him as a gentleman. [ did not
think what [ said had in it any ele-
nent of personality, or was other than
wise and fair. He has seen fit to refer
back to the contest most unfairly
Waged by a gentleman, who, at thar
time, represented the district in which
We both lived at that time. l have no
desire to go into the merits of that con-
test any more than to say that the
committee on elections found and re
ported % distinct and clearly proved
cases of bribery Now, if my friend
wishes to rip up the dark and CHASTITY
record, L am ready to meet him on
any point he may mention l sit in
! TINS house by as good a right as the
/ gentleman from Hennepin. l was NOM
mated without my knowledge and
wholly without my seeking and elected
without any campaign, as will be shown
When my total expenses were 50 So
am sorry that there should be in
1 terJected into this debate anything of
personal nature, but If the gentle
man thinks he can rule this house he
IS very much mistaken, if he adopts
ms sort Of tactics. Now, I hold that
the sole duty of the committee of cleo
lions is to report on the question OF
who is and who Is not entitled to a
seat in this house. No man should be
forced to come before that committee
IN the light Of rogue or rascal, and
1t is this house which must determine
Who 1t is must be seated"
Mr.. DOnnelly intimated that his acts
would stand the sunshine and still
betray nothing to his disadvantage. 81
have said what 1 did without regard
TO who IS on the committee on cleo
uons. don't know who is on it, Pos
slbly the gentleman from Hennepin
is on it and seeking to clothe himself
with new powers never before heard
or. But that is not the point at issue.
L am sorry, as l said before that any
personal feeling should have crept into
this discussion. | have as every men,
Der Of the house knows, not sought this
controversy '4A- eu. sD--+.
Judge Hicks was by this time plain
ly enraged. There was challenge in
his very tone and his attitude indicated
that he was properly hooked on" He
first made reference to the ancient
history of the Washburn-Donnelly
contest in 1879. 1t was certainly fair,
he thought, to bring up what the past
had shown, and then, referring to a
remark made by Mr.. DonnelIy about
sunshine, he said that Mr.. Donnelly's
past needed all the sunshine it could
get to cleanse ii. Returning again to
the incident of the almost forgotten
contest, he reminded the house that Mr.
Donnelly had only spoken of what the
committee had found, but that the fact
was that congress- which was in ac-
cord with his views, refused him a seat,
and he bluntly charged DOnnelly with
having appealed from the decision of a
majority of his own party. Then the
judge struck out in another direction,
remarking that, Notwithstanding what
Mr.. DOnnelly had said, Il know there
are gentlemen of, his own party who
believe in the honesty of the motives
Of the chairman of the committee on
elections. CThe judge himself is chair
MANI At this point Representative
eDce, but after being recognized yield
ed to Mr.. Donnelly
Il have no desire to proIong this
controversy" Mr.. Donnelly said mo
one regrets the course which the de-
bate has taken more than l. 1t was
most unnecessary and unfortunate But
when the gentleman made a yelled but
plainly pointed attack upon myself, l
had no course but to reply. 1 am getting
! to be an old man, and l shall not live a
great while longer, but when the his
! tory Of the Northwest shall be written
| I think the verdict of posterity will
! be that [ have never failed to work
! for the people of the state No man
can point his finger to a single thing,
and say that / ever sustained a wrong
| or put a dollar in my pocket at the
| expense of the state. But listen! Day
! before yesterday when that gigantic
| robbery was before the house in the
! form of a resolution to investigate
| the Mountain Iron Mine, the gentle
man from Hennepin was the only one
VINO tried to turn the house aside from
! the direct course: and have the mat
/ ter referred to the attorney general
| Yet when the matter came to vote
! he had not the courage to vote against
| the resolution. Thank God While I
| have had faults of my own was never
| mean as that
Judge Hicks thereupon rallied his re-
sources and defended his action by
| saying that after Donnelly and his
committee had been at work they
would reach the same position which
the former committee reached two
years ago. Waxing facetious the judge
| proceeded to have fun with the com
mittee which he likened to the spies