The San Francisco call., 1897-03-09

| years, anu cur dllcI year ouCh pIVCCCO.
ings as these have marked the closing
days of both branches of the Legislature.
In my opinion, after we have pursued this
inquiry to conclusion, and after we have
| spent more than week on it, it will be
found that We end where we commenced.
l know and am satisfied that such an in
vestigation would prove useless, and that
! there is no substantial basis for the article.
/ am in favor of leaving the whole matter
to be investigated by the Grand jury"
| Senator Morehouse made the most bril-
liant, eloquent and impressive speech of
the session, in advocating the resolution.
His burning words made members aod
spectators alike forget decorum aud dig
nifty, and he was frequently made 10
pause by the plaudits that his impas-
stoned language called forth. He spoke
as follows:
"I don't want to deliver any fiery
philippe. do not want to make any long
speech. I simply call the attention OF the
Senate to this fact-that we are not under
taking to prosecute any newspaper; we
have got no charges against any paper
whatever. But paper has brought
charges against the Senate, and when we
Ol!he thO pclSOHo DciOlO dh
ing committee supposing them to have
knowledge of the facts they aIlege. they sit
back and say: We decline to answer; we
charged you with being bribe-takers; we
said in unmistaka BILE language, beyond
shadow of doubt that members were
bribed. but we decline to answer.
eff that be true these men had the facts
| in their possession when the article was
written. If they intend to be fair they
would come before this investigation com.
mittee and say: Gentlemen, here are the
facts on which we wrote this article l
| leave it to any fair minded man if there is
any other course to pursue.
Upon the pitiful plea that in so doing
he would be betraying the confidence re-
posed in him as a reporter-one of the
Examiner staff refuses to give such infor-
mation-though he forgets the honor that
! every man ought to possess, the dignity
that belongs to every respectable man,
and which should require that before he
shall charge and detame and blacken
| other men he should have a fact on which
to base his article.
II submit that this charge is against
the whole Senate; that the entire State is
asking US whether we are bribe- takers and
political scoundrels, or whether we. are
honest men. And / do say tnat we ought
| to invite these honest men, the reporters,
who have learned in confidence and have
| in their bosoms all this knowledge, here
that they may unbosom themselves. Look
! for moment at the manhood and hon
esty of the penny-a-liner of a public news
paper. who will charge the mem bers of the
Legislature with bribery and then hide
himself behind the excuse that he owes
something to Mr.. Hearst.
- see no other course but to ask and
demand at the hands of this Senate an
| investigation as to my personal conduct.
l know that 1 am innocent, but want the
world to know that / am honest. When
they make such charges against me l
know their statements are malignant
| falsehoods. But do not believe it is right
| to have it 60 out that the Senators of the
thirty-second session of the Legislature
| are a pack of infamous scoundrels, who
accepted bribes of $3.50 and $500.
do you intend to rest under that sus-
picion? Are you afraid of public news
! paper because it can lndite and spread all
over the State lines of infamv and SANDER
| against you? Not at all. Let me say that
| honesty will fear nothing, that innocence
can never be frightened, and that the
truth, if we investigate it. will rise to the
surface. 1t has been suggested that we
refer the matter to the Grand Jury. We
are a grand jury. We represent one third
of one of the great departments OF the gov
ernment of this State. We have the power
to punish these witnesses for their con-
hava sat bafo III nd told
US, We have the facts you want; we had
evidence in the shape of documents; we
destroyed the documents and we decline
to give you the information that was in
those documents.
THANK God l stand to-day like Brutus,
and can say TO this Journal. Your threats
pass by me like the idle wind This l do
know: do stand charged by this journal.
There is an inference. They have not said
that Morehouse took $3.50. i wish they
would say it.
1.-THE next day they limited in the edi-
torial columns that perhaps Morehouse
was not guilty. 1 ask you in defense of
your personal honor TO pass the resolu-
ton; / ask these men 10 purge them
selves OF contempt. Is it wrong to ask
these men, If you have any kilograms
that any Senator sent or received in rele--
ence to these bribery charges tell US about
them; if you know anything about me
tell it to the committee? 1t would be to
the honor of the San Francisco Examiner
to expose any man who has been guilty
OF taking or paying bribes. If they can
so ex pose me let them do SO. Then let the
committee turn me over to the Grand
Jury to convict me as ought to be.
"All that We have done is to invite his
ma iesty to tell us what he knows about
the charges that he caused TO be published
about the 120 mem bers of this Legislature.
But instead of doing this he takes his pen
in his hand and writes 'Scoundrep across
the forehead OF this Senate. Why should
,, we fear Andrew M. Lawrence? Why fear
this hired scribDler of the press? Is he
superior to State Senator? You may fear
him. but thank God, do not. Neither am
l afraid OF the Examiner or any other
journal, because l have done nothing
wrong; because in my heart is truth and
right ana justice and manhood; and when
ever there is truth and right and justice
| and manhood in man he fears nothing
save God. [Applause.l
why. these gentlemen came before the
committee represented by three of the
ablest lawyers in the State. Think of wit
nesses begging counsel. Then when they
were asked to answer certain questions TO
aid the committee they refused like a