Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-01-14
ONE COMES TO LIGHT IN \ CON
GRE>SSlONAL DERATE.
JOhNSON'S PATHETIC WORDS
With Tears in His Eyes He Confesses
Having Once Been Criminal-Re-
Sants the lmputation Of Being Cow
ardly and Virtually Invites Re-
SoW TO Physical Force.

! fects of the htSlted debate ON the Pa
! cific railway funding bin were felt in
the house today and a most unusual
occurrence took place, that OF pa
thetic speech made in self-defeuse by
a man who had tears in his eyes and
a tremor in his voice, but who had al
most the entire sympathy of his hear
els. Last Friday Mr.. johnson Of Cal
ifornia made sensational attack on
Editor Hearst, Mr.. Mcguire printed
in The Record yesterday in connection
with his remarks on the funding hill
some very caustic comments on Mr..
JohnSon's speech, Johnson had been
awaiting Mr.. Maguire's appearance in
the hall and ~ soon as he saw him en-
ter arose and asked the speaker IL II
would be in order for him to rise to u
question OF personal privilege. Being
informed that he could do 80 as soon
as the pending bill was out OF the way,
he bided his time. AZ soon ,1s the bill
was passed the California memeer inn
petuously ,Gose. The house immedi-
aely squared itself around.
Mr., Johnson then proceeded to reply
to the attack made on him by MIR Ma
guire in The Record. Ii was SEN
sational rs we'll as a pathetic speech
In which he admitted that he JoAnsonl
had been indicted IN New York thirty
years ago but said he had gone to
California and paid back every dollar
ne owed, His voice shock rs he told
of his oarly troubles and at the close
he got hearty round Of applause.
In 1896, Johnson continued hp had
been again nominated and though
the bittcrest fight ever known had
been made against him, he had carried
every election district in Sacramento
and carried the county by 200, lie
had been most Nicously attacked by
editorials and carcatures daily by
this person called Hearst i" The
honorel speaker of the house and Mr.
Boutalle had been similarly attacked
while visiting California last summer.
He said copies Of the paper had been
sent to his (Johnson'sl wife while she
lay on a bed Of sickness In danger Of
death, and caricaturos and editorials
had been put in envelopes rs CORES
pondence that she might moi fail to get
them, He asked: is 1t wondered
THAT | struck back when the oppOr-
tunity cameo Referring to his at
tack on Hearst, he said: Every
charge that made is capable OF proof.
do not shelter myself behind consti-
tutional privileges. Everything that
| say as a member of congress | am re-
SpGnsible for rs a citizen, personally
and financially" Mr., Cooper (Wis)
had attacked him and accused HIM Of
being cowardly because he had as
sailed man behind his back. Yet
Hearst safely eSconced in New York,
sent orders to California to have him
Caricatured and abused If either
the gentleman from Wisconsin Coop
on or the gentleman from California
lMaguire) thinks that ann cGwardly
let either repeat TO me outside of this
chamber what he said inside and his
curiosity will be appeased. In con-
cluSlon he SAID: There Is a statute
of limitations in every civilized nation
against crime. Is 1t right to 20 back
thirty-four years and unlock the Sc
crct chambers and bring out the skee-
tons OF my past and set them before
the people-tO forever throw at man
the follies and crimes OF his youth?
Should there not be statute of limita-
ton against this? Oh, may the day
come In this nation when men may be
judged solely by their acts in the
present, and no man, no newspaper,
wi ! delye into his past and bring sor-
ROY to his wife, children and to the
gray hairs he earned In building up
n good name"
There was deep silence when Mr..
Mcguire arose TO reply. He said: II
never printed anything anywheN that
am not willing to repeat before any
man myself" He related hat he
prepared the speech to which johnson
objected and had endeavored to get
recognition Friday and Saturday TO de.
liver II, and Monday he had askc1
tae speaker II he could not deliver Il
as a matter Of personal privilege, but
N vas refused. He had no ether way
to make defense Of the man who had
been SO unJuj ly attacked. "Ilc
witness Mr.. Mcguire continued scr
casticaily, at this attack on himself
He thinks only OF himself He does
not think Of grief ana anguish until
II strikes himself Why did not he
think Of these things when he mad.
the attack on one who was not pres
ent and who is not a member q his
body. The man who makes this
pleading. weeping appeal To you here
today used this language with refer
ence 10 Hearst" Mr. Mcguire then
read the charges made by Johnson
against Hearst Those charges, =
said Mr.. Mcguire enphatically. ARE
false and II III becomes the author Of
those charges TO whine becs use I re-
ply Mcguire. continuing said some
very complimentary things Of Hearsf's
newspaper In New York. characteriz
ing It as The greatest newspaper or
earth. This part II his speech evoked
a chorus az Droan M from tho hot,ea and