The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-02-26
THE JOINT ASSEMBLY.
Both a Day and Night Session Held
With the Usual Result.

| with the Usual Result.
The total number present at Mon
days joint convention in Salem was
thirty from the house
and ten from the senate.
The usual formality of dispensing
with the reading of the journal having
been adopted, the joint assembly took a
recess till O'Clock at night.
When the joint assembly met al
night, thirty-three were found to be
present. The absentees were Senator
Hughes and Taylor and Representatives
Hudson, Thomas, Vaughan and Wag-
ner. When his name was called, Sena-
tor Gowan made a speech and reviewed
at length the situation from the stand
point of Mitchell supporter. He laid
the responsibility for the hold-up on the
opposition, and said:
eve demand only what is right. We
will never surrender to what is wrong.
They charge that Senator Mitchell
alone is responsible for this hold-up.
We deny it; as body of men and as
| individuals, we deny it on document
ary evidence. I desire to read letter
which will forever set that statement
at rest"
Gowan then read the following let
ter:
''Salem, Or, Feb. %, 1S97.-Hon.
Samuel Hughes, Chairman of the Re
publican Conference, Salem, Or.-My
Dear Sir: 1 understand there is a
strong disposition upon the part of a
majority of the Republicans to adjourn
the legislature sine die, without fur
ther effort to secure the election of a
senator This would leave the state
only partly represented in the senate
of the United States, the effect of
which, in all probability, would be to
place the control of the senate in the
hands of those opposed to the Republi-
can party, in which event the defeat of
tariff legislation at the coming extra
ordinary session of. congress would be
assured. 1t seems to me, therefore,
there is paramount duty resting upon
you, to make one more determined
effort before final adjournment, to Sc
cure the election of senator. There
are many prominent Republicans locat-
ed in different sections of the state,
eminently qualified for the position
men who would do credit to the party,
the state and the nation. I will CO.
operate with you and all other Repub-
licans in the legislature in endeavoring
to bring about the election of such a
Republican as the Republican confer
ence, to whom this letter is addressed,
will agree upon. Yours very sincerely,
s.John III. Mitchell"
Gowan then went on to dicsuss the
letter, and said:
"a caucus of thirty-nine Repub-
Hcans is behind John H. Mitchell, and
We do not propose to change base at
this time''
In conclusion, he said: ''Igive-it as
my opinion that we must adjourn with
out securing legislation, and without
the election Of United States senator. -
Brown stated that the letter which
Gowan had read had been presented to
the conference Republicans, and that the
conference by standing vote. had de-
cided to stay by its candidate, "wt o.
ever he is" until they got chance to
vote for him.
Senator Reed, of Douglass, made a
speech, and introduced letter, which
he said had been presented to the Re-
publican conference.
The paper was substantially an agree
ment to be signed by all sides, in which
the members were pledged to organize
and SECURE remedial legislation, and to
vote for no candidate for United States
senator in such manner as to elect him,
and to SO distribute their votes as to
prevent an election. The full text of
the letter was withheld from publica-
ton.
After several other speeches of minor
importance the convention adjourned
without taking a ballot