The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-10

1
have no respect for that kind of public
sentiment or public opinion. This case
Was not given to US to try by public
/ sentiment and by the clamor of the
mob. There is a Scriptural passage
which modern jurisprudence is guided
/ by, that @ man is innocent until he is
proven guilty. What could we do but
so by the testimony and evidence as
presented before us? We did that as
honest men, we differed as honest men
| and so far as l am concerned, have
| no apology to make, no regrets to ex-
| press for the part L took on that in
| VeStgating committee. l could not dc
| otherwise. 1 do not believe there is q
! court in Christendom that would have
hanged a dog upon such evidence. And
at the same time, l accord TO my col
! leagues upon that committee honesty
of motive and purpose. Men can hon
estly differ And | stand here today to
defend the honest action of that COM
mittee and to maintain the position that
| took. 1 viii not stand UP here and
blacken with my tongue a man whom
exonerated with my pen. / found no
evidence there after the most careful
searching, after sleepless nights of
thought and days of honest toll, for
which we got no thanks, after accept
inS this duty reluctantly, because it
was the most painful duty ever imposed
On, ,men-at least, l can say so for my
self-fnding no evidence to convict, [
could say nothing else than that the
charge was not sustained by the evil
dence, and say here that I believe A.
w. McCune to be an innocent man, l
care not who differs with me, that is
my view. L express it fearlessly. AS
an innocent man, l hold him TO be
worthy OF my ballot, and I again cast
my vote for Hon. A. w. McCune."
LARSEN FOR MCUNE.
Fast on the heels of Senator Whitney
came Representative Larsen. He was
greeted with a whoop Of JOY when he
rose to his feet, and as he went on to
say that he desired to see Democratic
senator elected, and hence would come
over to the majority and vote for A
W. McCuue, the crowd nearly lifted
the roof. His speech follows:
II wish to say a few words I have
sat here and voted honorably for one
man until the present time. I have
voted for William II. King. l have
stayed with him Loyalty, and still at
the same time have come here for the
purpose of electing a senator. and if I
cannot elect the man of my choice, |
am now willing to so anywhere to end
this fight. [ am willing at all times
to do what 7 believe to be for the best
good of the country. Along with
Brother Bennion. I have been called a
block in the wheel of progress on this
senatorial question, but 1 do not wish
to be recorded as such, and if cannot
elect the man of my choice, and of my
constituents, 1 will do the next best
thing. 1 may say too much, something
that I would regret afterwards. 1 have
heard speeches made on the floor of
this house that have been ashamed to
be a member of the same party, and
now cast my vote for 4. w. McCune."
STEWART REMAINS FIRM.
There was intense silence then until
the name of Representative Stewart
was called, and when he rose slowly to
his feet, looking very white and set
again the applause came like peals of
thunder and the whispered word went
around that all was over and that Mr.
McCune was surely elected. But Stew
arts first few words dispelled this idea,
and when he announced that Mr.. Nc
Cune would never be elected by his
vote, there was dead silence. He said:
Fellow Members Of This Assembly:
l am one of those members referred to
last night who had yet failed to make
any statement or any explanation of
my position upon this senatorial ques
ton. / desire to say here and now that
it is not for the reason that l was
afraid to state my views. I was
elected to this legislature by the Demo-
Gratis of Salt Lake county. When they
elected me here, believe they intended
that I should come here and cast my
vote in accordance with what I be-
lieved to be my duty. Thus far 1 have
done so. I have 10 apology to make
and no regrets to offer. A few days
ago I was placed upon the investigation
committee among number of my fell
low Democrats. We listened to those
arguments, to that evidence, as they
appeared before us, and am frank to
confess that when we made our find
ings, 1 believe every member there
based his findings upon what he be-
signed that majority report, and L
stand right here now upon that
majority report. 1t has been in
timated to me that the question
has been asked, why Stewart is a DEM
ocrat, he signed that majority report,
now, why is it that he has not voted
for McCune in vindication of that re-
port? [ desire to say here that 1 was
placed upon that committee for the
purpose of investigating charges
brouSht against A W. McCune. pre-
ferred by Mr.. Law, a representative in
this legislature. Those charges were
specifically drawn, they were the charge
of bribery. / think the majority of my
came to the conclusion that
the evidence did not SUPPORT those
charges. When l signed those findings
l signed them conScienciously, feeling
that the evidence did not support those
charges, but l did not sign those find
ings with any understanding that
he q (.an
l stand upon that ground before you
here today. Now, sir, ] desire to take
q brief survey OF the situation. When
we started in upon this contest there
were q number OF candidates in the
field, and 1 want TO tell you here that
l was not pledged to any candidate.
challenge the man to sag that | was
pledged to any candidate in the SEN
atorial race. / came into this legis-
lature a free man. ! have voted i'll ac.
cordance with what | believed to be
right. The majority, it is true, today
of the Democratic party have run their
votes uo until this last vote numbers
2S votes for the majority l want to
do my duty in this matter, and if l
believed it were my duty as a Democrat
to vote for Mr.. McCune, there is where
you would find me. But there are things
to consider in this matter that are very
IN my judgment. 90 not
place my judgment, L wish you to un-
derstand, above any of my colleagues.
never. was among a class of men and
women for whom [ had such high re-
gard as the members of this assembly.
they are absolutely the finest class Of
men 1 ever associated with in any body.
But wish you to understand my posi-
ton. believe man placed before the
people to represent them should be
man Of character; I believe he should
be one of the best and ablest characters