The record-union., 1899-01-17
committee to investigate the matters
set out in that article

JOhnSOn-Mr Speaker, a resolution.
The Clerk read as follows: g
Resolution by Mr.. Johnson:
Whereas, Direct charges have been
made that improper means have : been
used to influence the action of Hon.
E. Wright, q member of and
Speaker of the Assembly, in the cleo
tion of a United States Senator by the
Legislature; and,
Whereas, 1t has been charged that
some persons have used and are using
Illegal methods to influence the action
and,
Whereas, 1t has been indirectly
charged that members of the Assembly
have been Improperly Influenced in
their votes for United States Senator;
and,
Whereas, Such charges have been
given wide publicity, and should be in
vestigated to the end that, if found to
be true the guilty should be punished,
and, if found to be untrue, the origin
ators thereof should be punished; now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That select committee
of seven members of the Assembly be
appointed by the Speaker pro tenn. to
and fully. thoroughly and
carefully, investigate each and all OF
said charges. whether direct or lndl-
rect, and also to investigate in like
manner the methods used to influence
members of the Assembly in their votes
fer a United States Senator, and that
said committee have full power to send
for persons, books, telegrams and pa
pers, and to employ a clerk and steno-
grapher, and that it have leave to sit
during the session of the Assembly,
and that said committee report fully, as
speedily as possible, with such recon-
as it may deem proper.
JOHNSON SPEAKS.
Johnson then said:
MIR. Speaker, I move the adoption OF
the resolution. And, in doing so, l
desire to express briefly the reasons
that impelled me to offer the resolution
Fer some time it has seemed to me and
to others in this State that the aphor-
ism Of the lamented Lincoln, that this
was a government of the people, by
the people and for the people, was
either in. process of being changed or
had been changed in California to a
of the newspapers, by the
newspapers and for the newspapers. 1t
has come to such pass in this State
that one Of the necessary concomitants
of a public officer, of man holding any
public station, is that he shall be
abused reviled and misrepresented by
any newspaper whose proprietor or re-
porter he may displease in never SO
small a manner. Ordinarily such
charges and such attacks are best met
by a dignified silence, but when, as in
the case now before us, the honor
not merely of a member of this body,
but of our Chief Executive is assfled,
and when, as a necessary result, q
shadow has BEEN cast upon each and
every member of this body, and 3
shadow also cast upon the fair fame of
our honored State, it is our duty, not
merely to those who have BEEN assailed,
but to those persons who have made
the assault, to investigate this matter
from the bottom to the top through the
middle, in every manner, so as to arrive
at the truth. In the language of a
great American, I should for one ex-
press my views that the motto of this
if appointed, should be:
Let no guilty man escape (Applause.)
care not where the blow may fall,
whether it rolls in the dust at my feet
1r those of my friends and associates,
Or on the head of any one connected
With us, or even our own. If any man,
De he high or low, be he member of
his body. or connected with a newspa
GER, has been guilty of crime, either III
ibeling member of this body, or III
being guilty of that which is charged.
ct the guilty person be punished And.
speaking in behalf of those gentlemen
IN this body who have voted with me
in favor of one candidate for United
States Senator, desire to say, in voic-
ing their sentiments, that We do not
wish any man appointed upon this COM
mittee who has voted for the man of
our choice CApplause) And I an
nounce in advance that if am appoint
ed l shall certainly decline. I want
a committee composed of men who are
not in any manner connected with us,
who are not in any manner associated
with US in political matters, so that
they will investigate this without fear
or favor, without regard to us. And,
speaking, if l may be permitted to say,
in behalf of the gentleman for whom
have voted, am authorized by him to
say that he courts the fullest, the freest
and the widest investigation that the
committee of this House can give. I
know, also, without seeing them, that
all the other candidates for this high
position will indorse his stand.
II hope the resolution will be adopted,
and adopted unanimously 1t is due to
Us; it is due to our oaths; it is due 10
our country; it is due to the God who
rules us and who knows the innermost
secrets of our hearts, that everything
should be done by us to have this mat
ter fully investigated SO that we
may know where we are walking.
with whom we are talking, and that We
can guide ourselves Alright with the re-
suit of this investigation" 4
The motion to adopt was seconded by
Dibble.
The Speaker pro tenn. said: 'sThe pre-
senting of this resolution at this time
will require the suspending of the rules,
If there are no. objections, the rules
will stand suspended for the presenta-
ton of this petition
The rules being suspended, Mellick
wished to amend the resolution by in
cluding 'the power to administer oaths"
In the authorization of the powers of
the committee. Dibble, Johnson and
others informed MeIlick that the law
gives such committee that power and
he withdrew his motion.
OF INVESTIGATION.
The Speaker pro tenn. asked for re-
cess of five minutes in which to pre-
pare the names Of the committee for an
1t was granted him, and
ifc <,ay. ha onnorncod eel