The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-05-08
SPEAKER WAS MISTAKEN
Legislative Committee Says There Was
No Doodle at SPRINGFIELD.

mo 5oodle at Springfield.
Springfield, Ill, May 5---The commit
tee appointed to investigate charges
OF bribery in the Illinois legislature
has submitted a final report to the
mouse. The report declares that no
real attempt was made to bribe Speak,
er John H. Miller, whose attempt to
gavel a traction bill through the house
LED 70 a riot and whose explanation was
mat he believed bribery had been re-
sorted to in the Interest of a rival bill.
Inc speaker, in his explanation, made
mention of an editorial in the Chicago
inter Ocean. In this connection the
committee condemns George w. Hin
man, editor of the Inter Ocean, for his
charges Of boodleism relating to trac-
ton legislation. The report says:
The Witnesses.
Your committee examined as wit
nesses, besides Speaker John H, Miller.
Messrs. Anderson and George 3. Al
bert, as to the statement made by the
speaker, being all Of the witnesses OBJ
tainabie from the nature of his state
ment.
A to the editorial referred to, it ex-
amined G.. w. Human, editor of the
Chicago Inter Ocean; Herbert Vander-
hoof, Frank Armstrong and John G.
Lane, reporters of that paper; Senator
D. A. Campbell, State Treasurer Busse.
Representatives. Lindley, Nohe and
Mitchell; Assistant Clerk John A.
Barnes, q. R. Bliss, L. M~inzesheimer,
William F. Feltmann, paying teller Of
The Metropolitan Trust and Savings
bank OF Chicago, and upon their re-
quest, Mr.. E. Burritt Smith and Walter
L. Fisher"
Committees Findings.
The report then states that the COM
mtttee is unanimous as to the follow
ing conclusions:
"Ffrst-That the evidence produced
before us does not establish any real
attempt to c%orruptly influence the ac-
ton of the speaker of this house.
"Second-That there was no reason
able or substantial ground for the ed
ltoral entitled 'Boodle,' published in the
Chicago Inter Ocean April Fl. 1903. md
that the charges therein contained and
as specified further in the testimony of
Mr.. Hinman, were wholly without truth
or foundation as to any membcr or off,
Ger of this house SO far as we have
been able to discover"
Silence Was Dramatic.
During the reading OF the. report the
silence was almost painful, notwfth-
standing the fact that the lobby and
galleries We're crowded with spectators
who had been drawn to the house in
anticipation OF a repetition Of the riot
ous proceedings of last week. Upon the
question Of the adoption Of the report
there was q roll call. 4
The report was adopted without a
dissenting voice. The house also unan-
imously adopted a vote of thanks to
h investigating committee, for the
satisfactory manner in which it had
performed it's duty.
Street Car Bill Taken up. :.
A resolution providing for the print
Ing of 1000 0 copies of the committee
report was adopted. The rules were
then quickly suspended on a viva voce
vote M the Mueller bill, the traction
measure which had been antagonized
by Speaker Miller, was ordered to be
brought before the house for immed-
late consideration. In a fierce debate.
opponents of the bill charged that the
Mueller law would carry with it a
grant of control for forty-fve years to
street railway companies. An amend
ment offered by friends of the bill was
adopted limiting all grants under the
bill to twenty years. 's