Evening star., 1904-04-27
DEMANDS An INQUIRY
Bourke Cochran Wants
Charges Investigated.
CLASH IN THE HOUSE
ING ON POINT OF ORDER.
After an Exciting Session Adjourn
ment is Taken Until This
Morning.
CLASH IN THE HOUSE

icScHtdbNS JoilH LdiZtl VI ISuHSyi
and Representative w. Bourke' Cochran of
New York came late in the afternoon. when
the latter demanded the appointment of a
select committee of the House to investi-
gate the charge made against him on the
floor by Mr. Dalzell, being in effect that he
had deserted hts own party in 1896 for
money and supported William Mckinley for
pay. The House adjourned for the day
| with the motion pending.
Mr.. Dalzell Closes.
Mr.. Dalzell closed his speech yesterday,
| amid wild republican applause, with a most
| bitter denunciation of Mr.. Cochran. He re-
ferred to that gentlemans speech before
| the democratic convention which sent him
| to Congress in which Mr.. Cochran said:
1--WE have reached point where the coun-
try is regarded as an international hood
lum." Facing the democratic side and look
ing directly at Mr.. Cochran, Mr.. Dalzell
declared that that utterance was of as
| much interest to them as 1t was to himself.
IF there be any hoodlums amongst u.s."
he said. speaking with much vehemence,
they are not the product of American soil,
American institutions or American civillza-
ton" He was interrupted with loud and
prolonged republican applause. Continuing
he said: 'They are to be found rather
amongst those adventurers who, having
left their own country for their country S
good, find in the field Of American politics
prolific sources of notoriety and peif. men
who without conscience and without con-
viction find an opportunity now with one
party, now with another, to find market
for their peculiar wares, among which is
not respectability." He took his seat amid
| another storm of republican applause.
Mr.. Cochran Responds.
Mr. Cochran had sat through the entire
speech of Mr.. Dalzell unmoved and waited
for him to finish when, rising from his seat,
he was greeted with tumultous applause
| by the democrats. When order was restored
he began his reply by stating that from
| the position of the newest and most humble
member of the House 1 seem to have been
suddenly exalted with the dignity of a
| political ISSUE" He could, he said, scarcely
realize that this extraordinary display of
personal rancor and vituperation will be
accepted by the republican party as the
keynote of this presidential campaign" Per-
| In war of abuse with the "gentleman'
| from Pennsylvania, referring to Mr.. Dali
| zells application to himself. Mr.. Dalzell
| he declared, had thought it proper to justify
a charge of infamy against fellow mem
| ber by searching the various channels
| through which anonymous calumniation cir
| culates in a political campaign and with
hands no cleaner than those with which it
| deals, hurls it over a body of deliberative
men" Many things. he said had been
| quoted which had been attributed to him.
| some of which were garbled extracts of
| speeches, and some Of which were alleged
| interviews he never held. Therefore, he
| said, "the gentleman perhaps has some
| right to complain that the charges which
| he voiced here last Saturday had been
| left these many years unnoticed by me-
MI. Cochran Denies.
Mr. Cochran denied the charge that he
| had received $4,000 from the Palmer and
| Buckner campaign committee. He also de-
| MED in the most positive manner that he
| had ever received money for supporting
President McKinley's election in 1896.
He denied the charge that he ever was
greenbacker. In the campaign of 1886 he
| combated with all his energy what he be-
! lieved to be heresy regarding the finances
advocated by Mr.. Bryan. He had believed
| Mr.. Bryan to be an absolutely honest man.
| and had predicted that when he saw his
error on the financial question he would be
| the first to take the plank out of the plat
| form. Within the last few days, however,
| he said Mr.. Bryan had demonstrated that
| he was attached to an idea and would tear
| down everything rather than yield.
| Mr.. Cochran reviewed his welcome back
| to Congress. 1t had been most cordial on
| the part of members on both sides of the
chamber. and had been participated in by
! Mr.. DalZell.
I'VE are now told" he continued "that
| was all the time regarded as a mercenary
| whose services were for sale" If Mr. Dali
| zell believed the charges he had brought
| against him, Mr.. Cochran said, it showed
| him (Mr. DalzelD in a pitiable state. He
| was in infamy and did not know it. He
| had confessed to his own party's corrup-
| ton He had proved, if he had proved any
| thing that the presidential election had
| been purchased. 1t had been charged that
| 100000 900 had been spent by the republican
| campaign committee in that campaign. Mr..
Cochran said he had never believed these
| charges himself
AS to defending himself he said, II can
| always protect myself from the gentleman
| from Pennsylvania by choosing my own
| side Of the street.
Asks for Investigation.
Before sit down shall ask this House
| to agree with me on this, that If what the
| gentleman has said is true. am unworthy
| of its membership if what he said be false,
| he Is unworthy of membership"
Mr.. Cochran was interrupted with loud
| cheers from his democratic colleagues. He
| continued: This will take wider range
| than our personal virtues 1 shall ask for
| a committee to investigate this charge and
| shall ask for power to send for persons and
papers"
Mr. Cochran said he had a resolution
ready to offer that represents my attitude
| and the attitude of the honest man in the
| face of''-pausing and measuring his words
-"one that cannot be described in Darlia
| mentary language" The democrats inter
rupted with applause, but Mr.. Cochran
| continued: "One," he said, whose charac-
| ter cannot be described because he has IL
luStrated 1t by his performance" He then
read his resolution, which was as follows
Whereas, the Hon. John Dalzell, men,
| ber of this House, and of the committee
| on ways and means, charged on the floor
| that William Bourke Cochran, a represen-
| tative from New York and a member of
| the same committee has been paid money
| by political party to support the candi-
| date for the presidency nominated in op-
| position to the party with which the said
William Bourke Cochran had Heretofore
| been affiliated; and
Whereas, the charge though attacked
| specifically on the floor by the said Will
| lam Bourke Cochran had not been with
| drawn by the said John Dalzell; and
Whereas, said charge, If true, estab-
| fishes such conduct should unfit any
| man for membership in this House, and if
| false should be SO declared and It's author
| censured severely: Therefore, be 1t
Resolved. That a select committee of
| five members be appointed by the chair to
| INQUIRE into the truth of said charge and
! to report the testimony with their conclu-
sions thereon to this House at its session
| beginning the first Monday of December
next: be 1t further
Resolved, That said committee be and
| 1t is hereby given full power to compel
| the attendance of such witnesses and the
| DrodIctfon of such papers as the members