The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-29

Several Of the House reporters, like Mr.
Small Mr.. Cochrane and Mr.. lrland, ar
finely educated lawyers, and the last named
has had large experience IN active news
paper work.
But not all Members Of Congress appre-
ciate the difference in stenographic attain
ments And 1t j. a curious fact that the
Impeachment OF Judge Swaync was post
poned nearly a year because his statement
before the House Committee was horribly
garbled by the stenographcr who first went
through the motions of reporting him.
Years ago New England senator pro-
cured the creation. through a deficiency
bill. Of a small place on the House corps
Of employees for a colored man who posed
a. a shorthand writer Wholly lacAiug ~
reporting skill this man managed TO keep
his Incompetence out of public notice.
for some years he was an assistant clerk
in the room OF the Committee on the Jul
dietary.
But one lucklcss day Judge Swayne,
the most important witness VINO has been
examined in the House IN many yenr7 APP
peared in the committee room and de-
sired to be heard in his own Nndica}iOn.
The regular committee reporters were all
busy; and the guiieless gentlemen who would
lmpeach Judge Swayne, believing that their
colored clerk would do, turned him loose
TO make the record Of what the accused
Judge had 10 say.
When the typewriter report was evolved
some days later 1t was ike an Episcopal
congregational did those things IL ought
not TO nave done and left undOna these
thing, il ought TO have done ana there was
no sense init. Judge Swayne had gone home.
IL was near the close Of the long session
OF Congress and the case simply had to q put
over until this winter TO find out what Judge
Swayne really would say for himself
Nobody viii ever know what he said last
year, because the stenographer who tired
!. la M
field made this reference TO the matter IN
his argument the other day. He said
Next Jet me call the attention of the House
TO the charge IN relation to uon-rcsideuCc.
and mere l wish 70 say that he record does
not disclose all the evidence that Is given in
this case, Judge SWayne testified before this
subcommittee, as ! understand, something
ike two hours and his testimony would lu-
cude something like nine or ten thousand
words. | am stating TINS approximately
only. ! notice thnt TINS record publishes
about 8 500 words. Now. in that tranScTi pt
there Is only about oue-third of A., Us under
stand, printed. | do not know where the
balance Is
gentleman from Pennsylvania Mr. Palmer
! the gentleman from PENNSYLVANIA suFg"sfc q
! to the gentleman from California Mr. Giiletll
/ that II was gurbled. inadequate ana Incorrect
I Now "a part Of the testimony does not appear
/ in this case.
| ] have 10 say in relation TO this matter Is that
when the statement Of Judge Swaync was
taken before the committee and WIS tram
scribod it appeared to be very inaccurate
and carblrd 20 much 20 that ~ was the opin-
ion OF both myself and MIR Palmer that IL was
not fair statement OF his sid" ~ the case.
and that fair statement ought 10 be made
and that that statement should not be pub
lshcd.
They took his testimony over again
afterward, but IL Is a remarkable fact that
the case against Judge Swayne was cir
culated in print for nearly a whole year
before his own story saw the light. be-
cause a careless committee allowed an
amateur stenogra phcr 10 chop his intelli-
gent defence into sausage meat. That Is
part Of the reason why he is now awaiting
trial before the Senate instead Of being al
home about bis business