The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-13
BAILEY CASE
 IS THE ISSUE Investigation Measure in
 Texas House. TAKES UP THE SESSION Followers of Senator Have Given
 Up Fight. Declares Statement that His Friends are Trying to Delay Inquiry .nto His Conduct is
 Untruth.


 Austin, Texas. Jan. 1a.--The sug- gested Bailey investigation can at this time well be considered the one inn portant issue before the Texas Leg | islature. It has consumed the entire session of today and bids fair to con- tinue well into Monday, under the de- batting rules, without any vote being | secured.
 The anti Bailey faction claims a vic- tory up until now and that they will | make even better gains in the end. The basis of this prediction is that their opponents have ignored their original | defense and are now offering as a sub- stitute the proposition of having a spe- cial committee to decide upon the mer- | it's as to whether or not an investi- gation should be had.
 Today's entire session was given over to discussion of the proposed inves- tigatfon and when adjournment was had | late in the evening but one side of the | controversy had been presented. Rep- | resentative Duncan of Smith County, | the leader of the anti Bailey forces, was the only speaker today The case of the friends of Senator Bailey will be | presented
 As soon as the resolution demanding an investigation and granting the in- vestigating committee authority to hold sessions in St. Louis and New York, | was read, the Bailey partisans offered their substitute to appoint a commit tee of seven to see whether or not an | investigation was necessary. With these two propositions pending and the anti Bailey people looking on the sub | aVn
 'stfgation. the House proceeded to
 1siness of discussing the merits
 Investigation resolution.
 "esolution Goes Over,
 Hey. people interrupted the
 as at the outset with a privi-
 solution asking for the ap-
 nj Of a joint committee to pro-
 the election of United States
 to fix the time end make all
 s-.algeiaents. No objection was ofrer- 1nsFt to the introduction of. this resolution. brt under tbs rules 1t goes over untfi Monday
 The Bailey followers, it is said. have practically given up their fight to de- feat the investigation resolution. The anti Bailey forces announced today that they Have boiled the House and that if vote were secured tonight, they would defeat the substitute and carry the original resolution, demanding an immediate inquiry with full powers delegated to the commission.
 Hundreds of people were in the gall leries to hear the debate and never be- fore was such interest manifested here in any legislative subject.
 Both the Bailey and anti Bailey 1 forces have endeavored to bring Gov ernor-elect Campbell into the contro- versy, but he has announced that he will not be mixed up in somebody elsss row. and outside of stating that he considers Bailey the Democratic nomi- nee for the Senatorship and worthy of the honor he will make no statement. Bailey Makes Q Statement Austin, Tex, Jan. 12.-United States Senator Joseph W. Bailey tonight gave out the following interview regarding the proposed legislative investigation: There ts not the substance of truth In the statement which has been sent out from Austin to the effect that my | friends are seeking, either to prevent or to delay an investigation. am more than ready to meet any charge that any responsible man may make against me"
 T do not believe tnat a Senator from Texas ought to be required to answer series of indefinite, nebuloms and anonymous charges. and all ask Is that those who accuse me of personal or po- litical misconduct shall make their ac- cusations specific. and offer some proof fin support of them.
 The statement that if have done no wrong l ought to demand an ir. vestigation sounds well enough until 1t Is analysed; but 1t proceeds upon A misapprehension of what it means tO investigate the conduct of a man whom the state of Texas has honored with one of her Senatorshlps would rath- CT be indicted as a citizen in prIyato life than to be investigated as a Sen. ator from Texas; and the fact that my exoneration will follow an inquiry into my conduct would no more reconcile me to an investigation than the fact that citizen would be acquitted upen trial would reconcile him to be in- dicted
 As I now recall it. Texas is the only Southern State thate has ever thought 1t necessary to investigate the conduct of a Democratic Senator. and that circumstance alone should Impress every thoughtful man with the idea that an investigation ought not to he proposed, or ordered except upon grave charges which those who made them would hold themselves bound to pr,ys
 ExoBerRted Six Years Ago.
 SIX years ago, when my enemies assailed me about this Waters Pierce OH Company transaction, I demanded an investigation, but I first requested my friends to strike out part of the preamble to the resolution which re- cited that 1t had been charged. and to substitute for 1t that a meraber of the House of Representatives had made the charge With than amendment. the resolution was adopted. and the inves- tigation was ordered. conducted and concluded. But the legislative record shows that the man who offered the resolution, when called upon for his statement under oath. admitted to the committee that he could not swear to any fact or circumstance that would tend to prove his charge
 With that experience fin my mind will be excused for insisting in this instance upon some definite charge for which some reputable man Is win ing to vouch.
 "The commonest negro in Texas cannot be tried for a petty theft ex- cept upon a specific charge preferred against him and supported by the oath or affirmation of some witness Ger tainly the Democrats of Texas do not