The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-06-25
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Continued From Page One)
Gentlemen of the Senate and House of
Representatives of the State of
the State of Washington:
Since your adjournment on March
IL last, the State of Washington has
sustained a severe loss in the death OF
Governor Samuel G. Cosgrove, who
died at Paso Robes, California, Sun
day morning, March 2Sth. Ill healtr
after election gave Governor Cosgrove
little opportunity to devote himself
actively to the affairs Of state, but we
all know from the example he set as
a citizen, the spotless record of his
private life and his high ideals of the
duties of an official as expressed in
his public utterances, that, had be
lived. he would have conducted his
administration with an unselfish de-
votion to the general welfare, fearless
in the performance of what he con
ceived to be right and courageous in
the, prosecution of wrong.
just prior to the Adjournment last
March of the eleventh regular session
of your honorable body you passed
resolution creating an Investigating
committee. This action was taken as
a result of serious and alarming
charges that had been made in open
session upon the floor of the legisla-
ture involving the integrity and
official conduct of certain state
officers. You clothed your committee
with authority to Investigate the af-
fairs. doings and conduct of such state
officers and such departments Of the
state government as gaid committee
shall deem proper" and provided that
it should report the result of such
investigation to the governor of this
state on or before the 18th day of July
1909"
At a meeting held in Seattle on
June End, your committee made a YER
bal report to the governor, informing
him of the conditions it had found ex-
listing in some of our state offices, and
of the recommendations the written
report would contain. als% suggesting
the ACCESSIBILITY of calling your hon
orable body together for the purpose
of considering and acting upon its re-
port.
Accordingly l issued a proclamation
on June Srd calling upon you to con-
vene in extraordinary session on this
day to consider and act upon the re-
port and recommendations of youl
The findings of that committee bring
to light conditions repugnant to the
best interests of the state, conditions
that cannot longer be tolerated. They
contain a serious indictment against
the present insurance commissioner Of
this state and the former secretary Of
state. The evidence cited in these
findings develops the fact that thes'
officials were recreant to their duty
betrayed the trust placed in them and
violated every consideration of honol
and public obligation that should hav,
regulated their conduct
Because of these revelations, one
Of the officials has resigned his offic.
and the evidence that has been gathere,
brands the othfr as unfit to continue
in position of responsibility. Their
is no denial OF the moral obliquity OIL
the part of the accused oficial-merel,
the specious plea that the letter of tn
law has not been violated. In the fac,
OF the evidence adduced and the ad
course only appears open to the legis
lature, which is the removal from offic,
of the delinquent officer. There ar,
two methods open to you by which
this official may be removed:
1. BY impeachment proceedings.
,. BY abolishing the office
1 recommend that you pursue on,
or the other of the above methods a.
you see fit and deem most advanta
geous.
In the case before you for consider