Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-02-24
ULTER|OR MOTIVE
CHARGED BY SOLON
MARSH SAYS CALLING BLAINE
TO STAND AT THIS TIME
IMPROPER.
"PooR JUDGMENT" TO REVEAL
FACTS AFFECTING cANpl-
DATES TESTIMONY.
COMMITTEE CLEAVAGE WIDENs:
AssEMeLYMEN SEPARATED
FROM SENATORS.
Madison, Feb. 20.

semblymen on the committee resur-
rected the question that had arisen
the preceding day to demand again
that the solon who had preferred the
charges be called at this time to give
the committee the information he has.
The senatorial members of the inuui-
sition bitterly opposed this step as
poor judgment on the part of the
committee
The members voting that Mr.. Blaine
now be summoned to testify were AS
semblymen Bray, ingalls,, Hambrecht,
Whitman, and Chappell
Those against this procedure were
Senators Marsh, Morris and Husting.
The senators took the view that the
investigation was not a judicial trial,
but an inquisition endeavoring to un-
cover alleged misconduct on the part
of some of the senatorial candidates.
1t is proper. therefore, Senator Morris
claimed, to get all the facts possible
before the suspected men find out
what definite information the COM
mittee has. The assemblymen com
pared the investigation to a criminal
case where the state makes it's charges
which form the basis of the trial I'VE
have no right to assume" demanded
Mr.. ingalls,, that the men involved
here are rogues trying to hide their
footsteps in the campaign until we
have facts to base our opinions on"
The controversy started after the
testimony of Mr.. Puelicher, private
banker for the Stephenson campaign,
was closed. Mr.. Bray moved that
Senator Blaine be called as the next
witness Il consider Senator Blaines
evidence of first Importance in con-
nection with the candidacy of Sena-
tor Stephenson. and | desire to have
the senator tell this committee all he
knows. In a measure this is a trial.
Everyman has a right to know what
he is tried for. The senator, it is
alleged, has the information on which
this investigation is based. AT the
executive session yesterday, the chair
man of this committee charged that
Mr. Hambrecht's only purpose in ask
ing Senator Blaine to appear at this
time is to render ineffective the work
of this committee. | asked the chair
man after the session if he had wished
in his remarks to attribute to Mr..
Hambrecdt any Interior motive. He
replied that he was in the habit of
saying what he thought and that he
had no further explanations to make 1T
was | who asked Mr.. Hambrecht TO
move that Senator Blaine come up at
this time. If any one had Interior
motives in asking that the senator be
summoned now, / am the one. But
do not believe that that would be in
justice to my attitude in this matter"
To reply to the assemblyman,
Senator Marsh asked Mr. Bray TO act
as chairman. He agreed he said
with the other members of the com
mittee that there should not be exec
utive sessions. The matter before the
committee was of interest to all the
people of the state. 1t was no more
than proper that they should know
everything the committee is doing.
When a proposition comes up, It'll
should be thrashed out in open ses-
sion. Regarding the summoning of
Senator Blaine, he declared that he
did not understand that only the
Blaine charges be investigated, but |
others as we'll. 1t would be more adj
visable to investigate the other |
charges at this time. 1T looks |
strange" he said that Senator Blaine
should be called at this time to dis
close information before the gentle
men involved are investigated. There
seems to be burning desire on the
part of some of the members to have
Senator Blaine testify before Mr. Ed
monds and Mr.. Sackett. the only ones
who know how the money was spent.
are called TO the. stand If there is
no Interior motive | must conclude
that it is poor judgment on the part
of this committee to take this step.
His information ought to be re-
vealed before we have heard the
other men. We haven't got any facts
so far as the examination of the can
didates is concerned. Senator
Stephenson stated that he did not
know anything We should get the
from Mr.. Sackett, Miss
Stringham, Mr. Edmonds. Isn't it fair
to call those that have the informa-
ton that this committee needs? If
we want TO place the adverse witness /,
in possession of what we know. of {
what they should guard against. then '
let's cali Blaine
Assemblyman Hambrecht said that
the committee has reached a parting i
of the ways in the proceedings. All
the candidates had been called. he re- {