The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-04-21
SUSPICIOUS OF CONVERSATION
House Committee Completes
Work and Firds Much TO
Criticise In Connection With
Passage Of EIsOn Bill and
Makes Recommendations TO
Prevent Recurrence Of Scan.
dals In Legislature.

Columbus, o., April 2l.-The house
committee appointed to investigate
charges Of bribery In connection with
tnC passage of the Elson telephone
merger bill in the house has com
p'eted its report. It says in part:
An examination of the sworn test'
mony connects no member of the
house of representatives with any
irregular or unlawful act in connec.
ton with the introduction, pendency
or rassage of House Bill No. 23I;
but the record of the proceedings
does disclose positive and direct evi.
dence tending to show that an un-
successful attempt was made, in vio-
lation Of the General Code. 10 infu.
enco the Honorable Howard w.
Pears, member of the house from Ar
len county, in his vote on the Elson
bill so-called From the evidence II
further appears that there are strong
corroborative circumstances support
ing the aforesaid positive testimony,
and II Is the opinion and judgment
of the committee that the grand jury
of Franklin county and the prosecut-
ing attorney thereof will find ample
evidence in the record of the pro-
ceedings to warrant and justify a
vigorous investigation OF the same.
Positive evidence is disclosed by
the testimony of Honorable Cyrus b.
Winters, member of the house from
Erie county. that upon consideration
Of the withdrawal of his opposition
TO the Elson bill, and thereupon be-
coming favorable thereto, he would
receive political influence and sup
port In his candidacy for the office
of secretary of state or any other of
flee to which he might aspire, or that
he would receive political support for
anything that he might want. This
evidence, however, is contradicted by
evidence equally as positive and di.
rect, and by reason thereof the com
mittee is unable to make any finding
of fact, excepting that In the conver-
sation as recited by the same mem
ber from Erie, and uncon.radicted by
any witness, it appears that the sub
ject OF the passage of the Elson bill
and the candidacy for Office ON the
part Of the member from Erie were
intermingled at the same time and
place, and thus logically leaving an
inference that the motives and pur.
poses OF the conversation detailed In
the evidence by the member from
| Erie were TO convince him that a
| change OF attitude toward the Elson
bill would be to his political sdvan
tage. We think that from the weight
Of the evidence with respect to this
feature of the investigation this con
clusion is fairly deducible.
From the testimony of the Honor
able Charles Degenhart. member
from Hamilton county, IT appears
that on the second legislative day
after the passage OF the Elson bill
so-called. while waiting and watching
at his seat in the house for a proper
time to make a motion for recon
sideration of said bill, he was called
from the floor of the house and de
tanned therefrom with the probable
design, purpose and motive of per
/ suading said Degenhart from making
any attempt to reconsider the vot'
taken on House Bill No. 23l.
From other testimony II sppear
!. that pretended tele:hone calls wsr.