The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-04-12
Hughes Urges Legislators
To Get Busy Immediately

ALBANY, y. Y, April 11.-Declar-
ing that the recent revelations in the
Aids Conger bribery inquiry and the
facts brought out in the insurance
investigation by Superintendent
Hotchkiss have caused every honest
citizen to Jingle with shame and in
dignation and have made Irresistible
the demand that every proper means
should be employed to purify Cover
nor Hughes sent a special message TO
the legislature tonight, recommending
IAN immediate, impartial, thorough
and unsparing investigation into exc
cutive practices and procedure and IN
TO the use of corrupt or improper
means for the promotion or defeat OF
legislation"
ACCOMMODATING the message was
preliminary report of superintendent
Hotchkiss, outlining the facts develop
ed at the fire insurance investigation
i'm New York and setting forth the diff
ficuNies encountered in following up
the various leads that have been I'M
covered. The superintendent says that
obstacles apparently insuperable nave
developed in the course of the inquiry
These, in his judgment, warrant fur-
Their investigation, but he has no pow
er to pursue them and Therefore has
laid the facts thus far developed be-
fore the governor for action.
The governor says lin part:
Hughes Messago.
1T is the high privilege of the leg
Z: oa1,o Of re l.
cations to itself and to the people of
the state, to follow the salutary action
already taken in its upper branch by
appropriate steps for the exposure and
destruction of combinations and con-
spiracies against the just use of the
law making power and by providing
suitable protection against the recur-
renee of such abuses. This is a prom
ising opportunity to pursue the open
ing trails of corruption, to reveal IL
licit methods and agencies, to uncover
the perfdious influences that have dis
honOred the state and thus to aid in
securing the wholesome exercise of its
beneficient authority.
1T is the unquestioned prerogative
of the legislature to inquire into the
course of legislation, the integrity of
legislative procedure and the means
by which it's action has been procured
or frustrated The legislature is en-
titled to know how, wherein and by
whom it has been deceived and its
powers perverted.
Disclosure Was Wholesome.
Important as will be the wholesome
and corrective influence of publicity
with respect to these matters, the pur-
pose and result of inquiry extend be-
yond the bounds of mere disclosure.
No subject deserves more thorough
consideration to the end that the op-
portunities of those who are willing
to buy legislative favor or to use rep
resentative powers for personal profit
should be limited to the utmost de-
gree.
1T may be impossible wholly to
eradicate these evils but to the extent
that the nature of the illicit iRter-
course is understood and the methods
and instrumentalities which have
been successful are exposed there may
be intelligent effort at remedial action
through both statutes and legislative
rules. The time is ripe, in my judg-
ment, for full and painstaking in
curry to expose the worst of public
wrongs and to prepare the way for
needed improvements in our laws and
legislative processes.
Would Probe Legislation.
L therefore recommend an immedi-
ate, impartial, thorough and unsparing
investigation into legislative practices
and procedure and into the use of cor
rupt or improper means for the pro-