The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-02-25

demonstrations would result in an or
der to the sergeant t-arms to clear
the house.
Undertaking Methods Used.
Continuing, Chairman Jordal stated
that the committee had been under
enormous pressure that he himself
believed in clean government, but he
characterized the fight against Cowan
as being one in when dirty muck
raking' had been adopted.
Representative Streeter was the next
speaker, and the letter that had been
submitted to the house was the point
on which he made his talk. He said
ne understood there was an organized
| effort to whitewash, and he also said
that IL was not for the house to act
on newspaper reports that had been
! printed on the case. If the personal
| liberty, property rights and lives of the
people OF the Second judicial district
We're endangered by reason Of the fact
that Judge Cowan was on the bench,
then he felt that impeachment should
| be brought about. If charges to that
effect were untrue, the house should be
in position to show that there were no
| such grounds. He cited the fact that
one member of the committee was for
impeachment. He also told of the in
huence brought to bear upon members
of the house, and he said it came from
both sides. and IL the house adopted
the resolution he felt that it would
result in the criticism Of the whole
state being heaped upon the house.
Davis Makes Plea.
| ro,,,;.
got the floor and made passionate
plea against adoption of the majority
report. He explained the fact that he
mad introduced the resolution as the
request of Devils Lake man. and the
attorney for the prosecution, and that
! he himself had no personal feelings
in the matter. He felt that it was a
part of his duty as a legislator to sub
NIT such resolution In view of the
fact that Cowan was judge, that he
should be removed. He felt, too, that
he was entitled to know from the COM
mittee what the evidence was, although
he said that during the progress of
the case affidavits had been laid before
him from time to time reciting charges
against the judge
Chairman Jordal, again gaining the
floor, explained reasons why the evil
dence had not been taken. The house
had made no provision for the taking
of such evidence; certain witnesses for
the prosecution requested that there be
no record because of alleged vindic.
tiveness upon the part Of the judge,
which they declared was such that
full recital of facts would not be had,
and for the further fact that had such
kevidence been taken, 1t would have
kbeen used against Judge Cowan.
! The stories that had been sent Ut
to certain newspapers of the state, Mr..
Streeter said had not been sent out
by the regular newspaper correspond
ents at the capitol, whom he felt were
endeavoring to give a fair and un-
biased statement of the situation, and
he felt that every member of the house
was being outraged in the receipt by
the committee of such a communica-
ton as that just read The committee
had done its work. he felt fair and
square. No attack had been made on
Judge Cowan's honesty and in the opin-
ion Of Mr.. Streeter the second judicial
district judge had been fair and
square on the bench.
| streetsr Scores Methods.
i The Mr.. Streeter. roundly scored the
methods used in the fight on Cowan a
fight in which housekeeping, the pre-.
judicing Of the public mind by unfair
newspaper articles, was declared as
outrageous.
He felt that the house had been
more than fair in the matter. A pc
tition had been received by the house.
he said, not sworn to, but 1t had been
sent to a committee for investigation,
and in taking such action he felt that
the house had gone long ways.
In this case Representative Streeter
declared some persons have made a
record that, to use an old time char
acterization, would shine and stink,
and shine, like a rotton mackerel in
the moonlight" referring to certain
of those in the movement to impeach
Then Homnes of Divide county gain
ed the floor and in his address he scor-
ed the investigating committee. The
report of the committee, he said, had
come to the house, but no evidence was
on hand, and he read the resolution
passed by the house as being, in his
opinion, to the point that such evil
dence should be secured. He said that
the house did not know, except what it
had received in the report from the
committee, and the house was being
asked to act upon that report, or the
opinion of the members of the COM
mittee.
He felt that the house should be
placed in the possession of the testi-
mony, declaring that the house had Il
duty to perform In the matter and
which duty, he said, it was unable 10
faithfully discharge in the absence of
such evidence.
He declared that he had no personal
feeling in the matter against Judge
Cowan, and that he would like as much
las anybody to see him vindicated.
How They Voted.
Following is the vote TO adopt the
majority report of the investigating
committee:
Those who voted in the affirmative
were: Aasheim, Anderson OF Ramsey,
Andrus Benson Boerner, Bond, Boyd,
Burns. Collins. Cunningham, Dean, De-
Lance. Edwards. Englund, Fox, France
Frame. Fritz. Gardiner Geiger Hoge,
Johns Jordal. Kane, Knutson, Lageson,
Lee, Martin. Mcclellan, Moen of Ben
son, Morrison. NORTH. Narum. Nelson
of Walsh O'Shea, Paulson, Pendray,
Ployhar. Ray. Reeve, Sauer, Scott,
Scheer, Sgutt. Sorlie. Stern, Strana-
han Streeter Tande; Thompson, Toll