The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-02-25
Legislative Proceedings
Continued From Page One.


In many days A regular reception was
rendered him at the Mckenzie hotel
after clincher motion had been added
TO the motion to dispense with fur
ther proceedings toward bringing his
impeachment.
Today Judge Cowan will arrive horne
at Devils Lake to help receive the big
delegations of Elks who install lodge
there tonight.
Before departure last night, Judge
Cowan made this statement to The
Forum representative:
] cannot thank my friends too much
Tor the manner in which they have
stood by me in this vicious fight, and
my appreciation is more deeply felt
than | can express. Personal grudges
OF political enemies and bigger politi-
cal reasons too deeply laid to fully
comprehend caused this disgraceful
and needless fight. My friends and
the many others did not know per-
sonally who voted for me, have made
II victory for me and have seen that
justice has been fully given
I did not object in the slightest to
the testimony taken by the committee
being submitted for the consideration
OF the whole house, as there was moth
ing in 1t to fear, as the six gentle
men who brought in favorable report
must have felt when they urged the
impeachment resolution indefinitely
postponed
However it is over and / let the
dead bury the dead and return to my
duties without harboring malice to-
ward any who have brought on this I'M
pleasant proceeding which has taken
up the time of the house needlessly."
Story Of the Fight.
Bismarck, N. D., Feb. 25.-By a vote
of Sd to AZ, one and two votes less
than that by which the adoption of the
majority report was carried at the
afternoon session. the clincher motion
was added after recess last night in
the Cowan impeachment matter before
the house. The Cunningham motion
for indefinite postponement carried
earlier in the day by a vote of So to
40, as announced in The Forum yes
terday. In the passage of the clinch-
err, which was deferred until the even
ing session at 1880, the anti Cowan-
lists lost two votes and the pro- Cowan-
ties lost one.
The evening was an exciting one
in Bismarck and the hotel Hobbies were
packed with those who, while having
no personal interest in the matter,
were curious TO see what action would
be taken, as so much had gone out
to some of the newspapers that tend
ed to convict the Devils Lake jurist
before he had even been given fair
trial. There were ugly comments
heard which were said to have emanat
ed from the opposition. and which, re-
suited in a scrap in the corridors of
the capitol, in which one of the promi-
nent state officials participated.
Perhaps the most sensational fight
was made on the floor of the North
Dakota house of representatives yes
terday that has ever happened in the
legislative halls of the northwest. Seri-
Gus charges were made not only
against Judge Cowan, who was accused
by zine residents of Devils Lake OF
Tam crimes and misdemeanors. but
against number Of the house mem
bers and one Of the state officials
Receiving the report shortly after
converting in the afternoon a hot fight
was Immediately precipitated that kept
the house in a turmoil until after the
majority report had been adopted and
then, with the "clincher" motion lost
motion to take a recess until 4:
o'clock last night was carried.
Intense Feeling.
Bitter arraignment of the methods
employed attempting to bring about
the Impeachment of Judge Cowan OF
the course pursued by the committee
in making it's investigation together
with the fiinging of the startling
charges against public men and de-
nouncement of the pressure that had
been brought to bear upon the mem
bers Of the house since the impeach-
ment resolution was introduced char
acterized the proceedings. Foyers and
galleries were crowded to overflowine
and in the rear of the floor of the house
the open space between the desks OF
the members and the rail was filled
so much that attention of the house
was called to the situation when re-
quest was made for clearing the
floor.
40 JOiilEU III the report Tor
indefinite postponement of further
proceedings reciting the fact that they
had examined forty-three witnesses
all told, and that in their opinion the
charges laid before the house did not
contain sufficient merit to warrant the
preparation of articles of Impeachment
against the defendant.
Representative C'Connor's lone rec.
onnmendation for impeachment was al.
so read.
Cunningham Moves Adoption.
Immediately after the reports baf
been read, Representative Cunninghau
OF LaMoure county gained recognition
at the hands of Speaker Hanley anc
he moved the adoption of the major.
ity report, being seconded by Repre-.
sentative .Streeter of Emmons county
Mr.. Davis of Grand Forks, next recog.
nized, moved that the matter be mad,
special order for $3.50 o'clock tomor.
row Afternoon, being seconded BY Mr.
7. Christianson of Walsh county.
With this motion before the house
Chairman Jordal of the investigating
committee declared that the enormou,
pressure brought to bear upon the
members of this house made immediat,
action advisable, and in support of hi,
statement to that effect, he submitted
an anonymous communication that hae
been received by the committee The
day previous. This letter had beer
received by the committee while it wa:
in session, and was in substance t.
the effect that the press of the state
was watching, and that any attempt al
embarrassing would result in each ant
every member Of the committee beinl
singled out and dealt with separately