Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-02-25
COWAN WAS EXONERA1ED
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4 This charge brought Davis to his feet
on question of personal privilege, de-
claring that he was not OIL trial.
Its a good thing for you that you
are not,' was the rejoindcr Of Chair
man Jordal, and the crowds i'll the gal
lcries broke forth in applause that called
, Speaker Hanley TO his feet with the an
nouncement that any further demon
STATIONS would result in an order to the
sergeant at arms to clear the house.
Continuing, Chairman Jordal stated
that the committee had been under en-
ormous pressure; that he himself be-
lieved in clean government, but lie
characterized the fight against Cowan
as being one in which dirty muck-rak-
| ing methods" had been adopted.
Representative Streeter was the next
speaker, and the letter that had beer
submitted to the house was the point
on which he made his talk. The stories
that had been sent out to certain news
papers of the state, Mr. Streeter said,
| had not been sent out by thu regular
newspapcr correspondents at the capt
tol, whom he felt were endea' cring to
give a fair and unbiased statement ct
The situation, and he felt that every
member of the house was being outraged
in the receipt by the COMMITTEES OF such
a communication as that just read. The
committee had done its work, he felt,
fair and square. No attack had been
made on Judge Cow ans honesty, and III
the opinion Of Mr.. Streeter the Second
judicial district jurist had been fair and
square on the bench.
Then Mr.. Streeter roundly scored the
methods used in the fight on Cowan. A
fight in which eavesdropping, the pre-
udicing of the public mind by unfair
newspaper articles, was declared a:
outrageous.
He felt that the house had been NOR:
than fair i'll the matter. A petition had
been received by the house, he said,
not sworn to, but it had been sent to
committee for investigation, and in TAX
} ing such action he felt that the house
had gone long ways.
In this case, Representative Streete
declared, some persons have MADE
record that, to use an old-time charac
terization, would shine and stink. an6
stink and shine, like rotten mackere
in the moonlight, referring to certain
of those in the movement to impeach.
Il Then Geo. Homnes of Divide county
Il gained the floor and i'll his address ht
i scored the investigating committee. The
report of the committee, he said, had
come to the house, but no evidence wa;
on hand, and he read the resolution
passed by the house as being, IN his
opinion, to the point that such evidence
should be secured. He said that the
house did not know, except what II
had received in the report from the
committee, and the house was beng
asked to act upon that report, or the
opinion of the members of the commit
tee.
| He felt that the house should be
placed i'll the possession of the testl-
mony, declaring that the house had a
duty to perform in the matter and
which duty, he said. it was unable to
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 as anyone to see him vindl-
Gated, He said that he understood
there was an organized effort to white
wash, and he also said that it was not
for the house to act on newspaper re-
ports that had been printed on the case.
If the personal liberty, property rights
and lives of the people of the Second
judicial district were endangered by
reason of the fact that Judge Cowan
was on the bench, then he felt that i'm
parchment 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 COM
mittee was for impeachment. He also
told of influence brought to bear upon
members of the house. and he said it
came from both sides, and if the house
adopted the resolution he felt that it
would result in the criticism of the
whole state being heaped upon the
house.
| Representative Davis of Grand Forks
then got the floor and made passion
ate plea against the adoption of the
majority report He explained the fact
that he had 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 legislator to sub
init such resolution in view Of the
charges that had been laid, and if any
one had been hurt by reason of the
fact that Cowan was judge, that he
should be removed He felt, too. that
he was entitled to know from the COM
mttee what the evidence was. although
he said that during the progress of the
case affdavits had been laid before him
from time to time reciting charges
|.against the Judge.
I'm the reply to the questions and de:
|inands for testimony. Chairman Jordal
stated that no record of the proceed
lings had been made, and that in arriv-
ing at the conclusion not to take testi-
money down the committee had con-
sidered the following questions: That
Ethey were not authorized to employ a
| stenographer: that Cowan had request
ed that no record be made because his