The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-10-24

nucn' STA Twill DO. am exempted
by law from being called in question
at any time or at any place for
what l do in the Legislature OF the
State. That privilege / waive
cheerfully. II have wronged or
am wronging anyone. / stand ready
to respond to anyone at any time
and at any place. II any candidate
for United States Senator, or II ann
one who can state for him, with an
thority, believes that l am acting
from any unworthy motives, or that
l am acting without counting the
cost, If he will sit down and write
letter tome. explaining his rea.
sons for the belief and signing it
with his name, will answer him in
the same way and l will undertake
to say that 1t will be an answer.
have thought Of what l am doing;
have counted the cost and know
just where 1 stand. l think | know
where l would have stood had this
not occurred"
In this joint assembly OF the Leg
islature, i've Democrats, one state
Senator and four members Of the
House of Delegates, east their votes
against William E. Chiffon, while
one Democrat was excused from
voting. One Democratic State Sem
ator and six Democratic members Of
the House voted against Clarence W.
Watson for the short term in the
United States Senate. Had the
Democratic party been In power for
several years when the debauchery
of the caucus was effected, neither
Watson nor Chiffon would have
been elected following their ex.
posure. But the Democratic party
was successful after n long series OF
defeats and some of the strong party
men in the legislature voted for the
caucus nominees because they did
not care to divide the party.
The Demand to Investigate.
Following such grave charges
hurled at two men whom the Leg.
islature had honored with the high.
est offices within the gift Of the
State, affecting as they did the in.
tegrity of the membership of the
Legislature, 1t was only natural that
there should be demand for an
Immediate investigation OF the
charges which had spread through
the state like a sheet OF fire. II
Watson and Chiffon were innocent
of wrongdoing, the people demanded
that they be allowed to take their
seats in the Federal Congress with
out cloud on their title. II the
two men were innocent 1t was con-
tended that1an investigation would end
the general allegation made every
where that they had bought their
seats in the United States Senate
like Lorimer, of Illinois.
The first effort to secure an inyes.
tigation of the charges of bribery
and corruption brought, against Sem
ator Watson and Chiffon by mem
.bers of their own party, was made
by Delegate E. F. Moore, Republic
can, of Marshall county, who, on the
morning of January %, before the
meeting Of the joint assembly was
called, offered resolution, propos-
ing to create committee for In
curry into the charges and postpon-
ing the election of the two United
States Senators until such an inves-
tigation could be had.
The Moore resolution was refused
immediate consideration by the
House of Delegates, and on the fol-
lowing day, when it came before the
House for consideration, the two
men against whom the charges were
aimed, had been elected to member
ship in the United States Senate.
The Moore resolution read as fol-
lows:
Whereas, 1t has been publicly
charged and circulated, and is OF
general report and common belief
in the city of Charleston and
throughout the state, that large
sums of money we're improperly
used by the candidates who secured
the nominations for the United
States Senate in the Democratic
caucus held in the city of Charles
ton on the 18th day of January
1911; and,
Whereas. 1t has been currently
and circulated generally. IN
the city of Charleston. that, on the
evening preceding the holding of said
caucus the sum of $1,000 was prom
ised to member of the House Of
Delegates, namely. L. ]. Shock, .!
friends and adherents OF William y.