The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-02-28

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2s, 1913.
uNJCSTIFLABLE.
Whether in accord with parliament.
ary rules or not, the procedure in the
house on Thursday in dragging from
Representative Divet in the Ness bri-
berry cas- the names of persons not in
any way connected with the case al
that stage was utterly and wholly un.
%justihable. Mr.. Divet. the witness under
examination, was making charges and
had charges to make. against but one
person, the man Ness, who was on
trial. He had information to give
against that man and no other. He
did not profess to have information
concerning others which would In any
way strengthen the ase against Ness.
The statements which he had made
against Ness We're clear and straight
forward, and he was testifying out of
his own personal knowledge that Ness
had offered to pa, him in money for
his influence against a certain bill.
That was the entire knowledge that
Mr.. Divet had concerning the connec-
ton of Ness with the affair, and on
that statement, supported by similar
statements made by later witnesses,
Ness was adjudged guilty. And yet
the house demanded that the witness
state not merely what he knew con-
corning the guilt of Ness, and not
what he knew or had reason t be-
lieve concerning the connection of any
other persons with the case, but what
Ness had told him at different times
in several loose and windy converse
tons. The plea was made that this
action was necessary in order to clear
persons who were innocent Of suspic-
ion. Is the inference to be drawn,
then. that those who were named by
Ness as havin- been implicated in a
scandal are guilty and others not? Is
it proposed to condemn these named
persons unheard on the mere reported
talk Of a man who has not even testi-
fed? Is it proposed to hold, an in
vestigation to place these men on
trial? Or is it intended that the mat
ter shall drop where it is? Unless
there is some evidence the existence
Of which has not been limited at, the
latter will be the one pursued.
The injustice of the whole thing is
In dragging before the house and the
public the names of men, some of
whom are absent, and none Of whom
have any opportunity to defend them
selves. there being no charges fled.
on the hearsay statement Of a man
who has not been examined. and who.
If examined, would probably deny hav-
ing said anything of the sort, a man
whom the house has convicted of the
commission of a crime, who is known
to be a man Of no standing among
legislators. and who cannot be con-
sidered a credible witness. Yet there
is now on record in the proceedings
of The house. and there has gone out
through the state the announcement
that this member and that, this pri.
vate citizen and that, has been chare-
ed with accepting a bride.
What will be the impression left in
the minds of the public when this sit
uation is left up in the air, as it will
be when the subject is dropped? A
certain amount Of suspicion will at
tach to the name of every man men.
toned. not in the minds OF those who
know him. but among those who do
not know either him or Ness. If n
man named is innocent he has been
injured. and he has no redress. II
any man named 10 guilty mo- a Bit Of
progress has been made toward prov.
ing his guilt.
Il the house Of representatives feel.
called upon to listen to roundabout
runaoss Of this kind, no mans reputa.
ton fs safe. Any bar-room loafer,
any curbstone spouter. any disreput-
able fellow of any sort may tell q
member Of the house that any man,
now or formerly connected with the
state government. had asked for a
oribs or taken one. and according to
the precedent just established, it would
be the duty of the legislature to take
notice Of that statement, regardless II
the credibility Of the man who origin.
ally made 1t. and regardless Of total
absence of any mean of proving or
d~isproving the statement.
1t is the manifest duty Of the leg
islature. or either OF it's branches. to
take notice Of and investigate thor.
oughly every charge of wrongful con-
duct in an Official way brought against
any Of its members regularly ana on
testimony which may reasonably be
supposed to be credible. But a great
legislative body belittles itself by dig
nifying with notice idle rumors which
can neither be substantiated nor dis
proved. and works an injustice to ev.
cry man whose name it permits to be
mentioned in connection with loose
charges which it has neither the in
tent nor the mean to investigate.
The criticism Of the action of the
house made by Speaker Frame was
more thap merited. His position was
sound. as a matter of common fair.
ness. and while ha was unable n r.o-