Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-04-17
SHARP DEBATE OVER RESOlu.
TloNs OF cENsuRg OR I'M
PARCHMENT.
HARRINGTON LEADS IN
ANTI. HARDING ATTACK
kossuth County Representative Makes
. Strong Presentation For !Tpssch'
ment--Aldermsn, Of Story County,
b. Also Condemns Governors Misuse Of
Pardonins Power.

Des Moines, April l7.-Dramatic was
the debate in the house yesterday at
ternoon and last night over the cues
ton of censur.ng or impeaching Gov
ernor Harding. The session lasted un-
III after midnight before the vote was
reached whereby the minority report
favor.ng censure WAS adopted and i'm
parchment proceedings were thus
blocked
Representative T. 2. Harrington, of
Kossuth county. chairman OF the house
judiciary committee, followed Repre-
sentative Wander Ploeg.
Following his explanation of the
committees recommendation. Mr. Har-
rington began giving a history OF the
case, telling OF the horrible crime that
was committed.
During these remarks N regard to
the history he was interrupted by Rep
resentatiye Rogers. OF Carroll county
who desired 10 ask a question. MI.
Rogers was informed that an agree
ment was made that no questions
would be asked until the speaker had
finished
Why Was Pardon Secret?
Mr. Harrington denounced the gov
eTnor because the governor stated TO
the general assembly that he thought
the recommendation of Judge HutChin-
son for t communication Of sentence
meant that the governor could grant
the pardon.
Mr. Harrington continued: News
paper reporters scUrry thru this build
ing for news. but on Nov. L. when the
pardon was granted, until Dec. :. when
il was fled. they knew nothing about
II The governors oG.ce kept = =
secret;
Now nhy, Let tn echo answer
Why"
Why didn', the governor tell the
att0rrey general he signed the pardon"
why, ! ask you again. Why
Clark. when h. obtained the par
don from the governor. called n the
father Of Ray OMeara and told him
this: For 5000 ! viii also give your
boy a pardon
Clark did this after receiving th'
pardon from Dies Moines. The old man
| O'Meara was not as flush as Rathoun.
so he did not get the pardon
Representative Harrington then told
! Of the alleged attempt TO get Governor
/ Harding TO admit that he had been de-
ceived.
| Why didn't the governor demand
that the pardon be revoked" Repre-
sentative Harrington said. What they
| wanted was for the governor TO say
I that he had been deceived, but the
/ oy1, in -ra inT aiming his
own good name and permitted the
reputation Of this innocent girl to be
| besmirched."
! Burt Johnson. at Carroll. when the
governor went in the hospital, said TO
him, You have either got the Rath-
bun money IN your pocket or you have
been deceived. "
| Represe sentative Harrington said that
the governor on the stand before the
| Ida county grand jury admitted that
| he had been deceived but that when
/ he came back to Dies Noines he said
! the attorney general had tried to keep
| him from testfying before the grand
| Jury and refused to admit to the people
| of the state that he had been deceived.
Representative wichman. Of Han
cock county. speaking for impeach-
ment, endeavored to show that Gov
erno- Harding had failed in every way
to explain his attitude or motive in
granting the Rathbun pardon.
The governor and l have always
| been on the best Of terms. I am not
antagonistic towards him. l did all l
could 20 support him at the last cleo
ton and that was very difficult be-
cause of his English language procla-
| nation.
Neglected His Duty.
II had not made UP mind on this
matter until after all the evidence was
| in and I had weighed it according 10
law. The governor did not construe
| his power as grave and sacred duty.
The evidence showed the pardon was
granted without his having seen d
! single man except George Clark.
Without consulting anyone he is
sued the pardon. Had it ever been
done before? He never before had
done il. Why did he do it? That is
question every man in this house Will
| have to answer for himself"
REPRESENTATIVE W!chman then
charged the governor with misrepre-
sentation of facts and the knowledge
which he had at the time he made his
explanation to the general assembly.
The speaker pointed out that the
power Of pardoning was not the power
4 Of review of a case and not the power