The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-12-12
GOV. JOHNSTON Is
NEAR IMPEACHMENT
CONTINUED from page enel

before legislative action relative
to his precarious position.
Although opponets of Johnston
were unable to force the issue tc
a vote. support for it was gen
oral Senators favoring Johns
ton hardly were able to make
themselves heard in a din OF
condemnatory speeches.
The galleries were packed as
the senate of the special leglsla-
ture tied itself into parliamentary
knots in an effort to entangle
snarl caused by Johnston's mill
tarv coup of Oct. %. The specta-
tors were quiet and orderly, how
ever, in contrast to the cheering
throng in the galleries yesterday.
Failure of the senate to act,
apparently only postponed the is
sue. however. The debate indi-
Gated only slight support for a
conciliatory amendment to the
resolution while a dozen senators
dashed out in bitter attack on
Johnston for defying the State
Supreme Court in maintaining his
military dictatorship.
Sen. Harry Hughes of Oconee
led the attack, calling for troops
to be withdrawn from the capital
Immediately.
eve created the militia by
statute and we can abolish 1t by
statute" he shouted.
Sens. George X. Laney OF
Chesterfield and J. Storm Thur
mond of Edgefield, led argu-
ments for cancellation. Their
amendment would request the
Governor to remove troops, rath-
er than serving him an ultima
tum to do so. 1t further would
establish J. NJ. Smith, state audi
tor, as chief of the Highway De
partment pending solution of the
snarl, but carries no threat OF
blocking legislation until troops
are removed as does the resolut-
ion in the original.
Sen. L. E. Dreher of LeXing-
ton shouted eve can stop the
Governor from calling troops,
but we can raise hell with him af-
ter he has done it and that's what
I'm for"
Johnston was fighting for his
political life as the result of jud-
icial invalidation Of a military
coup of Oct. % by which he de-
posed an antagonistic highway
board and substituted a siX-man
executive board of his own politi-
cal henchmeh.
Fighting to stem the rising
tide of impeachment sentiment,
38-year-old war veteran
Governor; appeared before the
House Judiciary Committee yes
terday in a dramatic appeal for.
concilation. Re-appeal later was
read to all the legislators by
clerks.
He offered a plan for with
drawal of troops, contingent of
an audit of the department af-
fairs since Oct. % and naming a
to assume control.
His appeal was overlooked,
however, as his embittered oppon-,
ents drove their ssdemating res
olution upward for final passage
n the Senate. y =
81 feel it MY dirty to institute
proceedings if the
Governor does not indicate will
ngless to respect the State Su-
,reme Court" said Rep. Lonnie
Iausey of Horny county. He re-
erred to legislative resentment
O Johnston's refusal to obey a
Supreme Court decision invalid
ting his coup.
Johnston's appeal for concila-
ion was termed "a slap in the
ace" by Sen. L. E. Dreher of
lexington, who at the last session
vas classified a Johnston man.
Sen. L. D. Lide of Marion de-
handed that "the Legislature APP
zeal to the Governor to remove
rom the state the blot of gov
rnment by force rather than by
aw."
Sen. R. D. Epps of Sumter
aid, at is not necessary for US
o get out of this by siding with
he Governor against the Su-,
,reme Court. l see no possible
lrgument against asking Gov
,rnor to. obey the law" ."
Although almost the entire
membership of the Senate was on
he floor in debate, Johnston
ympathizers represented only a
scattering handful. On basis of
debate early Wednesday, it APP
oeared the anti-administration
oloc was almost certain of sue
cess in driving through the reso-