The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-04-01
SCENE In THE SENATE.
Butler Insults Garrett Davis, Ri"
the Latter Calls Him f"t
Names.

WASHINGTON, March 3O.-A very e".
traordinary scene took place IN the Sen,
ale today, between Garrett Davis and
Ben, Butler, which, while it lasted Gre
ateJ q nrofound sensation, especially in
the galleries. Garrett had been speak
inc for some time upon Sherman reso-
linton instructing the judiciary com
mittee to report a Ku-Klux bill, and had
worked himself up into considerable
passion at what he considered the uni
charges OF disorders made upon the
South, when Ben. Butler came into the
Senate. At this point Davis was facing
his Democratic colleagues, and was aP-
parently exhorting them. Butler, Oh
serving who was speaking, marched
over in that direction and took a seat
directly next 10 the Kentucky Senator;
then, stretching his legs out, he wheeled
his chair around; threw his head back
and looked at Davis with an expression
on his face OF mingled insolence and
contempt. The galleries, thinking 1t
mere piece OF bravado, en-
joyed the thing hugely. Davis, whose
back was still turned, had reached that
point in his speech where he was claim
ing that the stories Of Southern out
RACES were grossly exaggerated "Ihey
are more" said he; they are the vile
inventions of unprincipled adventur-
ers and heartless scoundrels made to
continue their ill-gotten hold in politi-
cal power; they are, and here, turning
around in the warmth of his feeling, he
beheld Butler almost at his very elbow.
looking straight at him with a face i'm
movable as stone. Davis Immediately
paused in his half finished sentence,
placed both hands on his desk, and
alared at Butler almost with the ieroc-
ity of a tiger Butler returned the
Kentuckians look unflinchingly, only
growing a trife paler. This tableau
continued for several moments, neither
of the men changing his attitude par
ticle. while the galleries looked on in
painful suspense, and surrounding Sena-
tors held their breaths and affected an
unconcern which no one felt. Finally
Garrett drew himself up, thrust his
clenched fist almost in Buffers face,
and said, there! here is the man. This
is the class of men who concoct the
stories of diaboiical Southern outrages,
and then asked for unlimited power to
SUPPRESS them. Look at the scoundrel
here he is" and his excitement becom-
ing too great for him, he sank back IN
his seat while the Speaker promptly
suppressed some threatening demon
STATIONS which were attempted IN the
galleries. 1t being one OF those things
VIII ere interference was very delicate
matter, no one had attempted anything
of the kind thus far, and those
present breathed more freely when Gar
rett dropped into his seat Still Butler
never budged or altered the expression
of his face, although thousand eyes
were turned upon him. Garrett was no
sooner in his chair than he wheeled 1t
around and commenced to draw it up
by sharp jerks in the direction Of Butler,
until the distance between them was
almost imperceptible, when he burst
out again with, "Oh, you scoundrel
Won rascal" with a few strong adjec-
tives prefacing each Of the above cpl
thets. Did you come here to insult
me-" Butler replied, "Go away from
me. What do you suppose | care
about YOU? Go away Garrett was
about to strike Butler, when Henry
Wilson left his own seat, hurried over
to the scene OF the threatened conflict,
and placing himself between the two
men stopped the disgraceul proceed
ing at once. Davis, on being appealed
to in a calm, considerate way, cooled
down at once, and retired into one OF
the Senate ante-rooms. Butler, how
ever. stalked around the Senate for
several minutes, laughing and talking
to this and that one, as if nothing what
ever had occurred. When DAVIS was
asked, later in the day, why he gave
wav to his prejudces in such consplc-
uous manner, he replied that 1t was
very evident to him that Butler took
his seat there for no other purpose than
to insult him, and he would allow no
man to do that. Butler, however, says
that he no more thought Of Davis when
he sat down than he did of the man in
the moon, and never had the least idea
of insulting him. The general verdict
tonight seems 10 be that if Butler must
hove ro,ys he had hette- keen on his