Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-08-08
From the New York Tribune.
A Knott Dropped Out.

The Hon. Proctor Knott OF Kentucky
made finish of himself in the House
yesterday. Mr.. Blaine had left but little
of him in the passage-at-arms on the floor
relative to the Caldwell dispatch some
weeks ago. but what little remained Mr..
Knott himself made way with yesterday.
Where only yesterday was a Knott. re-
garded by himself apparently as very
tough and well-seasoned Knott, and at
times on account of his brilliance pine
knot. to-day there is, for all practical pur-
poses, so far as character, position, and
influence are concerned. only a Knott
hole. Knott has dropped out. He can
hardly be said to have been punched out.
He shrunk up. loosened, and ratified out
himself. In his first encounter with Mr..
Blaine he had been so severely handled
as TO arouse compassion the spectacle he
made of himself yesterday excited only
feelings of contempt and disgust on the
part of his audience. With committee
report under consideration which was in
tended to exonerate him of blame and
restore him as it were to the good graces
and the confidence of his felow-mem-
bers-a report which had been signed by
all the members of the committee regard.
less of party, and would have been
adopted by the House without discussion
or dissent--this man conrved TO put him.
self in such an attitude in the course of an
uncalled for and indecent speech of an
hour and half as to turn the whole senti-
ment of the House against himself. compel
his party friends to withdraw the report
in his favor, disgust all who listened to
him, and make of himself most humili-
ating spectacle before the country. Con-
gross has not been lacking in scenes
which have brought the blush of shame to
the cheeks of self-respecting patriots.
American citizens have had occasion be-
fore this to hang their heads in mortifi-
cation at the performances of some of
their representatives; but this exhibition
by Mr.. Proctor Knott was for coarse and
cowardly abuse, low and mean insinuation
and misrepresentation, total disregard of
propriety and decency, vindictive malice
and deliberate brutality, beyond anything
ever witnessed in that line.
No wonder his own party friends were
ashamed of him. No wonder that the
report of the committee was recommitted
so that the gentlemen composing it could
have an opportunity of reviewing their
opinion of Mr.. Proctor Knott upon his own
exhibition and illustration of himself. And
no wonder that Messrs. Frye and Hale
and Hoar felt called upon to administer
deserved castigation TO him. 1t was not
merely breach of decorum OF violation
OF the rules of ordinary courtesy or a sud-
den outburst of passion in bad taste and
worse temper. 1t was something much
worse than this. for it was deliberate, cold
blooded. reyengeful. with nothing in the
| occasion, the circumstances, the time, or
the place to excuse or paliate it, but
everything rather to aggravate its in
decency and meanness. Had there been
no word of protest or rebuke uttered, and
had the discussion stopped with KNOTS
wild harangue, he would have been dis
graced and dishonored in the judgment of
the public. The shamefuness of his con-
duet did not need to be pointed out. His