Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-04-21
FORTY-sIXTH CONGRESS.
WAsHISGToS, April 10.
House.
Extra Session

! 10 tIc TetSons why ne iiad directed this to be
done, the principal one being that under ex-
listing circumstances, while petitions ard me-
MORALS are being presented, accompanied by
| bills, the question to which committees
they should be referred to became important,
and already serious differences had arisen be-
tween the chair and members, preventing pc
tition as to proper references.
Mr.. Garheids amendment to increas the
| amount of coins TO be presented for redemp-
ton from $40 to $50, was rejected.
An amendment to substitute the words
''lawful money of the United States" for ''le-
gal tender money" was agreed to.
Mr.. Springers amendment, making sub
sidiary silver coins legal tender to the amount
Of twenty dollars, instead of as in the bill
was agreed to.
1t was therefore determined that the House
itself should have the opportunity of passing
on the question.
In course of the discussion it was suggest
ed by Mr.. Frye that it might be found to be
no objection whatever in the introduction Of
bills next Monday, however absurd they be-
The matter was referred to the committee on
rules.
The subsidiary silver coins bill was again
taken up.
Mr.. Warner moved an amendment to the
third section, which makes sill, or coins legal
tender to the amount of fifteen dollars, bv
adding the words for all debts public and
private"
Mr.. Stephens of Ga, entered motion to
reconsider.
Before the final disposal of the bill the
morning hour expired.
Various other amendments were then of
fered and ordered printed, and the bill went
over till the morning hour, Tuesday.
The House went into committee of the
whole on the legislative bill, and was adj
dressed by Price Of Iowa, Mr.. Blackburn in
the chair.
Mr. Price yielded the floor to Mr.. Frye of
Maine.
Mr. Frye said that in connection with the
misunderstanding which occurred yesterday
between Blackburn and Mckinley. in regard
to the proper construction of Blackburns
speech, he desired to read the construction
put upon that speech in Mississippi, by the
now lannon's paper "Okolona States"
He thereupon read the following article
from that paper of April lG, prefacing it with
the statement that the article was compli-
mentary to Blackburn, therefore was not Of
fensive to him.
What was it that brave Joe Blackburn
said in the House, Messrs. Softshells? Oh,
ses We remember now. He remarked that
our party would strike the last vestige of the
war measures from the statute books. The
States never said more and never said less
than that. You repudiate the States; will
you repudiate Blackburn? You are silent
Will you repudiate Blackburn? You are still
silent. Well, gentlemen, we will give you
just one more chance; answer, answer or
forever after hold your peace as far as the
States are concerned: viii you repudiate
Blackburn? Down with Devl-born amend
ments. Down with contraction and its hints
of crown and sceptre. Down with pictures
of Lincoln and scoundrels who surrounded
him in the battle days of 81 and '65 Down
with every anti-democratic idea and idol
These be watch-words for 80"
Mr.. Blackburn having come down from the
chair took the floor in an excited manner and
said:
Mr.. Chairman. If this be not the first time
have been forced to complain of the unfair
ness of my friends on the other side it GER
tanly is the first time | have ever been com
PEELED to make such complaint against the
gentleman from Maine. l regret that every
day brings up some personal assault which it
seems to me, fair dealing, honesty of pur-
pose, and ordinary manhood would repudiate.
With each recurring day | find myself COM
Ielled to repel misconstrued meaning, given
either by some members of the House, Ian
guage uttered by me in the shape of garbled
quotations, or else an unwarranted, unfair
and unnatural construction put upon some
body else's language by members of that side
of the House. So far as the newspaper arti-
Gle which the gentleman from Maine has
read, is concerned, care nothing for it. The
editor of that paper is a contribution from
Ohio to Mississippi and simply repeats the
unfair, ungenerous and untruthful effort that
was made here yesterday TO misrepresent. |
care nothing for the utteranccs of that paper,
but when Frye seeks to add his high authori-
ty to the injustice done me by the editor of
that inconsequential sheet, then it becomes
more serious matter. Then group the pa
per and Frye together, and say that it occurs
to me they are well mated The one is about
as unfair as the other is illiterate and crazy.
Applause and laughter on the democratic
side.
Frye-The one was Colonel in the Confed-
crate service, and not a carpet Dagger from
Ohio. The one was the peer of Blackburn in
that service in the South, and of the other
have nothing to say.
Applause and laughter on the republican
side.
Blackburn (who had moved into the area in
front of the Speakers chair, and was sur
rounded by democratic members But
have this to say of the other. He seems to
be more perfectly familiar with the history of
the anteccdents and merits of that adventur-
er than care to be. Whether he served in
that army or in the other is of no concern to
me. | simply desire to repeat that in the ar
ticle which the gentleman read, Compliment
tary to me US he chooses to term it, in order
to twist it to partisan purposes,) he perpe-
trated an act of gross injustice to which the
gentleman from Maine (to my utter amaze
ment) has sought to lend his high author
| ity.
Frye-I did this and nothing more. /
heard the speech of Blackburn when it was
made, taken down by the Associated Press
reporter, and sent all over the country, and
say had not scntilla of doubt that the
construction which this paper has put on that
gcnteman's language would be put upon it in
the South. II that gentleman made declar-
alton which the Associated Press at the time
could declare to be what it did declare it to be
and which tho "Okolona States" from des-
patch in the Associated Press could declare
in its joy to be what its heart desired it to be,
then it is not that is to be called to account
for anything have repeated. | say it is my
right, and it is not illiberal OF unjust to the
gentleman from Kentucky for me to state to
the House not my own words, but the words