The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-06-20
AN EXTRAORDINARY SCENE.
Great Excitement In the Senate Charges
of FaisehoOd Between Two Senators
A Possible Duel.

Nebraska struggle, when 1t was sever
times kept up all night. The Democra
are now, as they were then, in the majo
ity, but the Republican minority were th
best parliamentarians, and they thus s,
cured their right to be heard, as they hay
succeeded in doing tonight. Mr.. COnI
ling commenced by sketching the tyrar
nical course Of the Democrats in the Ser
ate to-day. He showed how the entir
DAY, save twenty-five minutes cor
sumed by Mr.. Blaine had been oc
cupied by the Democrats, while th
Republicans, in defiance of courtes
and in violation Of plighted faith, had beef
refused right to speak, and he concludes
with the declaration that while he remain
manned In the Senate no minority shOult
be gagged, throttled or insulted. This wa
preliminary to the most extraordinar,
scene that has ever occurred in the senatI
Chamber, certainly since the old SLAYER,
days. Referring incidentally to the cOursI
Of the Democrats on the appropriation
bills, Mr.. Conkling said that the time hal
come when the majority dare not adjourn
and leave the Government TO starve and
the army to languish. The devil is sub
lie, but he weaves a course web. The
web in this so.called army bill, Mr.. Conk.
ling said, is very course. 1t Is trick, q
juggle, and lie then imputed bad faith Ia
the Democrats in not allowing the time
taken up by the Mississippi River Com.
mission bill this morning to be allowed in
the debate OH the army bill.
Mr.. Lamar rose at the conclusion OF Mr..
Conkling's remarks, and said that as far
as any intimation Of bad faith was con.
Cerned, he had lived in vain il he was not
superior to such charge from such a
source. 1t is not my habit, he said, to in.
dulge in personalities, but will say to the
Senator that in intimating anything incon.
sistent, as he has done, with perfect good
faith, pronounce his statement false.
hood, which | repel with all the un-
mitigated contempt that | feel for the
author oft.
Senator Conkling had been in the rear
Of the chamber, aud had not heard the
whole OF Mr.. Lamars remarks, but he re.
turned in time to hear the sentence quoted.
Raising himself to his greatest height,
with superb pride, contempt and scorn,
waving aside an attempted interruption
by Mr.. Lamar, Mr.. Conkling said:
Mr.. President, Twas diverted during the
commencement of the remarks, the cul.
.ination ot which l heard from the mem.
Der from Mississippi. If / understood
the member Alright, he intended to i'm.
pute, and did in plain and unparliamenta.
ry language impute to me an intentional
lpausing). The Senator does
not disclaim that?
Mr.. Lamar-I will state what I intended,
Sir, SO there can be no mistake.
BLACKBOARD, COWARD AND LIAR.
The presiding officer (Mr. CockrelD
called Mr.. Lamar to order, and Mr.. Conk.
ling proceeded. Whether l am willing TO
respond TO the member from Mississippi
depends entirely upon what that member
intends to say and what he did say and for
the time being do not choose to hold any
with him. l understood
the Senator to state in plain, unparliamen.
tary language that the statement OF mine
to which he refers was falsehood. If l
caught his words Alright, l have only to
say. this not being the place to measure
with any man the capacity to violate dc.
cency, to violate the rules OF the Senate,
or to commit any Of the improprieties OF
lie, l have only to say that II the SEN
atOr-the member-irom Mississippi did
impute, or intended to impute to me a
faIsehood, nothing except the fact that
this is the Senate would prevent nv de.
nounClng him as a blaCkguard and COW.
ard. [Applause and hisses. Let me be
more specific, Mr.. President. Should the
member from Mississippi, except in the
presence Of the Senate, charge me, by in.
timation or otherwise, with falsehood, l
would denounce him as blackguard, as
a coward and liar. The rules and the
OF the Senate are the only re.
straint upon me. / do not think l need
say anything more, Mr.. President. IAN.
plause and hisses.
The Chair demanded quiet in the gal
leries.
The extraordinary character OF these
statements startled the Senate. There
was breathless silence in the chamber,
when Mr.. Ian ar arose and said;
have only to say that the Senator from
New York understood me correctly.
did mean TO say just precisely the words
and all that they imported. beg the
pardon OF the Senate for the unparlia-
mentary language. It was very harsh; II
was severe; it was such as no good man
would deserve and no brave man would
wear. Renewed demonstrations OF M.
proval and disapproval.
The Chair-The galleries will be cleared
upon repetition OF applause.
TALKING or DUEL.
The silence which followed was broken
by q short clap OF the hands from Vance,
oil North Carolina, who had seated himself
near Lamar, and was noticed to make sug.
geslions 10 him. The excitement over.
came tho presiding officer, Cockrell, Of
Missouri, who seemed TO try to regain his
equa1lmi!y by raps OF the gayel. This
ended at ! o'clock a. N. The Democratic
Senators Immediately commenced tele,
graphing TO all their paired colleagues ia
return. On the floor Senators were talk,
ing OF nothing else. The Southern Sena,
We N'e uH"I''A'Gusty suStAiu Lamar, ana nave
overwhelmed him with congratulations
one Senator, who Is Lamar's most
intimate friend, and who, in
the event OF a challenge
expects to act as his second, says: "Ldon'i
think Conkling will fight; l do not regard
MIN as man OF courage. Lamar will only
he delighted to have Conkling challenge
him: Ot course, everything rests with
Conkling, as he is the insulted party, Ol
one thing you may be assured : no effort
will be made to fix up this matter as wa
the case when Conkling had his difficulty
with Gordon. There Is no power on eartf
that will induce Mr.. Lamar to Withdraw
his wordsI" and Salisbury thinks 1t is !
very bad business, but that Conkling hal
been very aggressive towards the South
the kind.