The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-06-26
Exciting sceae in The senate.

The Congressional report gives the fol.
lowing account of the close of an exciting
debate in the United States Senate on the
Army Appropriation Bill: Mr.. Conkling
having charged the other side with bad faith
in not allowing the time taken by the Mis-.
sissippi River Commission Bill to be allowed
in debate on the Army Bill, Mr.. Lamar
(Dem.l of Miss, rose dt the conclusion of
Mr.. Conkling's remarks, and said that as
far as any intimation of bad faith to him
was concerned, he had lived in vain if he was
not superior to such a charge from such a
source. 1t is not my purpose,
he said, to indulge in personalities,
but 1 will say to the Senator
that If he intended to intimate anything 1
have done was not in good faith 1 pronouce
his statement a f~alsehood, which / repel
with all the unmitigated contempt that 1
feel for the author ofit.
Mr.. Conkling, who had been walking
slowly back and forth behind the benches,
advanced to his seat and said:
"Mr, President / was diverted
during the commencement Of the remarks,
the elimination of which heard from the
member from Mississippi. If I understood
the member right, he intended to impute,
and did in plain and supplementary
language impute, tome an Intentional mis-.
statement" and pausing said, "the Senator
does not disclalm that%
MI. LAMAR will state what l intended,
sir, SO there can be no mistake.
The presiding officer (Mr. Cockrell) called
Mr.. Lamar to order, and Mr.. Conkling pro.
ceeded. Whether 1 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 lido not choose to hold any communi.
cation with him.
Understood the Senator to state in plain,
unparlimentary language that the statement
of mine, to which he refers, was a falsehood.
If / caught his words Alright I have only to
say, this not being the place to measure
with any man the capacity to violate decency,
to violate the rules of the Senate, or to
commit any of the ~improprieties of life-I
have only to say that if the Senator, the
member from Mississippi, did impute, or
intended to impute, to me a falsehood,
nothing, except the fact that this is the
Senate, would prevent my ~denouncing him
as q b~lackguard and a coward. EApplause
and hisses. Let me be more specific, Mr..
President; should the member from
Mississippi, except in the presence of the
Senate. charge me, by intimation or other.
wise, with falsehood, I would denounce him
as a BLACKBOARD, as a coward, and a liar.
The rules and proprieties of the Senate are
the only restraint upon me. 1 do not think
I need say anything else, Mr.. President.
Applause and h%isses.l
The Chair demanded quiet in the
galleries.
Mr.. Lamar have only to say that the
Senator from New York understood me cor
rectly. l did mean to say just precisely the
words and all that they imported. I beg
pardon of the Senate for such unparliamen
tiary language. 1t was very harsh, it wal
severe, it was such as no man would deserve
and no brave man would wear. Renewed
demonstration of approval and.disapproval.
The Chair-The galleries will be cleared
upon a repetition of the applause.