Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1880-10-30
IA.
con GRESSIONlL WINNERS.

! Ii used often to be reproach by the
English and other foreigners that the
manners displayed in the American Con-
yress were rude, noisy, and sometimes
,isgraceful and there was time Shen
his rcproach was not very unjust one.
Not twenty-five years ago, it was not
III altogether unheard-of event for pis-
! .ols to be drawn, not only in the Ma
ional House of Representatives, but IN
he more sedate and digniiied Senate
| Itself.
Amid the violence of the party war
are, Just before the outbreak Of the
! .ivil war, many scenes occurred Ill the
nails Of Congress which were the re-
,erse of creditable to the actors III them.
| On one occasion, during debate III the
House, sharp alteration took place
7 between two members from Illinois.
One of them had bitterly attacked
stephen A. Douglas, then great party
ealcr and the other, devoted friend
IF Douglas. had savagely retorted, say
ng, as he closed, that the other had
"sncakcd like a cur from the proof Of
his charges"
The first member made a rush for his
antagonist but, before he had reached
him, the champion Of Douglas had
snatched up his overcoat and had drawn
pistol from his pocket, which he point
ed directly at his approaching enemy.
Members, however, rushed in between
them, and thus prevented what seemed
about to become q bloody fray.
At another time, the venerable Thad-
deus Stevens was making very bitter
speech, which SO stung his political op-
ponents that twenty or thirty rushed to-
wards him, some of them grasping wea-
pons in their pockets, while Stevens
friends rallied around him for his de-
fense and protection. At that moment
the two parties in the House seemed on
the very point of general personal
conflict.
Such scenes, happily, never occur in
these more orderly aad civilized days
1t is very rarely, indeed, that We hear
of anything like a personal encounter
between members of Congress, either
inside or Oatside its halls.
The debates are often warm, and
sometimes descend into unbecoming
violence of speech. Members twit each
other, and are sarcastic, and scOld each
other, and use severe epithets ; but Con-
gressional duels are obsolete, and Con-
eressional fisticuffs occur 80 seldom that
scarcely an instance can he remembered
for years.
In the House Of Representatives.,
moreover, in which, being the more pop
ulous body, we should naturally expect
less decorum than in the Senate, there
are now much less noise and confusion
and obtr,lsive bad manners than existed
twenty years ago. Members who make
speeches, often very long and dull, arc
listened to with more patience than
formerly; and it is seldom that the
House so far loses its self-control as to
deprive the Speaker of the power to
quell it at will.
1t is not too much to say, indeed, that
the manners of our Congress of to-day
compare very favorably with those Of
:he great deliberative bodies Of the Old
World. In the English House of Com
mons, members still wear their hats
while the body is in session; an unpop-
ular speakers voice is still cOughed
down, and drowned amid unseemly cat
calls and the rude scraping Of feet; and
even Prime Minister'S, when they say
unpleasant things, are interrupted and
disturbed by loud vocal disapproval.
The French Chamber Of Deputies
presents, if possible, yet worse exam.
pie Of manners. Scarcely week passes
that some violent scene does not occul
in it hall and sometimes these scenes
are really disgraceful in eminent and in
telligent men.