The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-01-18
Il HUMILEATING SCENE.
The Debate In Congress on tho Indian Bill
interrupted by an Intoxicated Member.

The Debate In Congress on tho Indian Bill
interrupted by an Intoxicated Iombsr.
Special to the Philadelphia Times.
WASHINGTON, January Il. Men
call each other liars and scoundrels
with moro impunity on on tho floor of
the Ho,lse because they cannot be hold
personally accountable there or else.
where. There was nothing of tho
character Of the Wcaver-Sparks affair
to-day. Mr.. Scales said that Mr.
Blount said SO and so. Mr.. Blonnt
said he did not. Mr.. Scales y0cifcr-
atcd that he did, whereat Mr.. Blount
brought his fist down upon a desk
with a forcc that made things ring
again and substantially called MI.
Scales falsiticr. A witty remark
from member brought both men TO
their senses and broke the impending
quarrel in ripple Of laughter. This
was nothing. 1t was the appearance
OF Mr.. Hooker upon the floor in an
cxhllarating frame of mind that car
ricd the day for actual disgrace. Mr..
Hooker is fluent and graceful speak
er, drunk or sober. To-day Mr..
Hooker was drunk. The right to get
drunk is al inalienablc right guaran-
tced by the constitution to every
American citizen, and not forfeited be-
cause of being elected to Congress.
When q member gets intoxicated and
intcrtcres with the dispatch Of public
business it is another thing. This was
Il condition and attitude of Mr..
! Hooker, Of Mississippi, to-day, during
the debate Oh the Indian bill. He felt
well enough ut one O'Clock to manage
the bill himself. AT two he was flow
cry and persistent. At three he occu-
pied the floor most all the time be-
tween drinks, surprising himself in
rhetoric and confounding the House.
At four he was maudlin. He offered
amendments, made speeches, made
points of order, withdrew amend.
mcnts, called for divisions and was
wholly beyond expostulation and rid
icule. lie movod down to the foot of
the main aisle and divided the time
between stepping on Mr.. Chiffon
acn's toes and giving elaborate in
'tructions to the chair. In vain tho
chair gently evadcd him. III vain his |
humiliatcd friends went to him, one
after another, and persuaded him to
Hooker was unconscious
Of the disgusting spectacle he was
He insisted on being heard
on every point and was wholly un-
For awhile members were amused. |
Then they gathered around him, like
needless boys about drunken man in
the streets, and laughed, Such sight
in the streets is sickcning to most peo-
pie. On the floor of Congress, as in
this instance, it was doubly disgusting.
This was soon evident OH the faces Of
mombcrs and in a scarcely suppressed
Mss from the galleries. The hilarity
on the floor soon gave way to q pain
ful silence, and various ruscs were
adopted to choke Hooker off. II was
not until the committee rose, as it did
while the member from Mississippi
was in the midst Of maudln speech,
That he was finally squelchcd. Then
he staggered back to his place and
from thence entertained his audience
with occasional whoops and attempts
to assist the reading clerk in calling
he roll. The stern frown of Speaker
Randall had no effect upon him. 1t
was the more humilating and dis
graceful because the subject Of all this
is one of the most courteous and ac-
complished gentlemen on the floor.
Even while making this painful exhi-
bition of himself his language was
chaste, his manner graceful and his
bearing ludcrously courteous. The
fiouse b'rc' with him patiently, al
though ne was the cause OF extending
ttc proceedings over tic entire day.