The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-02-10
Senators Butler and Conkling,

The Washington correspondent of the Baltl-
more Anse,Tiun of the 9Th, has the following
account OF sharp encounter between Senator
Butler of South Carolina, and Senator Conk-
ling, of New York
A scene mot on the program" was enacted
in the Senate day, creating decided sen
sation for few minutes both on the floor and
in the galleries. The actors were Senator But
Ter, of South Carolina, and Senator Conkling
During the morning hour the south Carolinian
read set speech, in which he defended his
state from the charges made against it during
the campaign, of sending false census returns
to Washington, and maintained that the cen
sus of the state in 1870 was incorrect, and was
purposely kept down to deprive the Palmetto
State of her proper representation in the lower
house of the national legislature. In the course
OF his remarks, Mr.. Butler said that the report
of the Secretary of the Interior on the subject
should put to shame the baseless calumnies
of stump orators and party organs in the late
campaign" and replying to language contain
ed in speech by Mr.. COnkling, made
last September in New York, IN regard
TO census frauds in South Carolina, added that
Its charges and insinuatiOns were as malig-
nant in their purpose against the South as the
heat that inspired their utterances; y and that
although the evidence of the census figures
was overwhelming and conclusive, the author
Of the charges had not had the honesty to
make amends for his dshonorable perversion
of the facts" This was strong language, and
as Senator Conklng was in his seat, it was ex-
pected that he would make q reply No sooner
had Senator Butler finished, than Senator
Conkling rose to say that from the little he
had heard land it was only very lttle), he
had inferred that the Senator from South Car
Dina had designed a portion of his remarks as
an assault upon him for something he had said
in speech last September. "Ihe Senator
from South Carolina" he continued, has
taken a long time to reply. His idle vapor-
ings are OF no consequence to me. Not having
listened carefully to what he said shall make
no reply now, but wait and read in the Record
what the Senator might see fit to print in it,
If there is anything in it worthy Of notice,
shall take the first opportunity to reply to 1t,
md if | find that | have done wrong to any
state or people, l shall correct it. But may
find nothing in it worthy Of reply. As /
said before, the vaporings of the senator are of
no consequence TO me.
MIR. Conkling quietly took his seat, and the
galleries expected that there would be rich
scene as soonas Senator Butler was recognized
by the Chair. Rising to his full height, with
his hands crossed back, and with q slight
tremor in his voice, he said: "The Senator
from New York may rest assured that every
word utter will be printed in the Record.
The Senator from New York says that my
'vaporings' are of no consequence to him
will assure him that his staggering insolence'
is of no consequence to me-" By this time
there was feeling that the matter had as
5umed too serious an aspect for either party to
allow it to remain at that point. People in
the galleries were thinking of pistols and cot.
fec" with glimpses of blood or a recurrence
of a memorable scene that took place at the
other end Of the Capitol before the Christmas
recess. Senator Conkling, however, dismissed
all such thoughts, by quietly saying that 1.-The
Senator from South Carolina is not person
with whom care to handy epithets here or
elsewhere and least of all here" Here the
matter ended for to-day, but there is an inn
preston that it will not stop at this stage. 1t
is thought that the New York senator will
nave something to say about Senator Buffers
speech tomorrow, and that he will not he
spariug of his denunclations