Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-01
KEIFER RISES 10 EXPLAIN.

UnfOlded in the HOuse-he AO~~s~S
the Correspondent of Attempted BriO-
ery-At BOynton's Request He viii
Have Chance to Repeat the Charge
Under Oath-Sharp Letters and Caus-
tic Rhetoric.
The scene in the House of Representa-
tiyes last Tuesday when the resolution
was introduced to investigate the charges
made by ex-Speaker Keller against the
newspaper correspondent H. Y. Boynton
was described in the MORNING NEWS DIS
patches of Wednesday. The following
from the New York San is another ac-
count of it: After the call of the States
was completed, MIR. Hopkins, Of Penn
sylvania, rose. He had already IN
formed Speaker Carlisle what ms puf-
pose would be in rising, and had
secured the Speakers promise to rec,
ogniZe him. 1t was supposed that he had
some trifling resolution to introduce, and
the House paid no heed to him. Keller
sat in his seat, far back by the screen,
laughing over some newspaper arllcle
with several members who stood near
him. But the first words of Mr.. Hopkins
resolution as they were pronounced by
the Clerk caught Keifer's ear. he Threw
down his newspaper, and troWn chaseu
the smiles from his face. Members came
fiOcking in from the cloak rooms ana the
sofas at the rear, so that before the Clerk
finished reading the resolution almost
every seat was occupied.
The resolution began: Whereas, j.
Warren Keifer, member OF TINS House,
has CHARGED Gen. II. V. BOyntOn, Wash
ington correspondent of the Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette, with corrupt prac-
tees" and then recited that heller nau
L Neaa
charged Boynton with lobbying LOT Ihe
bill known as the McGarrahan claim, ana
had approached Keifer cOrruptly in its
behalf, and called for a committee OF hVe
to investigate the charges and to report
to the House with the view OF eXpelilng
Gen. Boynton from the reporters gallery
if the charges were found true.
AS soon as the resolution was read,
Keifer called Calkins, of Indiana, to him,
and said something to him. NOT announcer
man on the Republican side maze the
slightest offer to help keifer, II he wanted
help, although it was perfectly Wen I'M
derstoOd that the resolution was aimed at
Keifer far more than at Boynton. Calklns
interposed the objection that the resolu-
ton was not privileged, because the OIL
Tense charged was alleged to nave taken
place in the last Congress, and therefore
this Congress could not make 1T prIVl-
legged matter. This objection Indicated at
once that Keifer did not wish for the IN
yestigation. Still nobody backed CalklnS
up. Mr.. Cox read from the rules to show
that it clearly was privileged, and speak
er Carlisle so decided.
Then Keifer arose, and there followed
scene the like of which was never seen on
the floor of the House of representatives.
Keller was very pale, but he otherwise
seemed to have good control over himself,
and he spoke in tone OF forced calnness'
He began by saying that he had been
abused, slandered and lied about by Gen.
Boynton ever since the Sd day of last
March. Previous to that time he had been
on good terms with Boynton.
son February27 Boynton wrete me TINS
letter." said Keller, waving letter III
the air. The letter requested Keller to
recognize Mr.. Dunnell to make motion
to suspend the rules and pass the McGar-
rahan bill, which had been taYoraoly re-
ported from the committee. Gen. Boyn-
ton in the letter said he had no personal
interest in the bill, but had always be-
lieved that injustice had been done Nc
Garrahan in the matter Of the New ldria
claim.
II do not know whether l answered
that letter or not" said Keller, "Dut
| did not promise to recognize MIR. Dun
nell. A couple of days later Gen. Boyn-
ton came into my room, the Speaker
room. There were a number OF gentle
men present. B0ynton indicated that he
wished the room cleared. This was done,
and then, turning to me, he said:
"'Keiter, do you know what l think OF
you?'
"'No: whatP
"'I think you are fool
Here keifer paused for q moment, and
in the instant there went up roar OF
laughter from both sides of the House
that would have embarrassed any man
but Keifer.
81 didn't know what he meant" contin-
ued Keifer, and here the House burst INTO
another roar of laughter.
The scene was now getting highly IN
teresting. Members left their seats ana
crowded into the aisles, while kelfer came
down toward the area. Hiscock sat right
in front of the eX-Speaker with qulzZlcal
look of amused curiosity. Reed looked
knowingly about, and then fixed his eyes
steadfastIy on the painting OF Lafayette:
Kasson turned around i'll his char ana
gave Keifer the heed of mock solemnlty,
Horn, the Michigan clown, who seemed 10
think it all good joke, grlnned ana
wagged his head. Randall cast aside his
pfisGd With Rdi he lpoke9 on I1. like one sur
very grave, and all the members betrayed
their interest in the curious spectacle.
"Why am l a fool?'' l asked him, con-
tInued Keifer, "and he told me in reply
that | was a TOOL because | had not made
any money while Speaker, as Blaine and
COlfax had done. He said that there were
chances to make money, as Blaine and
Colfax had, and that the McGarrahan bill
was one of these chances"
Keifer then explained how BOyntOn had
described to him the way in which money
was to be made out of the McGarrahan
claim, pointing out that under the bill
land scrip could be issued, by which the
profits would be very great to all inside,
"Or, as BOynton expressed it," Keller
said, sit was a bill that would make them
all rich BOyntOn was removed from my
room in manner not necessary to state,
and from that day to this | have refused
to recognize him. In return he began on
March 3, at the close of my term, to abuse
me.in his paper, and has influenced others
to do so. No lie has been too mean for him
to tell, and his ISLANDERS have been spread
all over this land" Keifer continued in
this vein for long time, denouncing
Boynton over and over again as a liar and
a slanderer, as a lobbyist, and as conspir-
ing to ruin him in public repute.
Then, taking up a large book, keifer
added II will now show from the record
that Boynton's colleague, W. b. Shaw, Is
a confessed lobbyist, and if this investiga-
ton is to take place it ought to be made
broad enough to include Shaw"
Keifer then read from the testimony
taken before the Pacific Mail lnvestiga-
ting Committee some years ago the state
ment under oath of w. Is. Shaw, who
admitted having received $4,000 from
the men who were seeking legislation in
Congress for the Pacific Mail. "This
man. continued Keifer, sis one of the
clique of correspondents who are engaged
in defaming me, and was man selected
by number Of the correspondents to pre-
side over a meeting called to denounce me-
Keifer, in closing, alluded theoretically
to the investigation of his action in fore
ing the resignation Of a stenOgrapher that
the place might be given to a nephew of
Keifer's as part of the scheme Of defa-
nation, and closed by asserting that he
had done his duty and could not be dis
graced in mis- own estimation.
The House was silent for a moment
when Keller took his seat. The spectacle
of an eX-Speaker of the House charging
reporter with attempted corruption nearly
a year after the alleged offense was COM
mitted, and making the charge, too, not
so much to procure punishment as to de-
fend himself, together with his fierce de-
nunciation of BOyntOn's newspaper CORE
spondence, was an amazing one. Not
man rose on the Republican side to say
word in sympathy with or defense of the
Nv