Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-09-09
BEN BUTLER SKINNED.
How Hon. John Young Brown took
the Demagogne's Hide off

tAe Denagogue nlue oH
Now that bold Ben Butler has OBJ
trudcd himself into the Presidential
arena as sort of pirate flying the
black flag, some of the scenes created
by him when a member of the House
Of Representatives have relishable
flavor. When in the Forty-third
Congress, when James G.. Blaine was
Chairman of the Judiciary Commit
tee, by appointment, of course, of the
Speaker, as the month-picce of the
committee, he reported for the action
of the house what is known as the
Civil Rights Bill. 1t lead to a
heated debate. In this Congress as
member was John Young Brown, OF
Kentucky, a man of intense declama-
tory and oratorical ability.
In conducting the debate Butler
had been unusually severe. Nettled
by some ofhis structures, Brown took
the floor and scene of intense dra-
matte incident followed. In his pref
atory remarks Brown defended the
South from the accusationsof murder
and banditti which the R,lublca /
press had hurled at it. lie called at
tention TO the fact that Republican
committee of Congress had tabooed
the wholesale reports of crime. But
Ter, however, had revived it in a
speech made the day previous. To
this Brown took special exception,
and said Now, again, that accusation
has come from one-I speak not of
men, but of language, and within the
rules of this lh0use-that accusation
a ,ainst that people has com, f'Om one
who is oullawed in his own home
from respectable society; whose name
is Synonymous with falschooA; WHO
is the champion, and has been on all
occasions, of fraul !, who is the apollo
gist of thieves, who is sIcl a prodi-
gy ofvice and meanness that 10 dies
cribe him would sicken magma
ti0m and exhaust invectivc. LII Scot
land, years ago, there was man
whose trade was murder, and he
armed his livelihood by selling the
bodies of his victims for gold. lie
linked his name with the crime, and
.o-day it is known throughout the
world as Burking.
The Speaker-Does the Chair un-
derstand the gentlemen to be referr-
ing in this manner toa member of
the House?
Mr.. Brown-No, sir; / am describ.
ing an individual who is in my mind
eye.
The Spcaker-The Chair under.
stood the gentleman to refer to a
member of the House.
Mr.. Brown-No, sir. l call no
names. This mans name was linked
to his crime, and to-day throughout
the world it is known as Burking
If wished to describe all that was
pusillanimous in war, inhuman il
eace, forbidding in morals, and infa
nous in politics, should call it But
lcrism.
The Spcakcr-The Chair thinks
the gentleman from Kentucky did
not reply in good faith tothe question
put to him. The chair takes the
whole discourse of the gentleman
from Kentucky as referring
Mr.. Brown-Thc chair had nc
right to anticipate what L was about
TO say.
Mr.. Hale, of New York; insis
that the words of the gentleman from
Kentucky be taken down.
The Speaker-The gentleman from
New York asks that the words be ia
ken down. That will be done.
The climax of the speech created
great excitement and confusion. The
impulse among many members was
TO offer resolution expelling Brown
as a member of the House. A debate
however, followed, and better feeling
ensued. Those who wanted to saw
Brown gave him chance to craw-
fish. lie was a gamy y0ungster, ant
would not resort to subtcrtuge. bod
ger Dawes, used to such cxpedients
arose and said:
Iwould inquire of the gentleman
from Kentucky if he has any remark
to make upon the character of thu
language he used.
Mr.. Brown-I stand by the re
cord.
The debate which followed gay,
evidence that a resolution of censurr
to Brown would pass. Butler, com
pletely knocked out, took but littl
part in it, except to say: Mr.. Speak
er, desire simply to say that th'
courtesies and proprieties of the oc
casion which has unfortunately de
tanned the House for some time seen
to call upon me to make one observa
ton. The gentlemen of the minorit
were engaged in hunting up am
bringing to the attention of the cour
try the various shortcomings ant
wrongdoings of mine under circum
stances when / could not reply t
them. In the language of gentle
man of the minority whom l respe'
it did not take much courage to d