Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-10
A BREEZY TILT.
A Proposition TO spend $4,000 for
Pictures and Sistuary for the New
Cspitel Discussed.
Bell of Corhe Makes Savage Attack
Upon Gresham of Galveston to
Which tho Latter Replies.

CpeCidl W the UaIGtLe
AUSTIN, May 9.-Tie breeziest tilt Of
the session took plsce in the House this
evening. The House was in committee
of the whole on the omnibus sppropria-
ton bill, and Mr.. Bell Of Cooke offered an
amendment striking out the appropriation
of &c. 600 to buy pictures and statusry
for the new capitol and had made speech
full of ridicale and intended to be very
funny. II may be here remarked that
while Il Is true that there is no man in
the House who can be IS hileriously
funny as the member from Cooke when
he tries to be serious, 1t is
equally true, that no one is SO unuttersbly
serious when he attempts to be funny.
Mr.. Gresham replied to Mr.. Bell In s
spirit Of levity, saying that the gentleman
from Cooke should be careful about de-
featiDg this appropriation, lest he should
destroy the opportunity Of having his
own picture hung upon the walls Of the
capitol.
Mr.. Bell rejoined. He said he was sure
thst if the state never made an sppropris-
ton TO buy his picture and that of the
gentleman from Galveston (Mr. Greshsm) ,
the gentleman from Galveston
would do so himself, as
he was rich and had plenty
of money to spend. He understood the
gentleman from Galveston was worth
100000, and, being liberal with his own
funds, WAS also inclined to be liberal
with those Of the state. But
the gentleman from Galveston WAS
not so liberal in all things.
That gentleman was an adept in the art of
lodging his taxes, and although the
owner of SOC, Gee worth of property he
only paid $3.50 taxes. The gentlemsn's
constituency also knew how
to dodge their taxes, for the
property IN the city Ct Galveston
was assessed for taxes 5000, eco,
while the insurance reports showed it to
be $50, 100000.
AS MIR. Bell eat down all eyes were
turned toward Mr.. Gresham. He imme-
date rose, calm and impassioned, but
very pale. He defended his people from
the aspersions cast upon them
by the gentleman from Cooke,
and declared that their. properly
was rated as high as that of any people in
the state. The assertion that he Ceres
ham) lodged the payment of his just
taxes he hurled back upon the gentleman
ds lblSS III CsS1J pal iiSuAAA.
Bell wanted 10 know how much taxes
he did pay.
Mr.. Gresham said he did not know, but
more than $1,000.
Mr.. Bell attempted 10 ask further ques-
tions, but was called to order by the
Chair at the instance of Col. Bryan.
Mr. Gresham concluded by saying that
he thought Mr.. Bell had made his remarks
I'm riff ~ lauifu and hsf q In
clined to trest it SO.
After some remarks by other members
Mr.. Bell obtained the floor on & question
of privilege. He wanted to know why, If
there WAS nothing in his remarks, the
gentleman from Galveston had taken
then so to heart, though considering them
made in spirit Of levity. He
had nothing to take back, but proposed
now to say something that would hurt.
He declared that the appropriation under
discussion was put IN the bill by the com.
mittee in the interest Of one man who
had pictures to sell. He then read
figures concerning the assessed value Of
Galveston property, and said he got his |
information about Mr.. Gresham's tsxes
from citizen of Galveston. He con-
cluded by saying that his remarks about |
Mr. Gresham ha6 not been made in a
spirit of levity.
Messrs. Gresham and Fuller both re-
piled in defense of the committee, Mr.. |
Fuller making some very biting, though |
good-humored, remsrks about Mr.. Bell. |
That ended the discussion. The gen.
eral feeling so fsr as it wss expressed by |
any Of the members is that Bell put him.
self clear outside the psle of decency and |
that his speech WSs brutal and contempt
ible.