Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-09-19
ROWS OF STATESMEN.
ROBERT GRAVES RECALLS A NUMBER
RECORDED IN HISTORY.
The Bynum-Garland Trouble in 1910.
The White-Rathbun Dispute in 1874.
The First Personal Encounter in Con-
gress Was in 1798.

~S-~s
The White-Rathbun Dispute in 1874.
The First Personal Encounter in Con-
gress Was in 1898.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Sept. ga book could be
written about statesmen in trouble. There
have been many personal encounters on
the floor of congress, and not a few deeds
growing out Of bitter words spoken in de-
bate. The recent fsticuf exhibition be-
tween the member from New Jersey and
the member from Washington has plenty
Of presidents. Some of these alterations
have been Investigated by special commit
tees, and others have been permitted to
elbow over" A fight between members
which attracted great attention at the
time occurred in 1910, when a paper pur-
porting to contain a document from the
treasury department was read from the
clerks desk. In this document Mr.. Rice
Garland's name was mentioned, and MI.
Garland was on the floor.
Henry A. Wise addressed the chair, and
said the paper had been prepared by his
colleague, Mr.. Bolts, who would stand by
it. In conversation among the members
Jesse Bynum said, in Garland's hearing,
that it was a 'lying paper" Garland re-
torted that it twas true, every word of it,"
whereupon Bynum CAV Garland the lie,
and Garland retorted with the statement
that Bynum was not only a liar but a
scoundrel. "Thereupon,' in the language
of the official report, "the parties engaged.
Mr. Bynum grasped Mr.. Garland's cane,
and a struggle for possession of the cane
ensued. Finally the cane fell to the floor.
Garland then collared Bynum and struck
him at least once. Bynum returned the
blow. The parties being separated Bynum
stood lear the bar of the house, drew his
penknife from his pocket and attempted to
open it, but did not do so. He looked to-
ward Garland and shouted: "You id
thief and rogue. That fellow was run off
from North Carolina, a id thiefp' The
Investigating committee contented itself
with reporting the facts, and made no
recommendation, though it had examined
forty witnesses.
Some of the committee reports on per-
sonal alterations have been very quaint
in their phraseology. In 1874 John White,
of Kentucky, made a speech of one hour
defending Henry Clay, and denying that
Mr. Clay had used certain language con-
corning slavery which had been attributed
to him. Mr.. Kennedy, of Indiana, endeav-
ored to obtain recognition for the purpose
of showing that Mr.. Clay had so spoken,
but was unable to do so. "Never mind"
said Representative George Rathbun, of
New York, 1--WE can prove it ali around"
IF you do" retorted Mr.. White, ''you
will prove a lie. Swallow that" The COM
mittee at this j%uncture takes up the story
as follows: "Mr. Rathbun asked Mr.. White
if he intended to apply the lie personally
to him. Mr.. White said he did, where
upon Mr.. Rathbun Immediately thrust his
hand toward Mr.. White and against the
upper part of his chest, and a personal
conflict ensued." The modern newspaper
writer, who delights in descriptive phrases,
will turn up his nose in disdain at thrust
his hand toward Mr.. White and against
the upper part of his chest"
In this case also the committee was
content with reporting the facts. 1t did
add, however, it's condemnation of the use
Of opprobrious language and epithets of
personal insult on the floor of congress-,
pointing out that in the four years previ-
GUS there had been four cases of personal
assault between members of the house.
A. curious thing about quarrels in con-
gress is their contagiousness. When
Beckwith and Wilson struck at each other
recently three or four other quarrels were
on the tapis, and their unpleasantness
grew directly out of a "a of words be-
tween two other members in their hearing.
So it was in this White athbun fight.
On the floor was a Kentuckian, w. s.
Moore, and of course he wa ready to take
the part of his fellow K~entuckian, Mr..
White. He grabbed the sergeant-at-
arms and held him as that officer was about
to lay hold of White. For this Moore was
seized by Representative McCauslen and
thrust out Of the hall, and as he went out
he pulled a pistol and fred at McCauslen,
but hit instead Policeman Writ, inflicting
a flesh wound in the leg.
Perhaps the most ludicrous, as it was
also the first, personal encounter in the
American congress occurred in the year
1905. Here was a case in which one mem.
Der used a cane and his antagonist the
tongs from the fireplace, and the speaker
did not want the combatants separated.
The following from the report of the inves.
tigating committee, being the testimony
Of Congressman Elmendorf, is quaint:
ION Thursday morning last, having been
engaged in writing in my room until
thought it was very late, I entered the
uOuSe Ol representatives WIFI SOIlo SUIT
prise at not finding it engaged in business.
The speaker sat Il think) writing in his
chair as I crossed the floor to the letter
box, and on returning to my seat I saw Mr..
Lyon in his seat in the posture of writing
or reading papers lying on his desk before
him, having his hat on and not appearing
to perceive me to pass him, although very
near him. From my seat, which is the
second in the third row, almost directly
behind his. which is the same posture i'm
mediately before, l heard the first blow of
q cane, upon hearing which I observed
him still sitting with one arm in the po-
sition of covering his head and warding off
blows and the other in feeling, as I thought,
for a cane on the floor, beside or before
him. I saw Mr.. Griswold at this time on
the open floor directly before him beating
him, with all the strength and dexterity
apparently in his power, with a cane of the
stoutest kind of American made hickory,
and repeating his blows as fast as 1 thought
he could make them. Under this pressure
Mr.. Lyon, in a defenseless state, made
out Of his seat sideway, being hemmed in
before and behind by the desks and seats,
SO that it was wholly out Of his power to
escape a single blow, or to interrupt MI.
Griswold in the act of beating him. I'm
mediately I myself, for one, rose in my
seat, and loudly and repeatedly called to
the chair for order. I heard the same call