St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-09-04
Obe Californian
THE SCENE IN THE HOUSE.


House Wednesday, Aug. 81, is that
leaders and members of that party
should be the exclusive actors in it.
Had they been democrats who made
such disgusting exhibition of indie
cency and brutiShness, we should
have been told that this was what
we might expect. For there is no
claim on which more emphasis has
been laid by republicans here in the
East in late years, than that the de
mocracy embraced the worst and
lowest elements of our society and
was unfit for government or the COM
pany of self-respecting men; and that
about all worth havingi in the way OF
culture, responsibility, decency and
ability to conduct the government
with dignity was to be found in the
party of moral ideas"
But it is questionable whether a
display of greater foulness, vulgarity
and rowdyism was ever before seen
in the House than that of which a
republican leader on the floor was
the origina tor and republican mem
bers the support. Cannon did not
stand alone in this exhibition. His
gross remark, we are told, provoked
''roars of laughter" among republi-
cans who sat about him, and led
them to slap one another's Shout
ders' in their merriment. While sew
eral democrats were demanding that
his words be taken down for censure,
Mason of Illinois, another republi-
can, who is going to make speeches
in the speaker district in Maine this
week, was trying to get at Cannon,
and, being restrained by members,
shouted out: You wouldn't have
said that if your family had been in
the gallery, and you wouldn't have
said it at all if you hadn't been =
- dirty tramp" and further that
you're a - lying son -" Had
not his friends held him, Cannon,
who was struggling to get at Mason,
might have reduced the republican
majority by one at least for this ses-
sion.
Meantime the exchange of low Ian
guage and the scuffling had spread to
another part of the chamber. Beck
with, the republican successor of
William Walter Phelps from New
Jersey, had ventured to criticise Can
mons doings Wilson of Washing
ton, who sat near by, declared that
Cannon was right. What haveyou
got to do with ii ~ demanded Beck
with. oh" said Wilson, you're
mad because Cannon put your name
in the list yesterday.' WELL" said
Beckwith, lit had no business there,
for | was here all the day" ''Well,
said Wilson, lit was all right, for it's
id little you're here anyway"
'You'rc a liar" said Beckwith
''YOu're - liar" said Wilson.
''YOu're a -- son of a =" retOrted
Beckwith. Then the men clinched,
while cries of a free fight" rang out,
and men tumbled over one another
in rush to witness it or to aid in
separating the combatants. When
quiet had finally been restored and
the speaker had with characteristic
uniairness and impudent rulings,
shielded his lieutenant from the pos
sible censure of the House-though
he can hardly be blamed for not
wanting the words of the fellow
taken dOwn-CannOn had the shame
lesSnesS to rise and attempt to laugh
off his disgraceful language of speak
ing of it as Il classical quotation"
which the democrat who had pro-
voked him was too ignorant to APP
preciate.
We have referred with this particu-
larity to the proceedings of Wednes-
day because the affair is of national
Importance and a national disgrace,
and because it is meant that the peo-
pie should know of the character and
ways of those who represent them.
And to think that the grand old
party should have been responsible
for it all Does it not show very for
chilly what a change has taken place
of late years i'll the character of the
leadership of the party of Lincoln,
Sumner and Wilson? We do not
wonder that republican papers should
be led to hunt the records for similar
displays on the part of democrats.
But has it come to this-the necessi-
ty of proving that we republicans are
at least no worse than they of the
much-taunted plantation manners"
and pot-house language ever were?
Nor indeed sit wonderful that others
should take the course of the Boston
Journal in ascribing it all to 1.-The
weather." which has been exceed
ingly trying" and which has made
filibustering peculiarly irritating"
but whoever heard of hot weather
converting born gentlemen into foul
mouthed fighters on the floor of the
national House of Representatives,
Did it ever SO effect the great republi-
can leaders of the past?
But the disgraceful affair carries
with 1t another comment. 1t fits a
capstOne on the handiwork of the
speakers policy, which everybody
will recognize as in perfect harmony
with the whole structure. In sup
pressing debate, reducing members
to a state of SubScrvient silence, and
usurp1ng for a ring of leaders the
power to ride rOugh-shOd over the
minority with any bit of uncOnsider-
ed class legislation that they may see
fit to favor, the House has been CON
verified into the ga thering- place of an
ill-natured mob whose actions are
discrediting the nation Springfield
Republican.
JOHNoAO" Nh1>4nA4'AoC1|NCIso
The horrors of the Johnstown flood
of a year ago last June are continual
ly revived in the minds of the public,
says a Pittsburg correspondent in
the New York Evening Post. Now
an exhibition of flood relics in this
city opens up a flood of pathetic re-
collections. These relics are to be
placed on sale within two weeks, and
the money obtained will be used in
erecting a monument, marked ITO
the Unknown Dead" at IOhnStown.