Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-15
Swords ofSarcasm Drawn aud Welded
by MeSSrS, Call and Plumb,
TIE SENATORIAL LIE PASSED.
Mr. Plumb Thinks He Ought to Convict His
Florida Colleague of
FALSEHOOD, AT THE VERY LEAST
Mr.. Call Responds That He Will Not Follow Such
Mean Methods

Senators Plumb and Call had tilt in The
Senate yesterday, in which some sharp Ian
guage was used and the lie passed not quite
so politely as is usual in that august body,
The acrimonious discussion was over Florida
swamp land act grants.
WASHINGTON, January 14-The Iesolu.
tions heretofore offered by Mr.. Call, in rela-
tion to the claims of Florida under the
swamp land grant, and in relation to the
alleged unlawful selections of lands in
Florida, were taken up to-day in the Senate
and Mr.. Gail addressed the Senate on them.
The burden of his remarks was that lands
which were not swamp and oVerfowed, but
which were fit for cultivation, had been Sc
lected under the swamp land act to the
injury of the peoples rights. He asserted
that 200, 900, 600 of acres had been selected
and approved in all the States as swamp and
overhowed lands, while everybody knew
that no such extent of territory Gas large as
Europe) consisted of swamp and overfowed
lands. This was fraud on the people of
the United States, for whom the public
lands should be held as a sacred heritage.
Ofthe 100000 acres which passed in
Florida under the swamp and overfowed
lands act, he asserted that IL, 000, 600 were
high and dry.
MR.. PLUMB REPLIES.
Mr.. Plumb replied to Mr.. Call. He said
that the United States had granted to the
State of Florida more than halt of the
lands within its limits. The State con-
tanned about 40, 900, 600 acres, and more than
one-haif of that had been given to the State
for various purposes. Every single acre of
land so granted had been placed under the
control of the Legislature OF Florida.
Some 100000 or 100000 acres had
been granted as swamp and overfowed
lands. The Senator (Mr. Call) had just
told the Senate that most of it was not
swamp, but arabic land. So much greater
was the declaration of the Senator's State,
if it had betrayed Its trust. He wished the
Senator would say on the stump in his own
State what he had said here to-day. He
(Mr. Plumb did not care how much of the
dirty linen Of Florida was washed else
where. That was a question to be settled
between the Senator and his constituents.
He (Mr. Call) had not said word to-day
that was not in denunciation of the condi-
tion of the authorities of his own State.
HE WOULD SOONER RESIGN.
But for himself, said Mr.. Plumb, he would
resign his seat in the Senate if he were to
bring forward such a complaint against his
own State, after being too cowardly to pro-
claim it on the stump within its borders.
Let the Senator, Mr.. Plumb said, go back
to the people who sent him here. Let him
go back to the Legislature which has
despoiled the public domain. The charge
is unworthy of the Senator's position TO the
State. L does not become him-unless he
has taken the STUMP IN his own State and
denounced at every cross roads the bad ac-
tions of the people who committed them-to
appeal TO the Senate on that subject. Es.
peclally does it not become him to impugn
the motives OF men on this floor (meaning
members of the subcommittee on Public
Lands) who did not agree with him and
who have not been able to find in his COM
pact, terse and eloquent sentences, that pith
and marrow which be imagines are to be
found in them.
MIGHT BE CoNDoNED.
Mr.. Plumb went on to say that Mr.. Call
had, some sessions ago, appealed to him as
Chairman OF the Committee on Public
Lands, to report bill to ratify and confirm
the title to certain railroad lands in Florida.
So thar the alleged frauds, said Mr. Plumb,
were TO be condoned under certain circum-
stances, but were never to be condoned in
speech. The Senator, be said, had been
always in the habit OF impugning Senators.
covertly or openly, and he (Mr Plumb
had sometimes been inclined not TO reply to
him, but to convict him OF falsehood But,
said be, there are some accusations which
are lost in the accuser.
Mr.. Plumb went on to say that be be-
lieved in the virtue OF the people Of Florida
more firmly than their Senator did. He
was aware that a most conspicuous rape of
the public domain mad been perpetrated in
Florida, and he hoped that when the Sena-
tor was next tempted to speak on the subject
he would speak where speaking meant risk |
to his own people.
CALL TALKS RIGHT BACK.
Mr.. Call replied to Mr.. Plumb. He |
said:
I win not be moved, Mr.. President. bv this |
extraordinary example of the Senator from |
Kansas TO follow his bad manners nor his con- |
temDtible methods. He cannot have a poorer |
opinion of me than have of the Senator from |
Kansas. have not been in the habit of violat- 1
Ing the decOrum of debate and discussion, /
My record in the State of Florida is known
There is no boodler there whom he defends |
and denunciation as he has used TODAY con-
fute and dissipate with scorn the aIlega- |
ton of the Senator that I had |
secretly done anything contrary to
my public utterances. What object has the
Senator in defending the title of these boodlers
against the peace and repose of the entire
country? What object has he for attacking
me in common with the bOodlers who have
prohted by these frauds? No public interest
but idle bravado. am not afraid to canvass
Florida or Kansas with the Senator on that
question. My position is well known in rela-
tlon to II in the State of Florida. The officials
of the State are as honorable and as able as the
senator from Kansas. By their side he would
Sink into insigniticance.
OUGHT TO KNOW BETTER,
The statements of the Senator in relation TO
their violation of trust are entirely untrue and
as Chairman of the Committee on Public
Lands (which has jurisdiction over the matter)
he should be ashamed not to be better in
formed IN regard to the special circumstances.
1t Is dlsrepuiable TO the Senate that il should
have as chairman of that committee Senator
who not only defends the interests of the bood-
leTs, but shows his ignorance of the subiect
specially committed TO him. All that the Sena-
tor has said about the Legislature of Florida is
utterly false and untrue, and it has been esiJ
for the purpose of making an attack a0aInsT
ne. had expected it. He has his place we'll
Dy the slae oi tnose who have drawn these
profits from miSInterpretation of the
aw. With an audacious assumption of snnp.
lority on bis pars, he speaks of Senators as |
rot being suited to their places, as not being
himself as entirely ignorant of the facts LET |
ne teach him a little lesson-I will not trv 70 |
each him propriety. 1 care not for his ian |
.uage, or his assumption. or his demeanor: bnt
IS a Senator, let me seek to teach him littIe |
about the law.
HOW BE Is KNOWN.
Having made statement as to the grants
o Florida for railroad purposes, and under
he swamp land Law, Mr.. Call proceeded:
1 have not any reputation among the people
# my State of having sympathy with those
Who commit wrong and error in the perform
nee Of public duty. If the things he says
we're true, and If l we're as bad man as he is,
S weak man as he is, as vain man as he is
ven If were all that be is himself, and all
hat he says am-stnl It would remain true
hat large number Of people have been de-
rived Of their rights on these lands. The only
oterest that can be promoted by denying these
lghts is not that Of the people Of the United
'tates-not the interest of purity and honesty
no justice, but the interest of the few who
ave made. and are 10 make. enormous profits
ut OF the improper execution of the laws
he state OF Florida is the equal Of any other
,tate. Its representatives are the equals of
he reDrngnntaf5vas Of OIL 1eho 1