St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-07-30
A DEFIANT GEORCI AN.
Cong Tom Watson.
Stands Pat on q Hot
Roast,
And in an Aggravating Way
Repeats His Assertions
Amid Kisses.
Representatives Accused of
Being Keeling Drunk in
the House.
A Wild Scene Of Excitement
Ends in an Investigating
Committee.

MIR. Watson, of Georgia, the leader of
| the third party in the house. He re-
iterated statement made in a CAM
paign document issued by him that
| members of the house had reeled
drunken along the aisles and had adj
| dressed the chair in a maudlin manner.
| His remarks gave rise to great excite
| ment and Indignation, and he was fire.
| quently Missed. A committee was ap-
| pointed to inquire into the truth of the
charges made. The incident was one
of the most dramatic of the sessiOn-the
speaker and Mr.. Watson being about
| the only men who preserved their Gus
| tomary GOODNESS.
The excitement was precipitated by a
| question of privilege raised by Mr..
| Wheeler (Alabama) relative to certain
statements contained in a campaign
book recently published by Representa-
tive Watson (Georgia) reviewing the
! action OF the present congress and the
| positions taken by its members in the
past. MIR. Wheeler sent to the clerks
desk the book, entitled, mot Revolt,
1t Is Revolution" In this book Mr..
Wheeler is recorded as having voted
| for the mail subsidy bill. There were
| loud demands for the Irregular ORDER"
but Mr.. Wheeler insisted upon being
| heard. He had not voted that way.
Hints at Heavy ags.
He held his ground and in order to
secure the floor had read an extract
| from the book, in which it is asserted
| that in the present congress drunken
members reeled about the aisles to the
disgrace of the republic and drunken
| speakers debated grave issues.
This undoubtedly presented ques-
| ton of privilege and Mr.. Wheeler was
| recognized. He denounced the publ
| cation as the most ridiculous falsehood
ever uttered OH the American continent.
| [ApDlause. History did not show an
| instance of viler attack on a repre-
| sentative body than this. Applause.
| Every member was tainted with the
| charge.
Mr.. Wheeler then proceeded to an
swer the speech made by Mr.. Watson
Wednesday, but he was frequently
| called to order by Mr.. Burrows Mich
and repeatedly requested by the speaker
W COiluilC w lilc QuCSllOu VI
privilege.
Mr.. Reed-Cannot the chair suggest
some remedy for this infection?
The speaker directed the gentleman
from Alabama to cOnline himself to the
question before the house or take his
/ seat. Mr.. Wheeler said that he did not
| wish to embarraSs the. chair in any
manner; he would therefore resume his
seat. r
Watson Fail of Fight
Mr.. Watson then rose to reply to Mr..
Wheeler, but at first did not contne
himself to the question of privilege, and
he was called to order by Mr.. Coombs,
of New York. This interruption Mr..
Watson resented, and lie exclaimed de-
| family: tp-
mo New York representative can
bulldoze representative of the state
of Georgia in the exercise of his rights.
You understand that, will you?'
Continuing his remarks, Mr.. Watson
said that the gentleman from Alabama
had stated that he (WatsoD had threat
ened him with personal violence. That
| charge was unfounded. The gentleman
| of the South had always allowed each
otner-the privilege of making a
voluntary retractIon to the gentleman
who had been aggrieved. The gentle
man from Alabama had quoted from his
| (Watson's) book. He assured the house
that he had not entered into partner
ship with the gentleman to advertise
the volume. [Laughter.] But the gen.
| tleman. in attempting to harm the book,
| had helped it.
81 say, he continued. with emphasis,
| ksthat word in ~ l,tn
| ally true, and all men that nave been
| keeping their eyes open and want to adj
NIT the facts will admit that these facts
| are literally true"
Kisses FeaZe Him Not.
| This declaration. made in vigorous
manner. was the signal for general hiss
| ing. Mr.. Watson read from his book to
the effect that congress had not carried
out It's promises of reform. Also the
paragraph in regard to drunkenness on
the floor.
| Mr.. McMillin Dem., TENN thought
that the gentleman from Georgia had
no right to go into general discussion
| on the failure OF congress to keep its
| pledges.
Mr.. Watson retorted. with some feel
ing, that he might not be able to explain
to the satisfaction of MIR. McMillin, but
he believed that when the explanation
| was made the house would be satisfied.
The final chapter of the book was
| summing up of the abuses Of the day.
| Every line, he said. was distinct point
in the indictment, and he had right to
| read the end of the paragraph as eX-
| planning the language objected to. The
Indictment should stand as it had been
written. There was nothing new in it.
There was not a charge in the book
which had not been made by the gentle
man from Indiana (Mr. Holman) respect
ing the failure OF congress to keep
| its pledges. The members had been in
a state of intoXication, and every MEM
Der knew it; the country knew it,
| through the representatives of the press.
| Because he had made the charge this
| Democratic house wanted to make him
a scapegoat! Hissesl.
The sp eaker here interrupted the
gentleman from Georgia. and said he
had been accorded the floor, not as
matter of right but as matter of grace.
Bedlam Turned Loose.
Mr.. Watson tersely retorted: 81 do
| not want anything from this house as
matter of grace. Applause on the Re-
| publican side]. / will appeal from any
| decision it may make to the fair sense
| of justice which aoides in the hearts of
the American people. L scorn your
| courteses or gracea. You will hear me
| in my own right"
| The house was now in complete up
roar, and Kisses were heard from all
sides.
The speaker said that if the gentle
man from Georgia did not proceed in
order he would call upon the sergeant
| alarms to compel him to do so. The
| gentleman was permitted to explain his
remarks by vote of the house, and he
must respect the rights of this body.
Mr.. Watson, though holding his own
throughout all the confusion, was imme-
diately respectful and submissive when
the speaker directed him to take his
seat. When order WAS restored he was
| permitted to. proceed, which he did by
| reading the objectionable nortiou of the