Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-19
SPORT In THE HOUSE
Over Some Headlines Rung in on the
Congressional Record.
THEY WERE A TRIFLE TOO SPICY
And Reflected on the Mugwumps So That
One of Them Felt 1t
HIS SACRED DUTY TO RESENT THEM

Up-Williams' Report on Silver Coinage
Riddled."
These were some of the words that Mr.
Williams, of Massachusetts,, objected to and
asked to have stricken from the Record as q
part of the speech of Mr.. Walker, of Massa-
chusetts, which had not been delivered by
| that gentleman in the House. Mr.. Will
| Jams characterized the language as un-
gentlemanly, unmanly, supplementary
and offensive in the extreme. He con-
sdered an attack upon the Mugwumps as a
personal attack, for he had been one. In
the campaign of 1884 his colleague had been
one of the greatest Mugwumps of the day,
but now he hated the Mugwumps worse
| than he did the devil
| The opening of the House was unevent-
| full. A few leaves of absence were granted
and several Senate bills appropriately re-
ferred. Mr.. McMillin, of Tennessee, from
the Committee on Rules reported back a
| resolution calling on the Secretary of the
Treasury for information as to what amount
of requisitions for payment, under contract
or otherwise, for the various branches Of
the public services, were presented between
warrants or drafts were not issued for pay
ment prior to March 1, 1892.
More Information Wanted.
On motion of Mr.. Bushnell, of Wisconsin,
| resolution was adopted calling on the Sec
retary of War and the Attorney General
for information relative to the injury to
| Government dams on the Mississippi river,
| between the mouth of the Chippewa river
in Wisconsin and West Newton Slough,
MINI.
Mr.. Williams, of Massachusetts, then
rising to question Of privilege, moved to
strike from the Record that portion of the
speech of Mr.. Walker, of Massachusetts,, on
Tuesday last, which had not been delivered
by him. There seemed to be, said Mr..
Williams, a constant complaint on the part
of the Democratic Representatives from
Massachusetts against their Republican
colleagues. He would not complain in this
matter were not the published utterances of
personal and insulting nature, such as he
thought seldom appeared in the records of
Congress The speech which the gentle
man had printed made gross attack on the
class of men who were denominated "Mug-
wumps" and on the New England delega-
ton. After the gentleman from Massa-
chusetts had declared that he would print
the rest of his remarks, there appeared
sub-heading, inserted by the gentleman
himself: "Hot Shot for Mugwumps Hoar
and Williams Shown Up; Williams Re-
port on Silver Coinage Riddled." Laugh
teri
A Proper Inquiry to Make.
His (Williams) inquiry was proper one
whether the rules permitted Congress-
man to edit his speeches in the Record and
have the results as he saw them in his own
kl,4 h.
business of the Committee on Printing to
see that such matter was not injected by
gentlemen who printed speeches they never
had uttered.
Mr. Richardson, of Tennessee, Chairman
of the Committee on Printing said that the
committee had no authority over the sub
ject
Mr.. Walker said the headlines to which
the gentleman objected had been printed by
mistake. [Laughter]
Mr.. Williams said it was not his purpose
to do anything more than to ask the atten-
tion of the Committee on Printing to such
methods, and to ask it to see that no such
thing should happen in the future.
Mr. Richardson said it was not in the
power of the committee to prevent the gen
tleman from Massachusetts, making head
lines and captions to the various phrases of
his speech.
Mr.. Williams called attention to the Ian
guage which seemed to him to be unparlia-
mentary and offensive in the extreme
words that were not uttered in heat of de-
bate, but were printed without provocation
words uttered only in printing and not in
a manly fashion. The privilege of print
ing in the Record was never intended to give
the power of personal insult. Even if
proper under the rules, the exercise of that
power was not gentlemanly and not parlia-
mentary.
Mugwumps Find a Defender.
Mr.. Williams, quoting from Mr.. Walkers
speech, objected to that gentleman s declara-
tion, that the Mugwumps in this House had
their seats "by gross deception and moral
fraud" These were at best unmanly words,
but coming here under the color of having
been spoken, they were the more serious.
The gentleman from Worcester had quoted
from the Sermon on the Mount For rock
faced and sky-piercing monument of bias
phemy, commend him to the words in which
the gentleman compares an attack upon a
fellow member to the rebuke of the Savior
of men to the scribes and Pharisees
Mr.. Loud, of California-Do you con-
slider an attack upon the Mugwumps as
personal attack?
Mr.. Williams-Yes, do, because have
been one Laughter.
Continuing, Mr.. Williams said that in
1884 he had done himself the honor of break
ing away from the Republican party.
democratic applause. In that campaign
one of the most difficult tasks the Executive
Committee had, was to curb and check the
ardor and zeal of the gentleman from Massa-
chhsetts (Mr Walker), who now made this
attack on his former associates Laughter
and applause In 1884 there had not been
a greater Mugwump than the gentleman
from Worcester, and now he hated the
Mugwumps worse than he did the devil.
[Laughter.1
The Bible Quoted in Congress.
He commended to the gentleman the
notable sermon to which he had referred in
his speech, "Woe unto you, scribes and |
Pharisees, hypocrites, for We compass sea
and land to make one proselyte; and when |
he is made, ye make him twofold more the |
child of hell than yourselves Loud and |
long continued laughter
Mr. Walker said it was evident to the |
House for what purpose the gentleman from |
Massachusetts (Mr. Williams) had arisen |
Laughter He had arisen Gas lie had |
arisen in legislative bodies at home) for the |
purpose of exhibiting himself The idea of |
reading the Bible to a Democratic House! |
[Laughter.l And the gentleman had to
read it-he could not repeat it. 1t was |
something so fresh, and so new, and so sur
prising that the Democrats had cheered |
him to the echo. Laughter. 1t had |
raised tar more enthusiasm than the gentle |
man could inspire by any remarks of his |
own. The headlines to his speech-to |
which the gentleman had alluded-had not |
been written in his manuscript, and he was