Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-06-28
HILL AND HARRIS HAVE IT HOT.
A Tilt That Created Great Excite
ment in the Senate.

Senator Harris, as Leader Of the Demo
cratic Tariff Forces, Tried to Force Hill
to speak After the Usual Hour Of Adj
journment, and Then the Fight Began.
WASHINGTON, June 22.--Senators
Hill and Harris had an exciting discus.
sion during the debate on the Tarln Dill
to-day.
Mr.. Hill, not satisfied with the many
hours he has already occupied in the
discussion Of the income tax, announced
his intention to speak again at some
length. He wanted an adjournment
until tomorrow, to which Mr.. Harris
would not consent, because, as he truly
said, 1t would be simply playing into
the hands of the men who are pro-
noting delay.
1t was long past 9 o'clock; the Their
mometer was approxlmating 90degrees,
blood was at fever heat, Mr.. Chandler
IN his irritating, rasping way had
worked Mr.. Harris up into a condition
of strong excitement. Mr.. Hill was in
anything but u calm mood because OF
the intent of Mr.. Harris 10 compel him
to speak tonight. An encounter was In
the air between the New York and
Tennessee Senators. Mr.. Hill spoke
with rapid energy and caustic comment
on the "discourtesy" Of Mr.. Harris. A
duel of words, sharp and short, ensued
between the two, while the Senate sat
still and wondered. Mr.. Hill showed
quite as much passion as the fiery
Southerner. He forgot parliamentary
rules and training He ignored the chair
and addressed his remarks, which were
personal In the extreme, directly to Mr.
Harris, saying "you" over and over
again.
Mr.. Harris, in his imperious way,
showed his contempt and indifference
toward Mr. Hill. II must be confessed
he was rather dictatorial. His manner
more than his words inccnsed Mr.. Hill
almost to the point of madness. He
tore around and shook his clenched fist
at the Tennesseean as he Numbered he
would not be dictated to or ordered
around by him.
II has been the favorite pastime of
Republicans like Mr.. Chandler, after
goading Southern men beyond endur-
ance, to resort to the accusation of plan
tatlon manners. But probably for the
first time on the floor of either House of
Congress has one Democrat accused an.
other of plantation manners" Twice,
bitterly and loudly, did Mr.. Hill throw
at MIR. Harris the taunt of plantation
manners" and for the third time said he,
Tennessee plantation manners" would
not go down with him.
Mr.. Harris retorted they would com
pare with "New York" manners as at
n.tI,k,ta1 D,sNl, r. Al.
moment seemed to have parted entirely
with their self control. Their voices
were trembling and ut times husky, so
TINT the tones could not all be clearly
distinguished; their forms also vibrat-
ing with nervousness shown in every
muscle and fibre.
1t is not often such scene of thrill
ing excitement has TRANSFERRED on the
floor of the Senate. For brief instant
fears were entertained of personal
collision, but through 1t all, 1t must be
said, to the credit of Mr.. Hill, he did
not seem To forget that Mr.. Harris was
so much his senior in years-not that
Mr.. Harris would ask of any one any
consideration on this account. What
heightened the effect was the fact Of the
two Senators belonging to the same
party, political brothers as II were.
1t was, of course, nuts for the Repub.
licans, but for the Democrats naturally
it was not diverting spectacle. 1t was,
as they sadly realized, an outcropping of
the heartburning and the dissensions
which have existed for some time ON
that side Of the chamber. For the
Democratic majority in the Senate is a
very unhappy family, and the embers
of strife kindled over the Tariff bill will
burn and blister for long time after
the bill itself has become a thing of the
past. This scene like all other scenes,
came at last to an end. Mr.. Harris once
more reposed languidly in his chair, with
his hand supporting his head, and looked
as peaceful as Mary's little lupb. Mr..
Hill almost insensibly recovered himself
and, trained bebater and tactician that
he is, went on with his speech as though
nothing had happened.