Omaha daily bee., 1894-03-04
cOMnIrLIE CnNGREsSlLEN


The incident in the house of representatives
on Friday, when Mr.. Meredith of Virginia
shook his fist under the nose Of Mr.. Funk of
Illinois and a fight was only prevented by the
interposition of friends of both parties, was
the nearest approach to bloodspilling made
III TINS congress. There have been numer-
GUS scenes of disorder, the Fifty-third con-
gress having already made a notable record
III TINS respect, but while there has been a
Tree indulgence in personalities and many
severe and bitter things have been uttered,
Meredith of Virginia enjoys the exclusive
distinction of having allowed his emper to
SO far get the control of him as to threaten
to strike a fellow member on the floor of the
house. 1t was a disgraceful proceeding
"hlch the house should have promptly and
vigorously rebuked, but it was allowed TO
pass without a word being said in reproba-
ton, as # such an occurrence were quite a
matter of course.
The halls of congress have in the past
been the scene of wilder disorder and
stronger expressions of pugnacity than have
occurred In the present congress, and on the
whole the congresses of recent years have
been better behaved than were the con-
crosses generally during a quarter of a CEN
Jury preceding the war. The conflict over
slavery was a fruitful source of bitter con-
troversy and of personal luminosity which
frequently manifested itself in threats of
personal violence. A writer in an eastern
paper recently cited some of the more nota-
Die instances or disorder in congress in the
past. In the Twenty-slxth congress, 1SS9-41,
the treasury note bill was to have been
forced through the house without giving the
minority a chance to be heard, the result
being a scene Of disorder, vulgarity and per-
sonal abuse that lasted without intermission
for twenty-nine hours. The special session
OF the Twenty-seventh congress, 1871, called
by President William Henry Harrison. was
even more disorderly, the defense of the
right of petition by John Quincy Adams
arousing the southern representatives to the
highest pitch of excitement and fury. To
such a height was this affair carried that a
determined effort was made to expel the
"old man eloquent" With the Thirty-frst
congress, ~1S49-51, began those long contests
over the election of a speaker of the house
which were such a marked feature of the
decade before the war.
Not only were personal conflicts common
in both houses between 1910 and 1860. but
sometimes they were singularly disgraceful.
In the former year Jesse A. Bynam of North
Carolina called Mr.. Garland of Louisiana a
liar while another member was speaking.
Garland struck him, whereupon Bynam drew
a Knife and was only prevented from using
1t by the interference of members. In 1871,
while one of President Tyler's vetoes was
under consideration, Mr.. Wise of Virginia
called Mr.. Stanley of North Carolina little
and contemplate" and after an exchange of
epithets Stanley called Wise a liar. Blows
were struck and then other combatants
Joined in until it began to look as if there
was to be a general fight on the floor of the
mouse. A characteristic scene occurred
during the first session Of the Twenty
seventh congress. Mr.. Dawson of Louisiana
took a seat beside Mr.. Arnold, to whom he
applied the most abusive epithets, telling
Arnold he would cut his throat if he moved
and at the same time showing his bowie
knife. In the house in 1914 a melee oc-
CURED in which a man named Moore, who
was not a member, took part and discharged
a pistol. in the chamber. In the senate in
1850 a fracas occurred between the venera-
BILE Senator Benton Of Missouri and Senator
Foote of Mississippi. The murderous as
sault upon Senator Sumner in the senate
chamber by Preston S. Brooks Of South
Carolina, in 1856, occurred after the senate
adjourned, but a number of senators wit
messed it. There were many other incidents
in the earlier days showing that the con-
gressmen of that period were quite as ready
to turn congress into a bear garden as
are those of today.
Such incidents as that between Meredith
and Funk will be deprecated by all good
citizens. They bring reproach upon con-
gress and the country.