The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-02-19
Ban's Hot Words.
They were Not Altogether Without
Precedent, Says T. r. R. Cobb.
Atlanta Institution.

terrible arraignmeut. Neither ad-
mitting nor denying bis bold charges,
l maintain that there is not one word
of blackguardism in the speech-his
language comes with the precedents
made by Americas greatest Senators,
and is no harsher than ihat used in
debate by the foremost statesmen of
other countries. Furthermore, from
an American standpoint, his words
were not even unparliamentary,
used as they were, and when they
were. To prove these assertions, /
would first quote the Constitution of
the United States. where it says:
The Senate shall have the sole
power to try all impeachments. Each
house may determine the rules of
proceedings, punish it's members for
disorderly behavior, and. with the
concurrence of two-thirds, expel q
member" Therefore, the only "par-
liamentary law" of force in the Sen
ate is the code of rules made by
the Senate. Tillman has broken none
of these, else there would be a mo-
ton at least to punish or expel him.
For, if Ben Tillman has behaved the
blackguard in our Senate, his fellow
members are derelict in duty. false
to oaths, and particeps criminus to
blackguardism, if they sat dumb and
idle and interested during the per-
formance. So, it is fair to presume
Tillman broke no present rule Of the
Senate, and therefore he was parlia-
mentary within the Senatorial sense
of the phrase. For comparison |
have chosen the toughest Of Till
mans utterances; they are as follows:
"Besotted tyrant," "Bull headed and
self idolatrous man," Judas from
Kentucky" Vanity and obstipacy,"
"Process of debauchery," "Why
have you not impeacbed him?" The
Supreme Court, by one corrupt vote. !"
Now for precedents! John Randolph
said, in that same Senate, of Presi-
dent Adams and Secretary Clay:
This puritanic diplomatic black
legged administration" Henry Clay
said in the same Senate of Presi-
dent Jackson: "What security have
we against the lawlessness Of any
President" The people lave been
betrayed, insulted; their interests be-
trayed." ITO propitate President
we see approaching tyranny" May
I live to see the people rescue the
public treasury from this pillage."
John G. Calhoun said Of President
jackson in that same Senate: He
has entered the Treasury with the
false keys of sophistry, as pilferer
under the silence of midnight" The
corruptiops and encroacbment of the
executive" After these speeches,
the Senate passed resolution, by
majority, condemning Jackson. As
such speech was not unparliamentary
there and then, many Senators have
used such language directly against
colleagues. For instance Ben Hill
on Malone: "The people will not
tolerate treachery,'; ;; ''False to a trust,
"soiled with dishonor," etc. ingalls,
So d in the Senate of one Cle7elands
fo mer e,retaries: "a more degraded,
loa thsome, execrable and detestatle
utterance never came from any pub
lie cfirial.7 Old Hoar interrupted
Ben Hill, just like he did Ben Till
man. Berrien said in that same Sen
ate: THE administration and its al
lies give currency to these calum-
nies," while Forsyth said in the
house: "A stupendous fraud is in.
tended by the Secretary CT War:
ITO call it blibo would shock his
delicacy, just as Cowpers preachers
could not mention hell to ears po-
lite. .'""Proftable schemes Of villlany."
Sir John Elliott, in 1928, said in the
House of Commons: THE ignorance
and corruption Of minister's" If
you survey the count, the bar and
bench show our disease to be desper-
ate!" Chatham said Of Prime Min:
lister Walpole: "By his ignorance and
wickedness." His weak, pusillani-
nous and retched measures"
So I could go or and on quoting
English and I,ish statesman: Who
can forget the close of Grattans
great invective? The merchant may
say Of you, the constitutionallsts
may say of you, the American may
say of you, and I, I now say, and say
to your beard, sir, you are not an
honest man.
Did not L. @. C. Lamar say in the
United States Senate such awful
words of Copkling, that he himself
described them thus: Il have said OF
YOU what no good man deserves and
no brave man will bear!" Was La
mar a blackguard? Did not Cleve-
land make him Supreme Court
Judge? Has not justice Brown used
the epithet, "Sordid despotlsm OF
wealth." Does not Mr.. Carllsles
eloouence abound in anathemas, no
tably his denunciation Of ''tbe great
est crime of the century" Did not
Thomas Jefferson, the greatest OF
parliamentarians, use language ID the
Declaration Of Independence like
this? absolutely tyranny. Judges
dependent on his will alone His
works are begun with cruelty and
per6dy." Did not our great party
denounce certain legislation as
cowardly makeshift?" Does not
President Cleveland himself speak
right out sometimes7 Did he not once
say officially to those from whom. he
differed something about "Party
per6dy and dishonol."
These are but few illustrations and
authorities from high sources that
have fallen under my Tlew-more