Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-15

his speech:
60 We do not intend to stop until we
have stricken the last vestige Of your
war measures from the statute book.
The House was in Committee OF the
Whole. and sir. Blackburn was In the
chair. Mr.. Finley. OF Ohio. thus inter
posed in his behalf:
Mr. Finley: VIII my colleague yield
a moment?
''Mr Mckinley: cannot yield.
'Mr Finley: / desire to ask the gentle
man 10 finish the sentence he has read
In part. do not say be has garbled
anything; but why does he not finish read
inog the sentence?
Mr.. Mckinley: have not garbled at
all If the gentleman from Kentucky
(Mr Blackburn). who is now In the chair
or my colleague CMr. Finley)' wants the
entire speech read and l can have my
time extended for that purpose, shall
be very glad
MIR. Finley: I merely ask for the COM
pletiOn OF the sentence"
Then Mr.. Black burn, in the chair. HIM
self appealed to Mckinley for decent
treatment In the matter OF the quotation:
''Ihe Chairman Cfr. Blackburn: If the
gentleman from Ohio will permit the
present occupant Of the chair, he will
ask that the gentleman read. not the
entire speech. but the sentence, instead
Of part Of the sentence
Mr.. Mckinley: What sentence IS it7
THE Chairman: The one last referred
to by the gentleman.
Mr.. Mckinley: Have you. sir, the
whole speech? IL so, / will gladly read
further
''rhe Chairman: The Chair has not
copy at hand.
y
teman any injustice for the world.
The Chairman: The Chair will furnish
a copy 20 the gentleman.
Mr.. Mckinley: The gentleman from
Kentucky IS one Of those brave. coura-
geous men who speak the sentiments OF
his party, and does not cover them up.
We know just what he means. i repeat
his language:
We do not Intend 20 stop until we
have stricken the last vestge Of your
war measures from the statute-book
Having thus declared that he had done
no garbling, and having thus repeated
his original statement as to what Mr..
Blackburn said, Major Mckinley pro-
ceeded without interruption to the end
OF his speech for Federal Interference and
force. When he mad finished. Mr.. Black
burn called Mr.. Springer to the chair.
and took the floor. Then ensued this ex-
traordinary exposure of Major McKin-
leys conduct:
'Mr. Blackburn OIr Springer in the
chain rose
MIR. Mckinley: desire
Mr.. Blackburn: ! decline to yield If l
have the floor
1.-THE Chairman: The gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Blackburn) has the floor
Mr.. Blackburn: follow the worthy ex-
ample OF the gentleman from Ohio. 1
decline to yield. | had hoped mat when a
member OF Congress undertakes to quote
from the Record words that he alleges
have been uttered by colleague on the
floor, he would show a degree Of intelli-
gence and a degree OF fairness sufficient
to prevent the garbling OF an official ut
terance. II is, sir a pitiable instance
either OF the weakness OF the man or the
weakness Of the cause, or the combined
weakness OF both. that prompts any man
to garble and misquote the utterances
Of another.
THE gentleman who has last occupied
the floor told this committee that / had
declared-and he pretended TO read from
the official Record. speaking for the par
~ to which l belong and of which / am
the humblest mouthpiece-that we never
intended to stop until we had stricken
from the statute-book he last Of the war
measures. Mr.. Chairman, that utter
ance was not warranted that utterance
was not true and the Record shows II.
But worse than that, from the chair |
asked the gentleman 20 90 me the JUS
dice to read the whole sentence, not the
speech.
Mr.. Mckinley: ask the gentleman-
Mr.. Blackburn / decline TO yield the
floor, with all Difference to the gentle
man. will speak for myself, as he re-
fused TO speak for me when / was gag
ged. / asked him TO read the sentence
which he garbled. He declined. / sent
to my desk and took an official copy of
that speech which he pretended TO quote
from; / underlined and UNDERSIGNED Tire
remainder Of the sentence. | wrote a
marginal note on the page expressed in
these very words: Why be so unfair as
10 garble a sentence i'm this fashion? He
took that when sent 10 him. by a page
pitched it on his desk, and refused 10
give me the opportunity 20 be heard from
the Record Now, / will read the SEN
tence which the gentleman declined 10
do me the justice before the House and
the country to read:
1--WE do not intend TO stop until we
have stricken the last vestiee OF your
war measures from the statute-book,
which like thsse-'
Were born OF the passions incident TO
civil strife and looked
alone
To the abridgment OF the liberty OF
the citizen"
That part Of the sentence which Major
Mckinley had deliberately suppressed and
as deliberately refused to produce after
the urgent personal appeal OF the gentle
man wronged by the misquotatiOn
changes the whole meaning which McKin-
ley had endeavored 70 fasten upon Black
burns remark. From revolutionary de-
claration IL became the mere statement
OF legitimate intention, which has
since been carried out The Federal
election laws have been stricken from the
statutes We do not hear of ANYBODY to-
day demanding their re-enactment. Even
Major Mckinley Is possibly satisfied 10
let matters stand as they are But at
that time the caustic words OF the Ken
tuckian were hardly needed TO complete
the shocking exposure OF Major McKin-
ley's methods Of political controversy
The incident left him in "A most humili-
ating position. on that day and subse-
quently, when he returned to the effort
to justify himself in the eyes of the
House. he stammered a few words OF ex-
PLANTATION that did not explain. and then
fell back deiiantly upon this absurd pro-
position:
II do not think that the remaining
clause, which the gentleman from Ken
lucky reads. changes at all the part l
read; but l leave that question to the
committee and to the judgment OF the
country"
This was the first occasion on which
Major Mckinley exhibited himself TO his
associates in Congress otherwise than as
the maker Of perfunctory motions, or as
the declaimer of carefully studied periods.
Ii was not an suspicious revelation OF
his more intimate qualities. IL cannot be
said that the Mckinley Blackburn Incl
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