The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-30
SEVERE LANGUAGE USED.
A Controversy in the House Between
Messrs. stephens and Flynn.

Representative Stephens, OF TeXas, ana
Delegate Flynn, of Oklahoma. enlivened
the proceedings OF the House yesterday by
a personal controversy in the course OF
which the gentleman from Texas used
some severe language, and which the gen
tleman from Oklahoma admitted was very
strong"
When the journal had been approved
Mr.. Stephens arose to a question of priyi-
lege. He read from the Record of Monday
a remark by Mr. Flynn tnat he (Mr
Stephens) knows more about the bill rati-
fying the Kiowa and Comanche agreement
than any man who was on the conference
committee, or that l myself. who was
most interested In opening that land for
settlement" Mr.. Flynn charged that Mr..
Stephens had coverdy inserted provision
in that bill.
When Mr.. Stephens had been recognized.
he said: THE insinuation that l would re
pei is this: He says, in effect, that the
gentleman from Texas. meaning myself.
had covertly inserted a section in that bill
that no man on the floor of this House
would have been willing to allow to re-
main in the bill had it been known. Now.
the gentleman from Oklahoma was himself
on the floor of the House that day, and the
gentleman from Oklahoma, unfortunately
for himself and his statement. knew that
my bill contained the provision he COM
plains of, as he introduced a bill here on
the Sd day of January, 1900, which con-
tanned the same provisions as my bill.
His bill was the same as the bill that the
gentleman says / slipped through the
House without giving the members of the
House an opportunity of knowing what 1t
was.
Il only refer to this, Mr.. Speaker. in
order TO correct myself in the Record,
and for the purpose of showing that the
statement of the gentleman from Okla
homa was totally and wholly unfounded.
as much so as the insinuation that he
cast against myself on the floor of this
House en- yesterday
Mr.. Flynn-Mr. Speaker. the provisions
TO which ! called attention on yesterday,
when the bill to which the gentleman re-
| fers was introduced and was being con-
! sidered, its purport was not known, and
| 1t was not intended to charge that the
section was secretly inserted, but what /
did desire to convey in my language was
that had the House known or fully appre-
ciated the effect of it it would not have
passed. and the bill. which l introduced,
was virtually identically the same bill CT
a copy of the bill introduced by the gen.
tleman from Texas in the Fiftyfifth Con-
gress. say here that no man on the floor
of the House, If he had known the pur-
port CT that provision would have voted
TO sustain it or could have supported the
proposition which provided for taking
away the lands absolutely allotted TO The
Indians, if it was found that they con-
tained minerals upon them.
Mr. Stephens of Texas-But the gentle
man himself introduced the bill in the
House.
Mr. Flynn did
Mr. Stephens of Texas-And does the
gentleman mean to say that he did not
know what was in it?
Mr.. Flynn had sufficient confidence in
the gentleman from Texas, whose bill had
passed in the Fifty fifth Congress, to take
that bill as a guide And ] say further
Mr.. Stephens of Texas Gnterrupting)-
Is your bill an exact copy of mine?
MIR. Fiynn-With the exception OF the
homestead feature it is in ali other
respects / think. identical But the mat
ter was called to the attention of the de-
partment and was looked into by the de-
partment and investigated partly by my
self and by a Senator and others. and the
first We knew of ii was that the bill was
passed taking the lands of the Indians
absolutely without compensation. if there
were minerals on them when that country
was opened What led to the investigation
which uEearthed the facts was that the
moment the bill passed the gentleman
from Texas telsgrap phed his friends to go
into the lands and locate claims.
Did you not telegraph your friends?
asked Mr.. Stephens.
Yes. that the bill had passed, but l in
sist that the investigation developed the
fact hat the gentleman from Texas WAS
the only member OF either House who
knew the mining clause was in the bill
At this point Mr.. Stephens said: The
gentleman from Oklahoma utters false
u. ,s.Tr
Mr.. Flynn-That is very strong Ian
guage, Mr. Chairman.
At this point the Speaker called the dis
Dutanfs to order.