The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-10

w chamber was the scene Of a
highly dramatic episode today
when Senator Tnlman of South Caro-
! lima challenged his colleague, Senator
McLaurin, to resign with him on the
spot, in order, to use his own language,
/ shat they might be able 10 wash their
dirty linen at home" Mr.. McLaurin
did not take up the gauge.
The incident today was the direct
sequel Of the very bitter controversy
which arose between the senators in
| South Carolina last spring. Mr.. Nc
Laurin arose to d question OF personal
privilege today, and proceeded to ex-
plain what he charged was a conspir-
acy to discredit him in his own state
for acts and views which did not meet
| the approval of certain Democratic
| leaders. He declared that he was be
| ing Inundated, and, according TO pub
| lie prints. was to be excluded from the
Democratic caucus because he had act
| ed upon certain public issues in way
which he considered was TO the best IN
| terests of the country and the people
of his state.
He announced himself a believer IN
! the old Democracy, and after denOunc-
| ing the new Democracy leaders, who,
he said had brought destruction upon
the party. declared that he could not
be driven from his old allegiance into
party with which he did not care to
affiliate
Neither Entitled to Seats.
Senator Jones. chairman Of the Dem
ocratic national committee, denied that
ne had any Interior motives in not
inviting Mr. McLaurin to enter the
caucus.
Mr.. TiIlman reviewed the whole con-
trOversy.
Mr.. Hoar took occasion to express
the opinion that it was very doubtful
whether both the South Carolina seats
In the senate were not in reality va
cant. He contended that when the res
/ ignations were offered last spring TO
the governor, they could not be with
drawn thereafter, having become I'M
mediately operative.
The climax came when senator III
man challenged Mr.. McLaurin to join
with him in preparing their joint res
/ ignations and handing them TO the
presiding officer Of the senate. This
/ challenge Mr. McLaurfn did not accept,
and the episode was brought to an
abrupt close by Senator Lodge moving
/ an executive session
Nh Stewart of Nevada, aprOpOs of
/ the presidents recommendation on the
subject of irrigation, called the atten-
/ ton of the judiciary committee 10
what he said was a defect in the Juris-
diction Of the United States, and pre-
| sented a Joint resolution for a cOnsti-
tutionaI amendment to cure the de-
! fects.
The presentation of the resolution
! provoked some discussion, and Mr.. Tel
! Ter of Colorado expressed the opinion
/ that no constitutional amendment was
| necessary.
TiIlman and McLaurin Clash.
/ A stir in the chamber followed when
/ Mr.. McLaurin of South Carolina arose
/ to a question of personal privilege He
/ had before him a huge pile Of manu-
! script
IT arise to a question Of personal
! privilege in connection with the publ
cation Of the statement that / have
| been excluded from participation in the
/ Democratic party caucus, he an
nounced With evidence Of considerable
emotion he proceeded to explain that
/ if such was the case, and If he were
I
mittees, the rights of his state, which
/ he in part represented IN the senate
/ would suffer.
! The only notice he had ever had, he
said that he was to be excluded from
| the Democratic caucus came last
/ spring, before the adjournment of the
I senate. when the chairman Of the
| Democratic national committee, in the
| cloak room, asked him why he no
/ longer attended the Democratic eau
! cuses. He had replied that in view OF
/ his opinion on the questions growing
out of the Spanish war he thought his
! presence might be embarrassing. The
! Democratic chairman had replied:
/ Then. perhaps it would be less en-
barrassing to you not to be invited to
the caUcuses2"
Mr.. McLaurin said he had replied:
Certainly
His Party Against Him.
This incident. Mr.. McLaurin de
clared. was the elimination of Ions
series Of events in contest wageC
by an element Of the Democratic party
/ against him.
The entire senate by this time hat
! become interested. Several Republican.
( crossed the political aisle to the Demo
! cratic side. the better to listen 70 wha'
Mr.. McLaurin had to say
Continuing. Mr.. McLauTin said h
could be silent did he not fear tina
the movement against him was one L
keep alive sectionalism. For manl
years the people of the south had real
{ lied that they had not obtained theil
fair share of the national benefits.
Mr.. McLaurin recalled the fact tina
although Samuel J. Randall had advO
Gated a protective tariff he had beer
! voted for i'm a Democratic national con
ventiOn for president. Hancock, al
though he declared the tariff was
local issue. had been nominated fc
president. and David b. Hill rithougi
he opposed the income taE, had no
been read out Of the party.
/ The holding Of SUCH views b. H0TtE
! ern men. no matter how diverse. di.
not endanger the prestige Of certain
leaders, and. consequently. they wer
immune from attack But when
/ southern man. said Mr.. McLaurin, tEie'
to get the benefit of the tariff for hi
people. those whose political caree
might be ended by the success of Mi
efforts were ready 10 crush and hu
initiate him.
Endorsed by His People.
He had contended that if the tariff
were a robbery his section should shar
in the booty. Upon the issue of tina
speech he had later gone into a cam
paign in South Carolina. and. although
his Democracy had been attacked upol
the stump. the people of his state has
endorsed him. He declared that durn'
that campaign calumny. falsehOOd ans
trickery never before equsled in Amer
lean politics had been employed.