Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-03-10
BACON AND CLAY
ADDRESSED THE SENATE

WASHINGTON, March TAT the con-
clusion of routine business in the senate
yesterday consideration begun of the bill
providing for the protection of the presi-
dent of the United States.
Pending discussion of the bill, Mr.. Frye,
of Maine, in charge OF the shipping bill
asked unanimous consent that final vote
upon that bill and all amendments be
taken on Monday, March II, at p. m.
Without comment the senate agreed to
the request.
Mr.. Bacon, of Georgia, a member of the
judiciary committee, then discussed the
bill for the protection of the president. 1t
was, he thought, a very grave question
and he did not believe that the measure
ought to be passed without amendment.
In view of the recent calamity which had
befallen the nation in the assassination Of
President Mckinley the subject of the
pending bill was a difficult one to discuss.
He paid a high tribute to President Nc
K.inley, saying that he was the most
"amiable, courteous and pleasant man I
have ever met in so high a station" and
from him he personally always had re-
ceived the kindest consideration. Mr.. Ba-
con believed that the proposed law was
unnecessary and did not provide a more
certain punishment for the assassination
than was provided now in the state laws
The world he insisted was not large
reach of the law and there was no place
secret enough in which to hide himself
from avenging justice. He argued that
the bill indicated there was not sufficient
reliance on ,.ie criminal laws of the sev-
eral states.
Mr.. Depew. of New York, pointed out
that in the state laws there was no differ
entiation between the assassination of the
president of the United States and any
other person and an attempt at assassina-
ton was not punishable by death in any
state as the bill pending provided. Mr..
Plat, of Connecticut, added that some
states had laws against capital punish
ment.
Mr.. Bacon, continuing, said that the
bill involved the right and the propriety
of federal government to enforce a law
within a state different from any law on
the statute books of the state. So far as
the anarchist was concerned, the death
penalty was not deterrent for the
crime of assassination as the anarchist
was willing to sacrifice his own life.
Mr. Hoar, of Massachusetts. said that
the pending bill was proper, because the
assassination or attempted assassination
of the president was interruption of the
government and 1t was vitality important
that such Interruptions should not &C.
cur
Mr.. Bacon urged that the bill at least
ought to be amended in accordance with
the proposition already offered so that 1t
should not be shown that the crime was
committed against the president, because
of his official position or for the purpose
of destroying the government or impair
ing the execution of its constitutional
powers.
Mr. Bacon said the bill was practically
an enlargement of. the law of treason and
proposed to make treason of something
that under the constitution was not trea-
son.
Mr.. Patterson, of Colorado, suggested
that a most embarrassing situation wOdld
have arisen had the assassination Of
President Mckinley, for instance, occur
red in the state of Iowa where capital
punishment is not permissible. 1t would
have resulted, ne believed, in the state be-
ing disgraced by mob law, as no American
community, he thought would have been
satisfied with mere Imprisonment for the
assassination of President Mckinley. He
agreed with the main purpose of the bill.
At 2:15 the senate took up the ship
subsidy bill and Mr.. Clay, of Georgia,
cotinued his speech begun w ednesday.