The semi-weekly messenger., 1902-03-04

qualifiedly denied by Senator McLau-
rim
Such q charge, under any circum-
stances would be resented by any man
worthy to be senator: but made as
IL was In this instance, its offensive
ness was greatly intensified, and the re-
suit must have been foreseen by Sena-
tor Tillman IL he took any thought as
he should, Of the consequences OF his
statement. This feature OF his offense.
coupled with the fact that he also COM
menced the encounter by quitting his
seat some distance away from Senator
McLaurin and, rushing violently upon
him, struck him in the face. makes the
case one Of such exceptional misbehav-
ior that a majority OF the committee
are Of the opinion that this offense was
Of much greater gravity than that OF
Senator McLaurin.
The penalty OF a censure by the
senate in the nature OF things must
vary in actual severity in proportion to
the public sense Of the gravity of the
offense of which the offender has been
adjudged guilty.
Therefore. Notwithstanding the fact
that in the opinion Of a majority Of the
committee there is a difference in the
gravity of the offenses under consider
alton, the committee are OF the
opinion that the public good and the
dignity Of the senate will be alike pro-
NOTED and protected, so far as this par
ticular case is concerned, by imposing
upon each senator by formal vote the
censure of the senate for the offense
by him committed and therefore, re-
commend the adoption Of the resolu-
ton
A Dissent I'm Part.
At the conclusion of the reading Of
the majority report. Senator Bailey, OF
Texas, offered the following statement
as representing the views of himself
and four others senator's:
I'VE dissent from so much of the re-
port of the committee as asserts the
power Of the senate 10 suspend a sena-
tor and thus deprive state of 1t Vote,
and so much as describes the offenses
of the senators as of dlffernent gravity:
but We approve the resolution re-
ported"
The Minority Report.
The report of the minority of the
committee then was read
In this statement the senators sign
ing it say that while they accept the
statement of the case as made in the
principal report they do not agree with
the majority of the committee as to
the punishment proposed by the ma
1orlty. Ihey then say:
1.-The junior senator from South Car
olina is guilty of unparliamentary Ian
guage. The senior senator from South
Carolina is guilty of physical violence
Neither in the statutes of any state
nor in the common opinion of mankind
are these two offenses the same. If
the senate is to retain the respect of
the country it must retain it's own self
respect. This cannot be done by light
ly passing over the grave offenSeS it
has suffered. The lightest form of
punishment is reprimand or censure.
1t is the latter which the majority pro-
poses to inflict for the two offenses diff
fering in character and gravity. The
minority of the committee are Of the
opinion that this punishment is made
Quate, and that to ignore the differ
ence between the offenses IS unjust.
The minority of the committee is of
opinion that suspension of the two Of
Tending senators from their senatorial
privileges heretofore should now be
formally adjudged and continued for
different periods OF time"
The minority report then enters upon
an extended argument in support Of this
proposition. The argument is based
upon the second clause, fifth section OF
the constitution. conferring upon each
members for disorderly behavior. The
report concludes by recommending tina
Sena tor McLaurin be suspended from
his functions as senator for five day!
and that Senator Tillman be suspended
for twenty days. They add:
1.-The objection that no punishment
should deprive sovereign state of its
votes in the senate fails when we con-
slider the rights of all the states and
above all, the right and duty Of the
senate of the United States to punish
adequately a grave offense."
Pritchard's Plea for McLaurin.
Senator Prichard's addition to the
above statement is in the following
language:
"I concur in ali the forging views ex
cept as to the punishment of the junior
senator from South Carolina. 1t is my
opinion that the punishment he ha:
| already suffered is adequate to his Of
| fense. I make no recomm endation a:
| to the punishment to be imposed OF
| the senior senator from South Caro-
lima
| Senator Bacon called attention tt
| what he considered an important omis
sion in the narrative of the majorit.
| of the occurrences of last Saturday
| There was no Official record of the pro
J!