Arizona republican., 1902-03-02

TiIlman and McI.aurin in the United
States senate has caused
THE numerous newspapers
SENATE'S throughout the country
BETTER to deplore the Low
MANNERS state to which the SEN
ate has fallen in the
matter of general responsibility. dig
nifty and manners. but discussion of
the row on these lines indicates a for
getfulness of history AS a matter of
fact, the brutal language and conduct
for which Tillman has been conspicu-
Gus so long has furnished a marked eX-
ception to the general rule of our
times. The senate is the most respect
able and dignified legislative body in
the world. and the tendency of its de-
alterations has been steadily toward
a higher plane In the earlier years of
the republic it was no uncommon thing
for senators TO abuse each other in
the language of the gutter Not only
that, but the newspapers of former
times carried on their discussions of
political questions in a style that was
marked for its coarseness. aiany or the
leading journalists of former genera
lions affected a style which the
most disreputable sheets of today imi-
tate only on occasions. Even the most
vicious papers which Arizona has
known have been no worse than the
publication which habitually heaped
abuse on Washington. Jackson. and
others
The lapses from decency in congress
and in the columns OF the average
newspaper of today create genera: no
tice because they occur so seldom.
The assumption that the senate is de-
cadent and corrupt, that its manners
are growing steadily worse. and that
the general tone of the public service
is lower now than it was in the days
of the fathers. is altogether erroneous.
The world is growing better all the
time. and public officials are of a high
er average of intelligence and respec-
liability than ever before
In the Twenty-second congress. dur
ing a debate on General Jackson's veto
of the bill rechartering the bank of
the United States. Mr. Benton accused
Henry Clay of using indecorOus langu-
age about the president. This interest
ing colloquy ensued:
Mr.. Clay-There are some peculiar
reasons why 1 should not go TO that
senator for my views of decorum. in
regard to my bearing toward the chief
magistrate and why he is not a fit
instructor. l never had any personal
encounter with the president of the
United States. denton had been in
volved in a street fight with General
Jackson in Nashville in 1879 l never
complained of any outrages on my
person committed by him. jackson
had struck Benton with a horsewhiD0
1 never published any bulletins respect
ing his private brawls
I never declared my apprehension and
belief that if he were elected we should
be obliged to Iegislate with pistols and
dirks by our side
Mr.. Benton-It is true sir, that l had
an ARRAY with General Jackson. and
that did complain of his conduct. We
fought. sir. and we fought, hope. like
= men. When the explosion was over
there remained no i'll will on either
side There is no ''ad-
journed question of veracity" between
me and General Jackson. If there
had been. a gulf would have separated
US. as deep as hell
Mr. Clay-GeneraI jackson made
certain charge (of bargain) against me-
and ne referred to witnesses to prove
it. 1 denied the truth OF the charges
He called upon his witness to prove
it. 1 leave to the country whether that
witness sustained the truth Of the
a1Iacratinn The witness
(Mr. Buchanan) is now on his passage
to St. Petersburg. with commission
in his pocket. (A1r. Clay reverted to
the dirk-and-pistol remark attributed
to Mr.. Benton1 Can you look me in
the face and say you never used that
language?
Mr.. Benton-I look. sir. and repeat
that it is an atrocious calumny; and
1 will pin it to him who repeats 1t
here.
Mr. Clay-Then I declare before the
senate that you said to me the very
words.
Mr.. Benton-FalseI False, False.
Mr.. Clay-I fling back the charge of
atrocious calumny upon the senator
from Missouri.
Senators interpOsed between the two
Infatuated Statesmen. and the chair
finally secured order in the chamber.
The subsequent proceedings were
these:
Mr.. Benton-I apologize to the SEN
ate for the manner in which l have
spoken: but not to the senator from
Kentucky.
Mr.. Clay-To the senate I also offer
an apology. To the senator from Mis-
souri, none.
There was a public hearing in Bos-
ton last week on the petition for $25--
900 statue of Benjamin F. Butler at
LoweIl-the So. OaO to come out of the
state treasury Only one citizen, Rev.