Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-19
FOR SAFETY OF PRESIDENT
Bacon Of Georgia Ressnss Statements Of
Mason Of Illinois.
FORMER OPPOSES THE PRESENT BILL
Afraid IL Will Establish C~Iasses-Be-
Iieves Assaults on chief Executive
should he Punisked Through
Ordinary Law.

HOuTb lOuhl Nue beHhtt HAu unuet Duhoiu~
GRAFTON the bill providing for the protec-
tion Of the president Of the United States
and for the punishment by United States
courts Of those who commit assaults on
him.
Mr.. Bacon Of Georgia opposed the bill and
Mr.. Hoar OF Massachusetts and Mr.. Mason
OF Illinois supported It. Mr.. Bacon's ar
gument followed the lines Of hts speech de-
liyered ten days ago. Mr.. Hoar's speech
was largely legal snd constitutional. He
maintained the right Of the government to
protect itself against assaults upon It's
sovereignty through the president. Mr..
Mason made an attack upon anarchy and It's
methods and incidentally sharply criticised
an amendment to the bill offered by Mr..
Bacon. He denounced 1t as opening the
door to special pleading for the benefit OF
assassins Of the president. This drew Mr..
Bacon's FIRE. He considered Mr.. Mason's
criticism a personal reflection on himself
and resented 1t with heat. An explanation
by the Illinois senator cleared the atmos-
phere.
Another Animated Debate.
Earlier in the day a lively debate was
precipitated By the effort OF Mr.. Rawlins
Of Utah to have printed as a document some
Philippine correspondence. Eventually the
matter was ordered printed as requested.
Two veto messages OF the president were
laid before the senate and ordered printed.
The first was a veto Of an ect to grant an
honorable discharge from the military serv-
ice to Charles H. Hsvisy- and the other
was a veto Of an act for the relief Of
James w. Howell
A resolution offered yesterday by Mr..
Morgan, calling upon the secretary OF the
interior and the secretary Of war concern
ing the Pacific and Philippine railroads,
was amended by Mr.. Hale to read as fol-
lows:
That the secretary Of the interior be al.
reoted to send to the senate a statement OF
the trafic relations between the railroads
that connect with the waters of the PACING
sssS sses S Spd sh s&et sqSece% TO the 81 statutes tue upon
which relations have been conducted; Ano
that the secretary OF war Is directed 70
trafic relations between the raiiroads In
the Philippine island and as to the char
tiers and ownership OF such railroads.
The resolution was passed.
RawIins Produces His Letters.
Mr.. Rawlips then rose to read the corre-
spondence which had been printed In the
Congressional Record.
The correspondence, which was very VOL
luminous, proved TO be q collection OF pri-
yate letters exchanged between unnamed
persons In this country and prominent Fill
ipinos, in which we're discussed the polit-
ical relations of the United States and the
Philippine islands. Mr.. Rawlins declined
to yield to any senator for any purpose,
He finally sent the letters to the clerks
desk, from which the reading was con-
tinued.
As letter after letter was read and the
name Of the writer was not disclosed, Mr..
PIatt Of Connecticut rose and inquired: "Is
this entirely a no-name s~eries?"
II object to the interruption" inter-
jected MT. Hoar.
AS Mr.. Platt pressed for an answer TO his
inquiry, Mr.. Rawiins said; Elm q plot like
this it is always best to keep the audience
in a state Of expectation. The correspond
ence will disclose the names OF the writers
Of the letters"
without further reading the correspond
ence was ordered printed in the Record and
as a document.
Number of Pension Bills.
Thirty-nine private pension bills were
passed and the calendar cleared.
The unfinished business-the bill for the
protection Of the president Of the United
| states, then was laid before the senate
d Mr. Pettus Of Alabama said he would bG
I forced to vote against the bill. a. he OBJ
r jocted to the re-enactment Of the old sedi'
tion laws.
Mr.. Bacon Of Georgia offered an amend
ment to the nrst paragraph Of the bill pro
yiding the penalty Of death for an ~assassii
Of a president II the assault on the presi
Q dent were committed because OF his ON
: cial position or for the purpose Of destroy
/ ing the government or impairing the exer
T else of its constitutional powers"
Briefly discussing the amendment. Mr.
Vest Of Missouri suggested the possibilit,
n Of q federal jLry acquitting an assassin o
a the president. because the motive as speci
fed by Mr. Bacon's amendment had no
been proved. In such q case he asked
would the assassin be liable to indictmen
under the state laws?
To Distinguish Between Crime.
y Mr.. Bacon said an assault on the presI
dent might be q crime against the perso
and It might be a crime against the govern
ment. The purpose Of his amendment we
intended to differentiAte between the tw
crimes.
te Mr.. Bacon commended that an assault o
the president as q person. ought to be pur
= ished precisely as any similar onens
Gb4lnoN any luz tlNhngn Wub Dunibnoi
otherwise an of1cial class would be create
in the United States. The foundation stoT
Of our government. he maintained. was al
Solute equality under the law.
Mason Of Illinois said the pending bi
was but the formation and shape Of publ
opinion, which thrice had been aroused I
the murder OF the president. To his mir
It was = well considered, and thorough
matursd measure. and the amendment o
tered by Mr.. Bacon. he though, was n
warranted by the conditions or by the la,
al Mr.. Mason. declared that the pending b
y. was In accordance with the wishes Of Il
people and they were right in demandil
ie, such legislation.
Penalty Not Too severe.
9Th towards and sneaks." he inslste
. who take the advice they receive In da
halls and kill the president Of the Unit
States, ought to pay the penalty as pr
vided In this bill" He said the present "
q bad time to nx special pleading for a
archistie criminals, Their crimes We
against 10000. 900 people and when tn
struck own the president 10 1000. 900 peoT
wept. II was worse than murder.
Mr.. HoaR suggested that Mr.. BaeoI
amendment and his objections to the b
-.-a a,.,uHaa ~ - = anant.I ~r.f. - A..