The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-03-04
A SENATORIAL TANGLE
HASTY ACTION PLACES THE RePUBLl-
CANS IN A DILEMMA.
WORK IN THE SENATE BLOCKED
Until Standing of south CaroIina's
of Committee on Privileges and
Elections Held, but no Solution of
the Difficulty acknowledgements
Idea About Abandoned-Censure
Likely to be Substituted-Demo-
Gratis to St~renuously Oppose Great
err Punishment for Tfllman Than
for M~cLaurin.

N
for McLaurin.
Washington, February 26.-The
meeting of the senate committee on
privileges and elections this forenoon
did not result in supplying any solu-
tion OF the difficulty that the senate is
n IN connection witt, the Tillman-Mc-
Laurin matter. The republican mem
bers. OF the committee frankly con-
fessed hat they lar not been able to
formulate a scheme which would re-
lieve the situation, n after less than
an hours discussion they asked that
the committee should adjourn until 2
O'Clock this afternoon, the understand
ing being that n senate should ad-
journ after a brief session and thus
give the committee an opportunity to
fully consider his important question
which most senator's o pom in it's
present shape as a stumbling block in
the way Of all other legislation.
The meeting of the committee was
marked by the best Of feeling on the
part of all the members and all agreed
readily to a preliminary suggestion by
chairman Burrows that the question
should be approached from a purely
~non-partisan standpoint because of it's
general Importance. 1t was evident
however, that the democrats were in
clined to apprehend some effort at po-
Htical advantage on the part of the re-
publicanS and the channel through
which they expect this manifestation
500 became evident when Senator
Foraker made the suggestion that
there should be a severer degree of
punishment meted out to Senator Till
man than to McLaurin. Senator Du-
boiS met this suggestion with a posi-
tive negative, and, when The SuggeS-
ton was afSerWar6 made hat Senator
Tillman should be called upon to prove
before the committee the charge which
he had repeated in the senate, that his
colleague had yielded to undue in
~f1uence, there was a hint that if this
matter should be entered upon some
senators would insist upon the re-
opening of the charges on file in the
committee in connection with the cleo
tons of other senators upon which
charges have never been disposed of.
During the morning meeting of the
committee Senator Bailey notified the
republican members that the demo-
Gratis would not submit t. the adop-
ton of a resolution suspending the
South Carolina senator's. He said he
agreed that they should be punished
for their breach of the peace in the
presence of the senate, but he was
satisfied that the democrats would not
submit to any proceeding which would
deprive a state of representation. Some
of the republican members of the COM
mittee replied that they agreed as to
the unwisdom and impracticability by
way OF suspension.
While no positive statement of policy
was made from the republican side
there was enough said to lead to the
conclusion that tho prnnnSaH racO1r-
ton for suspension has been aban-
doned and that the punishment sug-
gested will be in the form of censure.
Indeed some of the republican mem
bers Of the committee say that this is
practically the only course open to
them. The republicans, however, will
contend for more severe rebuke to
Senator Tillman thar shall be admin
istered to Senator McLaurin, and the
democrats will resist this discrimina-
ton. That is now the point of great
est difference.
The committee on privileges and cleo
lions continued it's consideration OF the
Tillman-McLaurin episode during the
afternoon but reached no conclusion be-
yond deciding to refer the entire matter
to a subcommittee and to meet again
on Friday to consider any recommended
ton made by the subcommittee. The
oEiO loSlCu Hull
and after the democratic members took
their departure at 5 o'clock the republi-
cans continued the sitting. The meet
ing of the full committee was devoted
to a general exchange of views. No
vote was AXE on any propositions: in
deed. no proposition was made by either
the majority or the minority. There
was entire agreement on the one point
that both the South Carolina senators
should be punished. but there was dis
agreement on the details of punishment
as we'll as on the degree of 1t.
The senator's had before them full re-
ports of the speeches of both the sena-
tors. making careful comparison Of
their language. Each member also was
provided a copy of the constitution and
of the rules of the senate. and these.
as we'll as the established parliamentary
authorities were consulted frequently.
A half dozen different suggestions
were made as to modes of punishment.
including suspension n censure by the
senate. and cenSure with the added re-
Quirement of further apologies from the
offenders. There also was a continued
discussion of the relative punishment
of the two men. Most of the republic
can members of the committee no d tEat
to Senator Tillman should be awarded
a more severe form of rebuke than to
Senate McLaurin, while the democrats
do not generally concede there should
be discrimination.
Senator Bailey quoted at length from
the speech made by Senator Tillman
which provoked the reply of Senator
McLaurin. contending that it did not
make a specific charge of bribery. The
democrats also held out stiffly against
all suggestions looking to the suspen-
sion of the privileges of the senator's
as an attack on the rights of the state
they represent, rather than on the
senators themselves.
When the committee adjourned its
members professed to be hopeful that n
unanimous agreement would be reach
ed. III they were not so hopeful as
they had been when the noon recess
taken. The proceedings were not
Of a character to permit Of any definite
conclusion as to what the result would