Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-03-01
SENATORIAL ETHICS.

the week now closing, of more or less
wholesome comment upon the recent
assault of Tillman upon McLaurin,
In the Senate of the United States.
Most of this comment has-almost
universally in the North, been cen
serious of the conduct of one or both
Senators, with perhaps a tendency to
impute the larger blame to Mr.. Till
man. who struck the actual blow.
We think all must deplore the occur
renee. as In "A manner National dis
grace. and agree that the two par
ticlpants are blame-worthy and de-
serving of the public censure given
them yesterday by the body of which
they are members. The affair was u
faint and distant echo of the crack
of the slave-driver's whip, which once
was a familiar sound In our halls Of
j. Legislation. and as II relic of old time
plantation manners which we hoped
had passed away forever.
But bad enough, as this affray was,
nothing is to be gained by magnify
ing its proportions, or shifting the
blame of 1t unduly upon one of the
actors. and exoneratlng the other.
Comparing It, for instance, ,as has
been done, with the assault of Brooks
upon Senator Sumner, in 1856, betrays
only inexcusable ignorance on the part
OF the one who makes the comparison.
There Is no just parallel between the
two cases. Sumner was Senator;
his assailant was member of the
other house, and the two were
strangers TO each other, personally
Brooks undertook TO punish his victim
for words, which, though severe were
strictly parliamentary, spoken In dc.
bate concerning a fellow Senator. who
was his kinsman. The Senate was
not in session at the time, and Sumner
was seated Mt his desk, peaceably
writing, when he was attacked with
out warning or opportunity for self
defense. Brooks had laid In wait fol
Senator Sumner for day or two, ant
his act was fully premeditatcd Will,
Sumner was alone, his antagonist tool
Mr. keltt, fellow member of tn,
House, with him, and who kept every
one else from coming 80 the aid o
the Senator. The assault was no
made with natures weapons at all
but with heavy cane which wa.
shivered by the blows dealt by It; anC
lastly, Mr.. Sumner was brutal,
beaten while pinned down by his desk
from the results OF which he was ai
Invalid for the rest of his lfc-nearl,
20 years, and eventually died In nj
probability.
Against this set of circumstance,
must he placed the affray OF las
week, which was the result OF III,
heat OF debate, and in which the II,
direct was gven,-this being an
swered by blow. IL was In the opcr
Senate, the friends of both combatant,
standing around them and the debat,
itself clearly shows that II was who'll,
unprecedented, at least by Mr. TIL
man. II must be remembered tina
In many States OF this union-some nj
them a good deal further North tbo,
south Carolina, the giving of the Ii,
10 considered sufficient proyocatlon I,
justly extreme measures of rctalla
tion, sometimes even 10 the taking n
life. And II is common we thIul,
among gentlemen, to suppose that.
whenever or wherever uttered. 10 IN,
charge OF falsehood, spoken in thl
FORM, the only adequate answer OF
man Is a blow,
we are. not, however, framing an,
excuse for what was undenIablv
grave breach of parliamentary do
corum. We desire only TO dlffcrcntIat
the facts between two eases wbicI
have ignoranty been cited AZ simI
lar.
We purpose 10 show that caref
reading OF the debate which led nm +
the sffray viii create a broad susp
cion that the affair was the result q
preconcert, and that at least one So,
ator besides the two participants ho
reason TO know that 1t was impend,n,
u indeed he did not know of, n pla
prepared to prcclpitate 1t, We ther,