The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-02-25


Nearly every Senator in the chamber was
on his feet. Groups of Senators were
gathered here and there about the cham
Der, all discussing the portentious event
| which hah thrown the dignifed body into
a fervent.
AS soon as order could be restored Sen
ator Blackburn said that as the seal OF
secrecy had been removed from the Sc
cret session just held, he was at liberty
to say that during that session he had
made a statement to the Senate of what
the Senator of South Carolina (Tillman }
was prepared and pleased to say to the
Senate. He explained that both SEN
ators from South Carolina had been de-
clared by the Senate to be in contempt
What he desires now to know, and he
wanted the Chair to rule upon the point,
was whether any statement could be
made to the Senate in open session by
either of the Senators while they were
in contempt of the Senate.
Senator Foraker interrupted to suggest
that unanimous consent be given to
the Senators to make their statement.
QUESTION OR ORDER.
SSudlU DldCkOllIu SSSlluCu W ASdl
for moment any suggestion that unan-
imous consent to be given them to ad-
dress the Senate. That they were in
contempt all Senators-all the world
-now knew. What he wanted to know
was whether Senators in contempt could
address the Senate, not as matter OF
courtesy, but as matter of right? On
that point he demanded ruling by the
chair.
The discussion on this question was
quite long, and was participated in by
Senator Blackburn, Senator Patterson,
Senator Foraker and Senator Teller.
THE SPEAKERS DECISION.
Other senators showed a disposition to
discuss the subject further. but President
Pro Tenn Frye announced that he was
ready to rule, and said:
"While these two senators are declared
to be in contempt the chair could not
recognize either if he should rise and ad-
dress the chair, but on motion made by
any senator that they be heard the chair
would recognize the senator making the
motion and would hold that the motion
was in order. In the ordinary transgres-
sion of the rules or violation Of order the
senator violating it must take his chair
and he cannot be recognized by the pre-
siding officer again until the senate has
relieved him of that by motion. OF
course the senators from South Carolina
can be relieved from the condition in
which they areSuow so far as recognition
by the chair is concerned by motion
and by majority vote. What will hap
pen after the two senators have purged
themselves so far as it is possible of the
contempt the chair will be prepared to
rule whenever that question is raised"
At the conclusion of the ruling OF
President Frye Senator Blackburn said:
II move that the senior senator from
South Carolina be given the floor"
"Why one senator from South Carroll
na?" interjected Senator Spooner.
s'I move that the two senators from
South Carolina" began Senator Black
burn.
That's right" said Senator Spooner.
"-be given the floor" continued Sena-
tor Blackburn, 'to make any statement
in their own way to the senate to purge
themselves of the contempt"
The motion was carried.
In breathless silence Senator T1llman
rose to address the senate. He was calm
and collected and gave no indication by
his manner of the tremendous scene in
which he had been one Of the principal
actors but a short time before He spoke
deliberately and either one of the hun.
dreds of the auditors leaned forward
eagerly to catch his words. Said he:
SENATOR T1LLMAN's APOLOGY.
"Mr. President: I have always es-
teemed it an honor and privilege to be
member of this body. l had never had
any Legislative experience when Eeawe
here and my previous service as governor
of South Carolina for four years had un-
fitted me in measure to enter this au-
gust assembly with that dignity and re-
gard, proper regard, l will say, for its
traditions and habits and rules that is
desirable.
81 have been here seven years. have
in that time learned to judge men with a
little more catholicity of spirit than did
when came here 1 have found great
many people here in whose personal in
tegrity and honor and regard for their
obligations as gentlemen I have implicit
confidence; but have seen so much OF
partisanship, I have seen so much OF
what / consider slavish submission to
party domination, that confess have
felt somewhat at loss how to judge men
who in one aspect appeared to be so high
and clean and honorable and IN another
appeared more or less desplcable. | say
this because of the fact that one OF the
senators has seen fit to allude to some
matters that occurred IN the debate this
afternoon. l now want to say that so tar
as any action of mine has caused any
senator here or the senate as body, or
the people of the Uuited States to feel
that I have been derelict, and that [ have
not shown that courtesy and proper OBJ,
seryance of the rules of this body, that l
regret it; apologize for it was ready
to do that two minutes after l hal acted,
but under TIE provocation which was
known to all of you could not have
acted otherwise than I did, and while l
APOLOGIZE to the senate and an sorry that
it has occurred. have nothing more to
say"
SENATOR M'LAURIN's APOLOGY.
Senator McLaurin rose at the conclu-
sion of Senator Tillman's address He,
too, was calm, but it was evident that he
was suppressing his emotion by an ettolt;
He spoke with greater feeling than had
been manifested by his colleague, partlcu-
larly when he told the senate how sorely
he had been tried by the accusations
which had been made against him from