The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-02-23

tors have purged themselves so far as
ii is possible of the contempt, the chair
will be prepared to rule whenever that
question Is raised"
At the conclusion of the ruling OF
Mr.. Frye, Mr.. Blackburn said:
II move that the senior senator from
South Carolina be given the floor.
why one senator from South Caro-
lina?' intertected Mr.. Spooner.
Il move that the two senators from
South Carolina-" began Mr.. Black
burn.
That's right" said Mr.. Spooner.
be given the floor" continued
Mr.. Blackburn, ito make any state
ment in their own way to the Senate
to purge themselves of the contempt"
The motion was carried.
TiIImnn Cool and Calm.
In a breathless silence Mr.. Tillman
rose to address the Senate. He was
calm and collected and gave no indi-
cation by his manner of the tremen-
dous scene in which he had been one
of the principal actors but short
time before. He spoke deliberately
and every one of the hundreds of au-
ditors leaned forward eagerly to catch
his words. He said:
Mr.. President, | have always es-
teemed it an honor and privilege to be
a member of this body. l had never
had any legislative experience when l
came here, and my previous service as
Governor of South Carolina for four
years had untitled me in measure to
enter this august assembly with that
dignity and regard-proper regard
will say, for it's traditions and habits
and rules that is desirable.
II have been here seven years. l
have in that time learned to judge men
with a little more catholicty of spirit
than l did when I came here. l have
found a great many people here in
whose personal integrity and honor and
regard for their obligations as gentle
men 1 have implicit confidence: but l
have seen so much of craftsmanship,
have seen so much of what 1 consider
slavish submission to party domination,
that 1 confess 1 have felt somewhat
at a 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
despicable. 1 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.
/ now want to say that so far as any
action of mine has caused any senator
here or the Senate as q body or the peo-
have been derelict and that / have
not shown that courtesy and proper
| observance of the rules of this body
that | regret It; l apologize for it. was
ready to do that two minutes after
l had acted, but under the provocation
which was known to all of you, could
not have acted otherwise than / did,
and while apologize to the Senate and
am sorry that it has occurred, l have
nothing more to say"
McLaurin soreIy Tired.
Mr.. McLaurin rose at the conclusion
of Mr.. Tillman's brief address. He,
| too, was calm, but it was evident that
he was suppressing his emotion by an
| effort. He spoke with greater feeling
than had been manifested by his col
league, particularly when he told the
| Senate how sorely he had been tried
by the accusations which had been
made against him from time to time,
| His statement follows:
'Mr. President, | did not realize that
/ was in contempt of the Senate, nor
! do l think now if my words are read
in the record that l was In contempt
of the Senate, but at the same time,
as the Senate has ruled that / am In
contempt of this honorable body, beg
leave to apologize.
II desire to say, Mr.. President, that
/ have been very sorely and severely
tried. l was in attendance upon the
| Committee on Indian Affairs when
| received a message from a friend In
the Senate that my presence was
NEEDED here.
1.-THE history of the vote on the
| Spanish treaty is known to all of you
There have been statements made in
newspapers and insinuations that
! had been influenced by improper mo-
| tives in connection with my vote on
that treaty. Knowing in my soul and
| knowing that God in Heaven also
knows that it was false when / was
| told that it was conferred down to me
l was so outr aged by what / consid-
! cred a most brutal assault upon my
honor as a man and especially in view
| of the fact that in the beginning OF
the session, after the action of my
party associates, / made a most care
| full and deliberate statement explain
| ing all those matters, / did not feel as
| a man that l could ever hold up my
| head again if l did not resent it in
| the place where it was delivered, In
| the strongest and most forcible terms
! that / could emf oy.
with that, Ar. President, l am
done, except / have this to say. II
| there is any more talk of that kind
| or any more"
AS Mr.. McLaurin uttered the last
sentence Of his address, intimating
that If there was any further effort
to press upon him the accusations
which had been made against him
Continued on Page Ten.