The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-01
VIEWS OF oFFENsE VARY.
CONNECTING Statements with Report
on TfIlman-McLauri Affair

CONNECTING Statements with Report
on TflIman-McLaurin Affair.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2S.-At the con-
clcsion Oh the reading of the majority re-
port on the cases Of Sena tors TYIInan
Sho McLaurin, Mr.. Bailey CTex) offered
the following statement as Representing,
the views Of himself and four other Sana
tors: Seii''
We dissent from so much of tba renor+
OF Oh the committee as asserts the power of
- AZ senate 10 suspend a senator and thus
oeprlve q state of its vote, and so much
% usscrlDeS the onenSes of the senator's
as OF different gravity; but We approve
the resolution reported
The report of the minority of the COM
mittee was then read. This was present.
ed By Mr.. McComas on behalf of himself
and Mr.. Beveridge, in which Mr.. Pritch-
ard concurred in part
Minority Favors Suspension.
In this statement the senator's signing
II say that while they accept the state
ment of the case as made in the prin-
clpal report they do not agree with the
majority of the committee as to the pun
lshment proposed by the majority They
then say:
The Junior senator from South Carolina
rs guilty OF supplementary language.
The senior senator from South Carolina
IS guilty of physical violence. Neither In
the statutes of any state nor in the COM
mon opinion of mankind are these two
oHenses the same. If the senate is to re-
tain the respect Of the country it must
retain its own self-respect. This cannot
De done by lightly passing over the grave
0nenseS it has suffered
The hghtest form of punishment is
reprlmand or cenSure; it is the latter
which the majority proposes to infiict for
two offenses differing in character and
gravity. The minority of the committee
are of the opinion that this punishment is
Inadequate. and to ignore the differences
between the offenses Is unjust. The mi
nority of the committee is of the opinion
that suspension of the two offending SEN
atcrS from their SCI atorial privileges
heretofore inflicted should now be for
mally adjudged and continued for differ
ent periods of time.
Long Argument Submitted.
The minority report then enters upon an
extended argument in support of this
proposition. The argument is based upon
the second clause, fifth section Of the
constitution, comforting upon each house
of congress power to punish its members
for disorderly behavior. The report con-
cludes by recommending that Senator
McLaurin be suspended from his func-
lions as senator for five days and that
Senator Tillman be suspended for twenty
five days, and adds:
The objection that no punishment
should deprive Q sovereign state Of Its
votes in the senate fails when we con-
slider the rights of all the states, and.
above all, the right and duty of the SEN
ate of the United States to punish ade-
quately a grave offenSe.
Mr. Pritchard's addition to the above
statement is in the following language:
i concur in all the foregoing views eX-
cept as to the punishment OF the junior
senator from South Carolina. 1t is my
opinion that the punishment he has al
ready suffered is adequate to his offense.
| make no recommendations as to the
punishment to be imposed on the senior
senator from South Carolina.