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

| IAe SHOCK, lHOVSu uu14ACu4J ooo1I NA
! chamber
Senator Gallinger was first to address
the Chair. "Mr President, ask that thu
doors be closed" Again the President
pro tenn requested the Senate to be in or
der and that Senators resume their seats
It was reserved for Senator Pritchard
of North Carolina, in measure to relieve
the strain under which all were laboring
He desired to address the Senate on the
pending Philippines bill and, calling fol
the attention of the Chair, he said:
"Ifthe Senator from South Carolina
| (Senator McLaurin) has concluded"-
| He was interrupted bv Senator McLau
rim, who said very calmly: 81 will now
proceed with my remarks, which were
unceremoniously interrupted"
81 call the Senator from South Carolina
to ORDER" interrupted Senator Teller.
(Which one of the Senator's" inquired
Senator McLaurin with some asperity.
This one," said Senator Teller, indica-
ting Senator McLaurin. "And the other
one, too, for that matter"
"Mr. PRESIDENT" iuterjected Senator
Foraker, 81 Join in that -" "Surely," he
continued, with great feeling, his face yet
pale with excitement, ''there is some way
| to protect the dignity of this body"
''Certainly," said Senator Burrows, who
had been endeavoring vairly to get the
eve of the Chair. And the Senate can
not let this thing pass, Mr.. President. ."
"Mr. President" again said Senator
Gallinger, 81 asked that the doors be
closed"
"Mr. President" said Senator Foraker,
who had moved into the main aisle, II
move that the Senate go into executive
session"
Without comment, every Senator labor
ing vet under the emotion which all en-
deayored to conceal, the motion was
agreed to and at asa the doors were
closed.
BOTH SENATORS IN CONTEMPT.
The proceedings after the doors were
closed covered almost two hours OF time
and resulted in the adoption of a resolu-
ton in the form Of an order as follows:
'tOrdered, that the two senators from
the State of South Carolina be declared
in contempt of the senate on account of
the alteration and personal encounter
between them this day, in open session,
and that the matter be referred to the
committee on privileges and elections,
with Instructions to report what action
shall be taken by the senate in regard
thereto.
The discussion which occurred in the
secret session was based largely upon the
above resolution, the first suggestion OF
which was made by Senator Foraker
In presenting the resolution Immediately
after the doors of the chamber were
closed, Senator Foraker took occasion to
remark that the occurrence had been an
outrage upon the dignity of the senate,
of which the senate should take cogni~
zance.
Senator Hoar endorsed the resolution
of Senator Foraker, but said he thought
the action of the Senate should be more
explicit than contemplated by the reso-
luton. He therefore moved to amend
it by ordering the two Senators from
South Carolina be declared in contempt
by the Senate for disordetly conduct aud
speech in its presence, and that both
should be taken into custody. In sup
port of this amendment he said that
any Court or any other parliamentary
BODY would commit men for so grave an
offence against its dignity to await its
Judgment. The reference OF the matter
to committee would be, he said, on a
line with Courts reference to an audi
tor or referee, and the offenders should
be restrained during the investigation.
BOTH WILLING TO APOLOGIZE.
Senator Blackburn and other Senators
then ated that the two South Carolina
Senators were willing to apologize, and
thus purge themselves of the contempt,
and in view of this statement Senator
Hoar withdrew the portion of his amend
ment providing for their commitment:
Senator Foraker then accepted the
amendment of Senator Hoar and it was
embodied in the resolution. Before the
vote was taken number OF Senators
spoke, and while there were many kind
utt RANGES regarding both Senators
there was no exception in the opin-
ions expressed as to the gravity and
seriousness of the offence. Among the
Senators who thus delivered themselves
were Messrs Teller, Fairbanks, Hanna,
Blackburn and Spoouer.
Senator Hanna suggested that, serious
as had been the encounter IN the Senate.
if was not so grave as the charge OF mis-
conduct made against Senator McLau-
rim, and he thought that an investigation
under taken should exteLd to that matter.
Senator Teller, while uniting with
other Senators in deprecating the occur
renee, said that it was not unprecedent T.
ed. that there had been other similar at
fairs on the floor of the Senate, and in
slanced among others the encounter be-
tween Senators Benton and Foote. He
also suggested that Senator Spooner was
not entirely blameless for to-day's occur
ance, because by his intelrogatorles
he had provoked Senator Tlllman to
make explicitly the charges which had
been vaguely made before his inter-
| ference in the debates
Replying to this statement, Senator
Snoouer said that he had been of the
oninion that Senator Tlllman should
either make his changes or move for an
inquiry by the Senate if he believed them
| TO be we'll founded. There was much
discussion as to whether the vote on the
Foraker amendment should be taken III
open or in secret session. A motion
was made by Senator Teller looking tc
the opening of the doors. This was
voted down-IS to 42.
The Republican Seua ors generally ex'
pressed themselves as willing to hear the
apologies promised, but generally. lnsls
ted that there should be first action on
the resolution.
On the sugge-tion of Senator Bacor
there was a division of the two branches