The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-03-14
From the Chicago Record Herald.


South Carolina has been RESPONSE
bic for many of the disturbances
which have occurred in the leglsla-
tive sessions of the United States.
The State itself led the secession and
it was off Charleston that the first
shot in the civil war was fired. When
such an occurrence as the Tillman-
McLaurin encounter takes place in
the Senate, therefore, it is only logi.
cal that the fiery little Southern
State should be the one from which
the belligerents hail.
Many fracases have happened in
Senate and House, but probably the
most famous was that which took
place in the winter of 1858, and in
which practically the whole House of
Representatives participated, when
the Lecompton constitution was up
for debate. The details of that bat
tie, in which the members INDUCED
nearly half century ago, are rarely
= brought up at this day. Only in the
scrapbooks which have come down
are it's details and the comments Of
the leading journals of the time pre-
served.
Lawrence NJ. Keitt, of South Car
ol1na, who attempted with some sue
cess to use the tactics of slave mas
ter upon his confreres in the House,
was the acknowledged leader of the
Southern slave holding Representa-
tives. Has Tillman attempted to
ape MIN?
"His vulgar swagger," said the
Washington correspondent of the
Albany Evening Journal, "authori-
tstive shake of the head and whip
like jerk of the arm, as he marches
up and down the aisle on the Dem
ocratic side of the chamber, crying
out to his party colleagues in sharp
tones: Stand upr 60 through the
tel. .ersp SIT down. Don't vote?
sVote MOP all indicate that hc has
oficiated as whipper in of slaves
on cotton or rice plantation"
It was the man thus described who,
with Galusha A. Grow, Of Pennsyl-
vania, started the fun on February 2,
1858. Others who were 10 the fight
were Justice J. Q. G. Lamar, Owen
= Lovejoy, of Illinois; John Sherman,
of Ohio; John Fox Potter, of Wis
consin, called "Saw Log; Elihu
Washburne, of Illinois, and his broth
or, Cadwallader Washburne, Of Wis
consin, and Reuben Davis of Missis-
sippi.
It was an all night session. The
baking point between Republicans
and Democrats was whether the Pres
ident's message on the Lecompton
constitution should be referred to
the Democratic committee on Terri
tories or to q select committee OF tif-
teen.
While some of the longer winded
speakers sought to prolong the de-
bate, others dozed on the sofas.
About 2 o'clock in the morning Galu-
sha A. Grow, who happened at the
time to be out of his seat and on the
Democratic side of the House, OBJ
jected to John A. Quitman's being
allowed to speak.
"If you are going to object return
to your own side of the House," said
Keitt of South Carolina, roughly.
"This is free hail." answered
Grow. "Every man has a right to
be where he pleases."
81 want to know what you mean
by such an answer as that?" said
Keitt, coming nearer.
81 mean just what I say. This is
free hall and every man has right
\ to be just where he pleases."
Keitt, his temper getting the bet-
ter of him, seized Grow by the throat,
saying: 81 will let yon know that
you are - black Republican
puppy"
81 shall occupy such place in this
hall as I please" replied Grow,
knocking up Keitt's hand, land no
negro driver shall crack his whip
over me-"
That started the trouble. Keltt