The news & observer., 1905-12-14

HE ROUSES APPLAUSE
Failure to Reappoint Them on Inter
State and Foreign Commerce Com
mittee, Causes the Attack.
TiIlman's Reply to TiI'man as
to Contributions.
(By the Associated PressD

(By the Associated PreSS.)
Washington. Dee. 13-The washing
| of Democratic linen for the Republi
| cans" as Mr.. Williams the minority
| leader put it Monday. Occupied the at
! tention of the House for more than
| four hours today. The result accOmp-
| lished was a defiance thrown at the
minority leader by Representative La
| mar, of Florida and another by Rep
| resentative Shackeiford. of Missouri.
| The complaint of both resulted from
| the failure OF Mr.. Williams to recon-
mend their reappointment as members
| of the committee on interstate and
| foreign commerce. Both made long
! speeches in Which Mr.. Williams
| leadership was assailed from many
| points. Mr.. Williams replied to Mr..
Lamar at some length and briefly to
| Mr. Shackelford. His defense was
| that last session the Democrats on this
| committee were divided and he deem
| ed it necessary for the good of the
| party and the country that united
minority report should be made on the
| subject of railroad rate legislation.
| Speaking of the leadership of Mr..
| Williams Mr.. Lamar said he would
! recognize his as the party leader but
not personally, until he relieves me
| of an unjust charge on his part.
He stated that he did not agree with
| Mr. Williams that Republicans would
| enjoy personalities between Democrats
| Emphasizing this he referred to the
! personal debate Of the last session be-
! tween Mr. Sullivan. of Mass, and MIR.
| Hearst of New York. AT that time he
| charged the minority leader had made
no objection to the procedure.
Mr. Lamar reverted to the great inn
| L 70 Loo IS-l - IN
| and reviewed the atcion of the House
| at the last session which included
voting down the Davey bill. pronosed
| bv the minority. The DaVey bill he
| said had first been adopted by
| Democratic caucus. The bill then con-
tanned but two sections. The COM
i mittee added five sections.
lie l.rfo rd waftmr hart mmaftbgbm
| testimony the defendant moved for
Charges Enmity to Hearst.
Even after these sections had been
| added, he still thought and would
continue to think the Hearst bill su-
perior. The minority leader he said,
was forced to amend the Davey bill
on the floor of the House or see it go
out to the country in an imperfect
| condition. If that caucus was binding
| then he challenged the minority lead
| er to deny the fact that no one couid
have amended it, He conceded that
| the minority leader should have power
to make committee removals as well
| as appointments, but he must exercise
| that power in the face of moral Obll-
| cation and reasonableneSs. He re-
viewed the fact that he had voted for
Mr.. Williams as leader, land sus-
| tained him when his party turned him
| down on the NJ les amendment
Mr. Lamar concluded with the
| statement that he considered his re-
moval from the commerce commits
sion an act absO utely untenabie ana
| an aSperSiOn upon his private charac-
ter. He secured the reading of cor
! respondence on the matter between
| himself and Mr.. Williams.
Mr.. Lamar said it had gone to the
country through the press that the
| minority leader would not tolerate
followers of Mr.. Hearst.
He admitted ne felt friendly to-
ward Mr.. Hearst and regarded ms
bill as a good one. He then charged
Mr.. Williams with contributing more
| in one minute to Democratic inhar-
mony than he (Mr. Lamar) had in
wear. He admitted that on Monday
he was in the heat of anger and glad
that he had been stopped. However,
his personal friendship for Mr.. Will
iams had ceased.
lTr. Williams Makes Reply.
Mr. Williams was at once recog-
| nized To replv. 81 am" he said,
| about to perform a very unpleasant
duty and one the wisdom of which
have serious doubts The gentleman
| t;Ss~ himself too seriously. he
thinks he can make a national issue
out of a committee assignment, but
he can't do it. He thinks he was
removed. but he was not. There was
no committee" Mr. Williams asked
: if he would not have been lacking in
moral courage and in every essential
of a floor leader If he had maze up
a minority membership OF the COM
merce commission which would nave
been divided four to two on the ques-
ton Of railroad rates.
NV brother would have gone off
that committee under the same cir
cumstances." said Mr.. Williams, and
he added that had the Hearst bill re
ceived the minority support in COM
mitteo he would have supported it in
caucus.
COMPARING Mr.. Lamar to his great
uncle r o c. Lamar Mr.. Williams
said tho uncle possessed superb
egofisp, b,,t he also possessed, to
consecrata it. superb intellect"
The conversion to the Hearst bill
he likened TO the conversion of Saul
on his wav to Damascus It was in
spired. Long applause followed the
statement of Mr.. Williams that he
should ignore the personalities of Mr.