The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-13
IMPEACHMENT I IS DEBATED
Chairman Palmer Asks for
 Trial of the Judge.
LittIefeId of Maine. Has Sensational Tilt with Lamar-Gaines or Ten- uessee Causes Laughs at New
 EngIander's Expenses

ReDreSentatlNeS tOOdy ocNotSu ieS tire session to discussion of impeach- ment charges against Judge Charles Swayne of the Northern District of Florida. A dramatic incident occur red when MT. Littlefeld of Maine called on MT. Lamar of Florida. who filed the charges against the Judge to admit or repudiate an alleged interview which the former claimed tended to incite the people to commit an act or vio- lence against Judge Swayne. MT. La mar admitted giving an interview put emphatically denied any suggestion from him that could be construed into advising assassination or murder. lie said that although Judge Swayne was known to be the most lawless man Tn Florida, he had remained secure from bodily harm.
 Mir. Palmer. tPa-) Chairman of the comittee of seven appointed by the Speaker to prepare the case against Judge Swayne, explained that the ma jority of the committee had reached their conclusions after the most pains- taking deliberations and 1t remained for the House itself to take such fur- ther action in the case as it might deem proper.
 MT. Palmer defined what constituted impeachable offenses and said Judge could be impeached for any misbeha- vior. He then gave a resume of the twelve articles of impeachment which his committee had brought in.
 Replying to a question by MT. Coch- ran, eN. Y.) as to whether any litigant was oppressed by the alleged failure of Judge Swayne to acquire legal resi- dence in his district. MT. Palmer said the evidence abounded in such cases. He discussed at length the statute gov- erning contempt cases, and said 1t was so plain that a way-faring man or fool may not err therein. That he said was where this man had sinned."
 Littlefield Analyses Record.
 MT. Littlefield (Maine) said he felt 1t his duty to give to the House what the record showed and what it did not show. He analysed the evidence in the case in all its phases, and said that none of the sjority of the committee except the sub committee had read the report when they voted for impeach- ment.
 Turning his attention to Mir. Lamar (Fla-), who filed the original charges. MT. Littlefield called on him to admit or deny an alleged interview published fin The Metropolis of Jacksonville, Fla, reprinted from The Atlanta Constitu- tien. March 20, 1904, which MT. Little field said did violence to MT. Lamar's reputation as a gentleman and as an honorable member of the House. MT. Littlefield quoted from the interview in which MT. Lamar Is alleged to have said that the people of Florida had stood Judge Swayne about as long as they could and he was going to tell Congress that if some action was not taken to relieve the people of Florida Judge Swayne's life would be in danger.
 MT, Lamar said that any language imputing to him the statement that Judge Swaynes life was in danger was absolutely incorrect, but had said that if the proceedings in the House termi- mated in nothing 1t would be because the House did not understand the con ditions in Florida, that he looked upon Judge Swayne as utterly corrupt and utterly tyrannical and the most lawless man in the State of Florida"
 MT. Lamar declared that he stated in the interview, That if nothing appeal ed to Judge Swayne. neither law nor humanity in his own lawless case, then l would point out to him the fact that his arbitrary and tyrannical action might result in some i'll ordered brain or some revengeful brain that suf- fered at his hands inflicting violence upon hm"
 MT Littleheld said:
 T regret profoundly that a member of the House has preached indictment to assassination and murder"
 T deny any suggestion of violence to Judge swayne," exclaimed MT. Lamar.
 Do you think" interjected MT. Robinson (Ark) addressing MT. Lit tlefeld, after the statement by the gentleman. from Florida that he justi- fled assassination"
 T protest here and now" eclalmed Mir. Littlefield. that no language put
 
 mon people and which urges assassina- ton or indictment to murder is trivial in it's character"
 Lamar Enters DiacIalmer.
 MT. Lamar was promptly on his feet and declared that while he did not think MT. Littlefeld Intentionally charged him with melting murder, MT. Littlefeld plainly had almost blindly misapprehended what he was saying.
 If" said MT. Lamar. any one used his language in the interview, to inn pute the suggested violence to Judge Swayne, he would denounce as a mali cious falsehood.
 The gentlemans denunciation dis turbs nobody" replied Mir. Littlefeld, who added that unfortunately for MT. Lamar the ordinary citizen of the United States would so construe it. Tt is for that reason the language does great violence to the character of the distinguish gentleman from Florida. !" he said.
 General applause greeted an inquiry by MT. Gaines (Tenn.) why MT Little field did not confine himself to a dis cussion of the record, as a short time before he was kicking" about it not being done.
 'Is the gentleman disturbed" sarcas- tically retorted MT. Littleheld.
 storm of applause followed the reply of Mir. Gaines that he was dis turbed in his confidence in Mir. Little fields fair mindedness
 MT. Littlefield then declared that a part of the testimony of Judge swayne was not reported and asked who did the reporting.
 "Oh," answered MT. Palmer, the colored man employed by the Judiciary Committee"
 Mir. Littleheld charged that the Judi ciary Committee had edited out of she record certain statements of Judge