Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-01-11
HOUSE PASSES ARMY BILL
Proposition to Attach Csntesn Rider
Declared Out Of Order.
CLASH BETWEEN GAINES AND MAHoN
PennsyIvanla Member Accuses Man
from Tennessee of FaIsehOOd and
Force Only Prevents Phys
teal Encounter.

WASHINGTON. Jan 10.-The house to-
day not only was the center Of a threat
ened personal encounter between Repre-
sentative Gaines CTenn.) and Representative
Mahon CPa), growing out OF Mr.. Gaines
bill to dock" members for chronic abb
sence, but II also passed the army appro-
priation bill and began the consideration
of the Notifications bill. Several amend
ments were made to the army bill
The Notifications bill was taken UP, but
no progress was made, the time being
consumed by the statements Of Represent
alive Smith Qa.), in charge OF the bill, Mr..
Fitzgerald IN. ". who represents the
minority in the appropriations committee,
and Mr.. Gaines CTenn) in a speech on his
docking bill The house at 4:45 p. m.
adjourned.
The army canteen was again today I'M
der discussion IN the house OF representa-
tives. While the army appropriation bill
was up, Representative Morrell CPa.) in
timated that he would like to attach
paragraph doing away with the anti-can-
teen law in line with bill he had intro
duced in the first session OF the F1fty-ninth
congress.
Army Omcers Favor Canteen.
Mr.. Hull Ua). in charge Of the bill,
stated that the paragraph would be new
legislation and point of order would
therefore lie against it, He stated how
ever. that the testimony of army officers
was almost uniformly to the effect that
the canteen was a good temperance meas
ure and that its abolition had resulted IN
assertions and a greater degree of drunk
enness. On the other hand. he said, he
was receiving all the way from 10 to 100
iaftara w authors dis
trIbuted all over the country, contending
that the canteen would be crime against
society and protesting against its re-enact-
ment. Between these two widely separate
Views 1t was the disposition of congress
to let conditions go on as now, providing
the posts with post exchanges and furnish
ing hot coffee.
This gave Mr.. Morrell opportunity to
tell the house some things about the dis
elimination practiced between officers and
men regarding post exchanges.
IT. he said, 1.-THE Increase of drunken
! ness continues in the army at the present
| rate It may become a very serious matter
in preventing men from enlisting in the
army" He said the anti-canteen law was
doing the reverse Of what had been an
ticipated. Instead OF lessening drunken
ness It was increasing II and It was driv-
ing men out of the army post to low dives.
Gaines and MahOn Clash.
Late this afternoon Mr.. Gaines CTenn.)
and Mr.. Mahon Pa.) were only prevented
| from meeting in personal encounter by
the Intervention of members on the floor
| of the house. Mr.. Gaines was making a
speech on his bill TO dock" members pay
for absence from the house and was being
twitted by both sides of the chamber to
| his evident embarrassment. During his
speech he charged Mr.. Mahon with being
| absent from the house IS per cent of the
| time.
Previous to this sweeping assertion MI
| Gaines had read excerpts from the Record
In relation to the Withholding of pay in
the Fifty-third congress and the part Mr..
Mahon had played at that time.
Mr. Mahon remained silent throughout
Mr. Gaines speech. with the exception of
interfering a remark or two at the be-
ginning When Mr.. Gaines had concluded
Mr.. Mahon rose He explained how in
the Fifty-third and Fifty-hfth congresses
he had had 1900 due him and that Speaker
| Crisp had given him an order on the
sergeant alarms for the amount, which
was paid. Then coming to the crux of
| Mr. Gaines charge, Mr.. Mahon Numbered:
ANY man who charges me with being
away from this house 50 per cent OF the
time tells an untruth."
Mr.. Gaines started down the aisle from
his seat. mo man can tell me 1 lie," he
! exclaimed.
Mr.. Mann QlL), who was in the chair,
ordered both men to their seats, Mr.. Mahon
obeying the command, while Mr.. Gaines
stood two seats away from the center of
the chamber shaking both fists and head
at the Pennsylvania.
MahOn Repeats Charges.
When order had been restored Mr.. Mahon
again rose Having been cautioned by the
chair that It was against the rules to ad-
dress a member in the second person, he
measured his words. saying he would speak
In the fourth person" He then said;
1.-THE charge of the gentleman from Ten
nessee that 1 am away from this house