Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-01-11
HOUSE PASSES ARMY BILL
Proposition to Attach cantesn Rider
Declared Out Of Order
CLASH BETWEEN GAINES AND MAHoN
Pennsylvania Member Accuses Man
from Tennessee of FaIsehOOd and
Force Only Prevents Phys
zeal 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 Pa). 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 fortifcations 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 a
paragraph doing away with the anti-can-
teen law in line with bill he had intro
duced in the first session of the Fifty-ninth
congress.
Army Omcers Favor Canteen.
Mr.. Hull Qa), in charge of the bill.
stated that the paragraph would be new
legislation and a 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 Ia
assertions and a greater degree of drunk
enness On the other hand. he said he
was receiving all the way from 10 to 100
letters a day, whose authors are dis
tributed all over the country, contending
that the canteen would be a crime against
society and protesting against its re-enact-
ment Between these two widely separate
views It 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 an opportunity to
tell the house some things about the dis
elimination practiced between officers and
men regarding post exchanges.
"If" he said, 1.-THE increase of drunken
! ness continues in the army at the present
rate 1t 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 (Tenn.)
and Mr.. Mahon (Pa.) were only prevented
| from meeting In a 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 tc
| his evident embarrassment. During his
speech he charged Mr.. Mahon with being
absent from the house 95 per cent of the
| time.
Previous to this sweeping assertion Mr.
Gaines had read excerpts from the RECORD
in relation to the Withholding of pay ir
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 congresse:
he had had 1900 due him and that Speaker
Crisp had given him an order on the
sergeant-at-arms for the amount, which
was paid Then coming to the crux Of
/
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 lie" he
! exclaimed.
Mr. Mann QlL) who was in the chair
ordered both men to their seats, Mr. Major
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.. Major
again rose. Having been cautioned by the
| chair that 1t was against the rules to ad
dress a member in the second person, HI
measured his words, saying he would speal
in the fourth person" He then said;
THE charge of the gentleman from Ten
nessee that 1 am away from this hous'