Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1907-01-11
SCENE iS THE-HoUsE.

yania, were only prevented from meet
ing in q personal encounter by the inter
vsntion Of members. Mr.. Gaines was
making speech on his bill to "dock"
members pay for absence from the
House, aud was being twitted by both
sides Of the chamber, TO his evident
embarrassment, when he charged Mr.
Mahon with being absent from the House
% per cent. Of the time.
Previous TO this sweeping assertion
Mr.. Gaines had read excerpts from The
records 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 through
out Mr.. Gaines's speech, with the ex-
ception OF interfering remark or two
at the beginning. When Mr. Gaines
had concluded Mr. Mahon rose. He
explained how, in the Fifty-third and
Fifty fifth Congresses he had had s. 900
due him, and that tbs then Speaker
Crisp had given him an order on the
sergeant alarms for the amount, which
was paid Then, coming 10 The crux OF
Mr.. Gaines's charge, Dir. Mahon thun-
dered
"Any man who charges me with being
away from this House % per cent. OF
the time tells an untruth."
Mr.. Gaines started down the aisle from
his seat. f'No man shall tell me lie -
! exclaimed the Tennesseeap
Then Mr. Mann, of Illinois, who was
in the chair, took n hand 10 the alterca'
ton
Both men were ordered to their seats,
Mr. Mahon obeying the command, while
Dir. 0sints stood two seats away from
the center Of the chamber, shaking both
fat sud head Of the Pennsylvania
When order had been restored Mr..
Mahon again rose Having been eau
TONED BY the chair that i! wal against
the rules to address a member in the sec
cad person, lie measured his word9. cay
ing he would speak 10 The "lourth per
son." he then said
1.-THE charge OF the gentleman from
Tennessee that am away from this
House 50 per cent. Of my time is de
liberate falsehood "
With a rush Mr.. Gaines reached the
center OF the chamber, making directly
toward the gentleman from Pennsylva-
mia, insisting as he went that no man
could call him liar without personal
chasttsement
The House was in an upr0ar by this
time the chair adding to the noise, ii
not to the confusion, by pounding the
desk with his gavel. His efforts finally
caused the head of theg svel to fly of and
it bounded into the body Of the House,
almost striking one of the members.
The rush OF Mr. Gaines upon his ad-
yersary brought dozen members before
the Speakers desk Messrs. Allie
James, OF Kentucky; Taylor, of Ala
bama; Bell, of Georgia; William, Of
Mississippi, the minority. and Stafford,
OF Wisconsin, grabbed Mr.. Gains, who,
resisting, wag borne lack to his seat
Mr. MahOD, standing in the first aisle
on the republican side, seemed to wait
for the impact which never came. With
Mr.. Gsiuea back in his seal, the Penn
sylvanian continued his speech OF expia-
nation az to how he came to he connected
with the invoking Of an old statute COM
polling members 70 forfeit pay for the
time absent from the House. He said
that the charge that he was away from
the House 50 per cent. of the time was
lie on its face, and that he was there 50
per cent OF tho time. as every member
@ho cared 10 inquire could ascertain.
Mr. Lacey, of Iowa, had real the stat
ute relating TO the docking OF members
pay, and he was followed by Mr.. Gros-
venor, of Ohio, who explained the
reasons for the statute Mr.. De Ar
mond, of Missouri, asked that the
minority views of the judiciary commit
tee on the statute lie printed. While
this colloquy was in progress the friends
of Msssrs Gaines and Mahon were en-
gagged in an eljrt to bring about a rec
oncilaiiOn, 10 which they were success
ful, and. at its conclusion, Mr.. Mahon
rose TO p question of personal privilege.
He stated that he cid not desire 10 i'm
pugu the motive which prompted Mr..
Gaines to utter what WAS an uctruth
about his absence from the House, but
he desi red to say that h's informant was
incoTrec'.
lie had no desire to offend the gentle
men from Tennessee, whom he classed
among his friends, but he wanted Mr.
Gaines 10 understand the person from
whom he obtained his information mis-
represented the facts. Not TO be out
done in chivslry, Mr.. Gaines immediate
ly arose, and, showing deep fesling,
said that the gentleman from Pennsyl-
vania had always been his friend, but that
be had been goaded beyond endurance
He regretted extremely the turn affairs
had taken. "Are you satisfied with
that 20 he asked. pointing to Mr.. Mahon.
For answer Mr.. Mahon rushed across
the chamber. The two men clasped
hands amid loud applause. ---
Mr. Smith, Of Iowa, fecetiously re-
marked that "ss war had been the sub
jsct of the whole days proceeding, re
suItiug 10 almost personal encounter,
he thought the House vas In no temper
% proceed iurther with the ratification
bill, and he accordingly moved that the
committee rise.
CONGRESSIONAL.
By q vote 20 TO the Senate yester-
day passed a bill providing that railway
employees engaged in the hsndliog oil
trains shsll not work more than 10 con