The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1907-12-26
FIST FIGHT ON
FLOOR OF HOUSE
JOHN SHARP WILLIAMS BE-
SENT THE LIE"
ITALIAN INVESTIGATION
Secretary of States Called Upon TO
Look linton Kentucky Might Ri
ders.'' Congress adjourn for Christ
mas Holidays.

Washington.-The spirit Of rival
ry that for five years has alternated,
smouldered and blazed between
John Sharp Williams, Of Mississippi,
leader of the minority, and David A.
DE Almond Of Missouri, leader of the
minority opposition, culminated in a
fist fight on the floor of the house OF
representatives. The blows of Rep
resentative De Almond caused blood
to flow down the face of Representa-
tive Williams, and only the forcible
intervention of friends cut the COM
bat short. &
Mr.. De Almond bore away cuffed
nose. The immediate cause OF the
fight was the passage of the lie by
Mr.. De Almond to Mr.. Williams, re-
:sultant of complaint Of the former
.that the minority leader had broken
faith in "burying" Representative
Booher of Missouri by recommending
his assignment by Speaker Cannon
to the committee on coinage, weights
and measures.
According to the statement OF the
principals, Mr.. Williams defended his
e.tion by declaring he had been told
r1by Mr.. Boohsr's colleague, Repre-
'S7ntative Lloyd Of Missouri, that the
reRmittee assignment would be satis-
10 very to Mr.. Booher. Mr.. De Ar
tliffe,, btuntly questioned the truth OF
Fnand dament, and after the failure
While ffort on his part to transfer
.canse. ite of controversy, Mr.. Wit
the presruck Mr.. De Almond blow
4 sureeoce with his closed fist.
tthat .,hossciting incident will not be
ahaye bes the official record OF tbs
aieers al congress, for the house had
ian some minutes adjourned when
He firsS blow was struck. But there
was no lack of witnesses. The organ
.szafion-ua- the lsopse .h!sS,e assszsarn-
pleted by the announcement OF the
speakers assignments of members to
committees, the Republican commit
tee men having been selected by the
speaker and the Democratic by Mr..
Williams. Groups Of representatives
were scattered about the floor dis
cussing the appointments. In the
overlooking galleries loitered a score
or so Of women, and four times that
many men, viewing the aftermath OF
an interesting session.
At the request of the italian am
bassador, Secretary Of State Root has
called upon the governor OF kentuc-
ky to intervene to prevent the fur
ther destruction of "night riders" of
tobacco belong to the Italian govern
ment stored in Kentucky. The rep
resentation is based upon the burn-
ing by the "night riders' at Hop
kinsville, KY, of a warehouse con-
tanning large quantity of tobacco
purchased by the Italian government,
which maintains monopoly of the
sale of tobacco of all kinds in Italy
The governor of Kentucky has re-
ported that he is investigating the
matter.
Other matters about which the Ital-
ian ambassador complains related 20
the treatment of Italian laborers III
the states of Mississippi and F.orl-
da. In the first named state labor
ers had been abused because they
were Italians and came into compc-
tition with the native labor, while n
Florida they were made the victims
of system of peonage which was
worse than slavery.
As in the case of Louisville and
kentucky, all that Secretary Root
could do owing to the limitation up
on the exercise of federal power, was
: to promise to communicate with the
officers Of the states, asking them to
investigate the complaints and en-
ieavor to extend to the Italians the
protection guaranteed them by treaty
The house adjourned on Saturday
for the Christmas holidays.
Unqualifiedly False.
Co.x1tox,, Cor+ >l,,oc IN ssoy, n II