Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1907-01-16
WORK OF CONGRESS GRE
What Our National Lawmakers Are
Doing From Day to Day
a. War-of Words.

liz 1couSo eooA- VI WV HPHS
of. the clog days of the 55th Congress
commonly known as the "war Con-
gress, u when alterations between
members became frequent. Mr. B.
Gaines, of Tennessee, and Mr.. Ma
hone, of Pennsylvania, were only pre-
vented from meeting in personal en-
counter by the Intervention of other
members. 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 embar-
rassment, when he charged Mi. Ma
hone with being absent from the
House 95 per cent. Of the time. Pre-
v:ous to this sweeping assertion, Mr..
Gaines had read excerpts from The
Record in relation to the withholding
of pay in the 53rd Congress and the
part Mr.. Malone had played at that
time.
When Mr.. Gaines had concluded
Mr.. Malone rose. He explained how,
in the 53rd and 55th Congresses, he
had had $1,000 due him and that the
then Speaker, Crisp, had given him an
order on the sergeant-at-arms for ths
amount, which was paid. Then COM
ing to the cruix of Mr. Gaines Mr..
Malone thundered:
"Any man who charges me with
being away from this House 95 per
cent of the time, tells an untruth. ~
Mr.. Gaines started down the aisle
from his seat.
No man can call me a liar" ex-
claimed the Tennessean.
Mr.. Mann Interferes.
Then Mr.. Mann, of Illinois, who
was in the chair, took hand in tbs
alteration. Both men were, ordered
to their seats, Mr.. Malone obeying
the command, while Mr.. Gaines stood
two seats away from the centre Of
the chamber shaking both fists and
head at the Pennsylvania.
When order had been restored Mr..
Malone again rose. Having been
cautinoed by the chair that it was
against the rules to address a men,
ber in the second person he measur-
ed his words saying he would speak
in "the fourth person., He then
said:
"The charge of the gentleman from
Tennessee that I am away from this
House 95 per cent of my time is a
deliberate falsehood.
Senator Pettus Votes Alone.
By a vote Of 70 to l the Senate
passed bill providing that railway
employees engaged in the handling of
trains shall not work more than l6
consecutive hours, which period is to
be followed by 10 hours off duty. The
one negative vote was cast by Sena-
tor Pettus.
This, accomplishment was reached
after an entire day spent in eonsid-
Grafton Of the subject. The parlia-
mentary situation was confused dur
ing the entire time, caused by the 40
pending amendments and the. three
substitutes for the original bill, all
of which had to. be disposed of.
The bill, which was finally passed
is the one introduced by Scna-
tor LaFollette and is not in
print. 1t was amended in several
rcsepets by the Senate. The bill pro-
vides that under certain contingencies
and in case Of accident, the time fix
ed may be exceeded. The enforce
ment of the law is placed in the hands
of the inter-State commerce commits
sion and the Federal Courts, the pen
atty provided being "a fine os not less
than 500 nor more than $1,000. The
act is to apply to trains doing an
Interstate or foreign commerce bust
ness.
Senator Overman on States Rights.
Senator Overman; Of North Caro-
lima, discussed States-rights and the
tendency of the Federal government
to encroach on them. He said that
bills regulating child-labor in fac
tories and mines of States (referring
to the Lodge of Massachusetts,, and
geveridge, of Indiana, neasures)
would not only stretch to breaking
the commerce clause of the consti-
tuition, but would be usurpation Of
the rights of States and an assump-
tion of the power which they reserved
! wien the Tenth Amendment was
adopted elf Congress regulates
cotton mills, why not let it regulate
business generally said the Sena-
tor. He favored reasonable child
labor laws but they should be pass
ed by State legislatures.