The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-23
Ohio Man Demands That Pan-
 ana Charges Be Proven
DEBATERS GROW BITTER
Congressman Burton Defends Charles P. Taft and Dares Rainey to Come Out Into the Open and
 Prove His Case.

Washington, February 2-A second speech by MT. Rainey of Illinois reiterat- ing his former statements concerning the Panama canal and a bitter arraignment of MT. Rainey by MT. Burton of Ohio, furnished the principal Incidents in the House today After the Illinois mem Der had spoken for an hour in further denunciation of William Nelson Crom- well, MT. Burton took the floor to make reply. He vigorously defended MT. Crom- well, Charles P. Taft, President-elect Taft and others whom MT Rainey on former occasion had made objects of his attack. MT. Rainey, he said, had fur nished no proofs of wrong-doing In con nection with the purchase of the Panama canal franchise, but instead had conjured up wrongs and buttressed them with islander and falsehood, thereby placing himself on a level with the scurvy pol itician." He challenged MT. Rainey to get from behind the protection afforded him by the constitution of the United States and the rules of the House and make his charges in the open.
 MT. Lowering of Massachusetts joined in the discussion and insisted that MT. Rainey had proven nothing.
 The incident was closed by a declara- ton by Mir Cochran of New York that persons whose regulations were attacked in the House should have an opportuni- ty to defend themselves in the same place.
 Burton Applsuded. MT Burton of Ohio elicited republican applause when he rose to reply to MT. | eo{I hot Mr Roip haH abandoned, for the most part, his accu- sations made in prior speeches and goes afeld and brings in new lot of accu- sations relating, for the most part, to a treaty now pending between Panama and the United States, and involving Colom- bia as we'll" He declared that it would have been more edifying to the House and more instructive to the country if Mir Rainey had proven the accusations he made.
 'It is impossible" he exclaimed, that there should be such child-lilke. such careless abandonment of the rights of this country, as to lead to the results which the gentleman has portrayed" As regarded the timber contract he said that was an old scandal.
 MT Burton then vigorously assailed Mir >Rainey. q object he said with vehemence, Ito conjuring up wrongs and buttresslng them with islander and false hood, when there are real wrongs to right"
 Mir Rainey at once was on his feet and demanded that the words be taken down, while MT Bartlett of Georgia want ed the Ohio man ordered to take his seat. MT. Burton, with a shrug of the should CTS, remarked that if what he had said was going to lead to scene he would withdraw his words but" he added they were uttered under very great prov ocation.'
 MT. Rainey at first declined to accept the--withdrawal, but later did so.
 Building the Canal.
 Continuing, MT. Burton declared that full justice should be given to the men engaged in the work of building the canal we should uphold their hands, he ex- claimed, "and protect them against false accusations" His remarks against Pres ident-elect Taft, MT. Burton declared, should be retracted by MT. Rainey. Mir. Rainey's remarks, he said, had been on the level of the scurvy politician. There were far weghtier matters that the House could consider. MT. Rainey, he said, had taken up the cudgels of a disappointed side, and taken up their material with out analysing it''
 MT Burton paid a tribute to Mir. Crom- well, President Obaldia and the others mentioned by MT. Raney. He spoke of his senatorial contest with Charles P. Taft. and said he never heard word against MT. Taft that reflected on his honesty as a man or connected him with any schemes of exploitation. Are we not stepping below the level on which We stand" he inquired, when we bring in private citizens here and openly accuse them of that which brings contumely and corruption. He challenged MT. Rainey to make his statements out in the open. "Will he" he asked, when he is outside the protection afforded by the constitu- ton and the rules of this House will he out in the open, make the statements that he has been making here on the floor of this house? will he make so free with regulations as he has in addressing us?
 Proof Is Demanded.
 Let us have a fair and square and di- rect statement and proof of that which he has already said" MT. Burton pleaded. Then when these are all proven, perhaps the House and the country will listen to what else he has to say. But so long the substantial averments he has made have been proven groundless 1t is not for us to turn aside from our ordinary bus- ness to pay attention to further accusa- tions.'
 While not sharing the opinion of MT. Burton. "as to the enormity' of MT. Raineys action in seeking protection un- der the House rules. Mr Cochran of New York declared that it would be an intolerable situation for a citizen of the United States, who had not been convict ed of a crime, to be assailed on the floor of the House and no method provided by which the truth could be ascertained. The right of character, he asserted stood next to the right of life. flor the man whose character Is gone lives like dog" There should be, he contended. some way by which persons assailed should have the right to be heard on the floor of the House. He closed by demanding that Mir Raineys charges should be investigated. and their truth or inaccuracy once for all established