Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-26
.SCATHES PATTEN
AS WICKED LIAR
CONGRESSMAN DEFENDS lMMl-
GRAFTON BODY
DECLARES MACON WAS MOUTH
PIECE OF ANANlAS
Representatives from New York and
Arkansas Indulge in Spirited
Word Battle involving ln-
tegrity of Informant
Associated Pressl

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25.-Declaring
that James A. Patten, secretary of the
immigration Restriction league, haG
told a wicked, cruel, deliberate and
malicious lie" when he gave Represen-
tative Macon of Arkansas information
upon which the latter based his speech
of yesterday, Representative Bennett
made a vigorous defense of the immi-
grafton commission in the house today
Statements of the gentleman from
Arkansas require an instant, full ano
complete retraction," shouted Mr. Ben
nett after he had explained in detail
the work of the commission, its tr1I
abroad i'll 1907, which Mr.. Macon hae
termed ''junket," and the results II
had accomplished.
Mr.. Macon met Mr.. Benefits de-
mands with a sharp reply.
II am not going to accept what the
gentleman from New York mas said to
this house as gospel" exclaimed Mr.
Macon. 1T is a question of veracity,
and one of these gentlemen has as
much credence on the part of the house
as the other, until one or the other
shows himself to be a liar and the other
shows himself to be a saint-and the
gentleman from New York is not a
saint
Admits Patten Told Him
Mr.. Macon admitted Mr.. Patten was
his informant. Mr.. Macon explained
that Mr. Patten was a son-in-law of a
deceased member of the commission,
and was in a position to know.
Il am not here to take back any part
of my statement that the trip abroad
was q junket, as l understand a jun
ket,'' exclaimed Mr. Macon.
Thus the incident was closed without
Mr.. Macon having recede6 from his
position, but not until after Mr.. Mann
of Illinois had refused to consent to
Mr.. Macon's request for permission to
revise his remarks in the Record
Mr. Macon explained that he merely
wanted to correct "the bad English"
but Mr.. Mann retorted that it was un-
necessary to obtain consent for that,
and that both parties to the contro-
versy would have to go on record for
what they had said.
st was thought for a time that
Mann's statement indicated that Mr..
Macon might be called to account by
the rules committee for using unpar-
liamentary language toward a fellow
member of the house, but it soon de-
veloped that there was no such inten-
ton. 1t was argued that Mr.. Macon
had not called Mr.. Bennett a liar as
some members had construed his re-
marks.
Denies Charges
Mr.. Bennett made a general denial
of charges voiced by Mr.. Macon, and
asserted that the member from Ar
kansas had made them without taking
the trouble to ascertain Of they were
true.
He said the commission had spent
only $4,000 of the peoples money on
their trip of investigation abroad, but
had gone down into their own pockets
for more than that amount rather than
charge to their expense accounts all
that they had spent.
In the four months the commission
was in Europe, he said he had little
time to devote to sightseeing.
I went through Rome without seeing
st. Peters or the Apian Way" de-
clared Mr.. Bennett, and added that he
had made only two flying trips to
Paris, and in each instance had left
by the next train.
When Mr.. Bennett ascertained that
William r. Wheeler had given up a
$10,,J position to accept one for $500
with the commission Mr.. Macon in
credulously interrupted to say that if
he had done that he would regard him
self as either a knave or a fool"
81 have no objection to the gentle
mans characterization of himself"
was Mr.. Benefits retort courteous
Mr.. Bennett said the immigration
commission had accomplished much
good since it was created, having
broken up the white slave traffic, -
taken steps to exclude alien criminals,
and greatly improved steerage condi-
lions on immigrant Strips.