The San Francisco call., 1910-01-26
HEATED CLASH OVER
EUROPEAN 'jUNkfI'
Congressman Defends Immigra-
ton Commission and Says
Accusations Are False

WASHINGTON. Jan. 25-Declaring
that James A Patten, secretary of the
immigration Restriction league. had
told wicked, cruel. deliberate and
malicious lie," when he gave Repre-
sentative Macon of Arkansas informa-
tion upon which the latter based his
speech yesterday, Representative Ben
net made a vigorous defense of the
immigration commission In the house
today.
Statements of the gentleman from
Arkansas require an instant, full and
complete retraction," shouted Bennett
after he had explained in detail the
work of the commission, its trip abroad
in 1907, which Macon had termed a
"Junket,' and the results it had ac-
complished. Macon met Benefits de-
mands with a sharp reply.
MAKES SHARP REPLY
Il am not going to accept what
the gentleman from New York has said
to this house as gospel exclaimed
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 liar and the
other shows himself to be a saint-and
the gentleman from New York is not
a saint"
Macon admitted that Patten was his
informant Macon explained that Pat
ten was a son in law of a deceased
member of the commission and was in
position to know.
II am not here to take back any part
of my statement that the trip abroad
was junket, as ] understand a jun
ket," exclaimed Macon.
Thus the incident was closed with
out Macon having receded from his
position, but not until after Mann of
Illinois had refused to consent to Ma
cons request for permission to revise
his remarks in the record. Macon ex-
planned that he merely wanted to cor
rect the bad English" but Mann re-
torted that 1t was unnecessary to OBJ
tain consent for that, and that both
parties to the controversy would have
to go on record for what they had said
BENNET DENIES CHARGES
It was thought for a time that Mann's
statement indicated that Macon might
be called to account by the rules COM
mittee for using unparliamentary Ian
guage toward a fellow member of the
house, but it soon developed that there
was no such intention. 1t was argued
that Macon had not called Bennett "a
liar as some members had construed
his remarks.
Bennett made general denial of
charges voiced by Macon, and asserted
that the member from Arkansas had
made them without taking the trouble
to ascertain If they were true. He said
the commission had spent only $4,000
of the peoples money on their trim Of
investigation abroad, but had gone
down into their own pockets for more
than that amount rather than charge
had spent.
In the four months the commission
was in Europe, he said, he had little
time to devote to sight seeing
Il went through Rome without see
ing st. Peters or the Appian way" de-
clared Bennett. and added that he had
made only two flying trips to Paris
and in each instance had left by the
next train.
When Bennett ascertained that Will
liam r. Wheeler had given UP a $4,000
position to accept one for $500 with
the commission, Macon, increduIous.
interrupted to say that, If he had done
that, he would regard himself as either
a "knave or a fool"
Il have no objection to the gentle
mans Characterization of himself /"
was Bennet's "retort courteous
Bennett said the immigration com
mission had accomplished much pood
since it was created, having broken I'm
the white slave traffic" taken stems
to exclude alien criminals and greatly
improved steerage conditions on imn,i.
grant ships.