The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-14
Williams Rebukes Ref
ere nee to Confederacy
as Infamous Cause. ("
JONES Is KEPT ON
SENATE Y-ROLL
Retention Follows Eloquent Plea
by Mississippi Senator on Be-
half of Aged Negro Body
guard of Jefferson Davis.
Reciprocity Debate Then
Taken Up.

! Washington. July l3-Reciprocity
debate in the Senate to-day was pre-
ceded by the Endorsement OF the plea
OF senator John Sharp Williams, CT
mississippi. for the retention on the
senate pay roll of Jim Jones. an
aged negro bodyguard of Jefferson
Davis. In supporting Senator VII.
| iiams. the Senate overthrow its own
committee on patronage. which had
recommended the removal of Jones
from the pay roll. Bitter words were
exchanged between Senator Williams
and Senator Hepburn. of Idaho. over
Mr.. Heyburn's charac terization Of the
Contederacy as an Infamous cause"
! MT. Williams retorting that he was
unprepared to hear that expression
from a civilized man"
But for the parliamentary rules
that restrain me-" declared Mr.. VIII
Hams. Il would have few words TO
say about the kind of human being
in whose heart such thoughts can
exist"
Mr. Williams asked to have Jim
Jones. the eighty-two-year- negro,
VINO had been jefferson Davis's body
guard, and in whose custody the seal
OF the Confederacy was intrusted. re-
tained on the Senate pay roll as q
iaborer.
tention of the negro for his service
formerly given to the Senate, but not
because OF loyalty to the glory of an
Infamous cause"
Makes Sharp Rctort.
Senator Williams replied with great
feeling that he was not prepared to
near a civilized man in the twentieth
century call an infamous cause the
cause for which his (williamss) ia
ther laid down his life"
Lee and Jackson may have been
wrong" added Mr.. Williams. That
the government Is now in existence
is cause for .congratulation to the
children OF the men who died with
Lee and Jackson. but cannot express
| the sentiment have for a human be-
Ing in whom such sentiments can re-
main as have been expressed here"
There is no right OF American citi-
zenship." he added. that permits a
man to insult the dead"
Well. was IL a glorious causeo"
. asked Mr.. Hepburn.
There was much OF glory in it," re-
piled Mr. v illiams
The Senate sustained Senator Will
Hams by vote of 81 to is. leaving
Jones on the pay roll II $3.50 a year
as iaborer. q
Mr.. Hepburn. following his bitter
/
against the negro
Williams EnraEed.
Senator Heyburn's use OF the phrase
infamous cause" seemed TO enrage
Senator Williams. Walking into the
middle aisle and shaking his head a,
the gentleman from Idaho. he ex-
claimed passionately:
Loyalty and courage and honor arc
things that are precious to honorable
hA
. to have constituted himself a censor
to see that no kind word is ever
| spoken of the men who wore the gray.
| Whence comes this censorship"
| When Senator Hepburn rejoined
that he was simply exercising his
rights as an American citizen. Mr..
! Williams retorted:
| There is no inherent right in an
american citizen to insult the dead.
The Constitution confers no right to
/ trample on the feelings of the living.
, The idea of saying that the men who
gladly sacrificed their lives in behalf
/ Of the constitutional principles were
. engaged in an infamous cause"
! In opening the address which pre-
J cipitated the bitter encounter with
Mr. Hepburn. Mr.. Williams said:
Sentiment Is Urged.
II rise for the purpose of pleading
the cause of an old. faithful and hon
est negro man. do not know that
have anything to urge in his behalf,
except sentiment. Among all the mag
nincent attributes of the human race
! think Tom Carlyle was right in
saying that loyalty was the greatest
I of them ALL loyalty to a country, TO
! p cause. to a leader, TO a man, loyalty
to something. 1t is not peculiarly one
/ "f our virtues This old dark pos
! sesscd it in a very high degree
! This precipitated one of the sharp
! est discussions heard in this Senate
/ this session.
! James Jones. around whose name
the Senate oratory ragged has been on
the Senate pay rolls for many years.
I that he has been able to render no
! service
Recently, at celebration here in
! honor of Jefferson Davis's birthday an
! niversary. Jones was introduced to a
| monster gathering by Senator Bailey,
| OF Texas, as the man who holds in
! violate the secret of the hiding place
! Of the seal Of the confederacy. This
! incident aroused much enthusiast
! among the followers OF THE Lost
/ Cause"
! Reciprocity Taken Up.
| Two important insurgent speeches
| against the Canadian reciprocity bill
! We're made to-day, when Senator'S La
! Toilette. of Wisconsin, and Bristow. of
Kansas, introduced their amendments
! to that measure, and spoke in favor of
them and against the specific features
| Of the pending bill.
] Senator La Toilette eXcoriated Pres
ident Taft's administration, not only
/ with reference to the tariff legislation
| proposed. but also on his ccnserva ton
policies. Senator Bristow renewed his
| fight against the present sugar tariff
lContinued on Third pa &c : --