The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-02-05
Peevish Arkansas Congressman Calls
fiewspaperman All the Hard
Words He Could
Think of.
CHALLENGED TO FIGHT
Reporter Peeled off His Coat But the
Battle Was Prevented
BY Very shrewd
Diplomacy.

lGate City Leased Wire Service.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4--Following
an intensely dramatic scene which
nearly resulted in fist fight on the
floor of the house after adjournment
tonight, Representative Macon, (dem., |
Ark ordered eXpunged from today's
record a speech the most vitriolic
made this session--in which he at
tackled bitterly Washington news
paper man The words "wilful liar,
dirty little pilferer of words con
temptible little ass and little atom
were among the epithets Macon struck
out of the record.
Macon's speech was made toward
the end of today's session, and i'm
mediately after adjournment the man
attacked, Walter j Fahy, with large
party of other newspaper men, ap-
preached Macon on the floor of the
which Representative Norris (rep.,
| Neb.) endeavored to act as peace
maker, followed, In the course of tie
| argument Fahy challenged Macon to
| a fist fight, declaring that no other
i method could give him satisfaction for
/ the accusations of the Arkansas mem
! ber. Macon declined bu- latter agreed
to withhold his speech from the rec
ord, if that would satisfy the news
paper men.
The Arkansas member had been
/! peevish all afternoon, following a
severe oral drubbing by Representa-
tive Stanley (dem., Ky) as to his as
sumption of the role Of Collector on
the democratic side. When Macon
saw an afternoon newspaper contain
ing humorous but faithful story Of
that colloquoy, he hastened to record
his sentiments.
II hold in my hand, he said. what
presumes to dignity itself by claim
ing to be a newspaper, which state!
In big letters that Macon was at
tackled by one OF Clarks friends |
, anybody in this house has denounced
me, ! would like to see the color o
his hair or of his eyes, and, in th,
, absence of anyone arising to say tina
they have or there being any recor'
of the fact that / have been de
nounced, I propose to do little dc
nouncing myself, to the effect tha
the little atom who wrote this articl
is deliberate. wilful liar. and is no
worthy the confidence or the recos
milton of member of congress. Fl
is dirty little pilferer of words,
contemplate little ass, and ought nc
q to be allowed to occupy scat in tn
when he deliberately and wilfull
I falsefied facts, as he has done in thi
instance
The trouble began with a point {
I. order" by Macon against q salary i
: crease in the agricultural appropri
- ton bill The rules provide that mer
,t bers may have an increase stricke
=. out, merely by registering an obje
~ tion. At the beginning of the col
y. test, Macon announced he intendt
l. killing every salary increase in q
the appropriation bills.
. Representative Scott, (repn., kas
{, in charge of the appropriation bi
te censured the Arkansas member for
a arbitrary exercise of his power al
80 intimated that he was not sincere.
II. Representative Sims, (dem., hy
a. taking his stand in front OF Macon
ne desk, raised his voice to prote
,d against zone man power" arbitrari
exercised.
he Representative Stanley, (dem., Ky
Sc then, with unsparing sarcasm and Y
st operation attacked Macon
ro- q hope said Stanley, that the
of Is no member of the house so &C
stituted mentally as 10 Suspect tn
by righteousness, like that OF the
re. prophet, will die with him, and I'll
he alone is immaculate in his int
rity-a solitary figure in this house
is the one honest man whom Diasor
ng might hnd without a lantern il
ey should wander this way"
Ok. Later Stanley for the second til
lasbed the Arkansas member,