The Washington times., 1911-02-05
By ARTHUR C. JOHNSON,
In the Washington Herald.

Violent language in criticism of /;
newspaper man on the part of Repre-
sentative Robert Bruce Macon, VIII,
halls from the Arkansas hills, durinI
a debate In the House Of Representa-
tives yesterday afternoon came nea
precipitating a pugilistic encounter OF
the floor a few minutes after adjourn
ment.
Walter ]. Fahy, reporter for TIL,
Washington Times, stationed at the Cap
itol, was the newspaper man in aues
tion. He deeply resented Mr.. Macon'l
denunciation Of an article which he hat
written for his paper reporting an epf
sode concerning which there was no diff
ference Of opinion between himself anC
his colleagues of the press who were
present.
Mr.. Macon's characterization of the
writer of the article could scarcely have
been more vituperative. He said:
Il hold in my hand a thing which
presumes to dignity. 1t claims to be
The Washington Times, which states in
big black letters that Macon is de-
nounced by friends of the clerks in the
House.
L want to know who is denouncing
me. If he is on the floor, I would like
to see the member arise. I want to see
the color of his hair and his eyes.
Begins His Denouncing.
''In the absence of any member rising.
1 propose to do little denounciug my
self.
THE man who wrote this is a little
atom. He is a deliberate and wilIful
liar; dirty little pilferer of words; a
contemplate little ass, and falsifier of
facts. believe this little atom should
not have a seat In the press gallery" 4"
No sooner had Mr.. Fahy learned of
what Mr.. Macon had said about him
than he communicated with Representa-
tive Norris of Nebraska, the Republican
insurgent, and asked if he had no re-
dress. Mr.. Norris, who is a personal
friend of Mr.. Fahy, undertook to
stratghten the matter out, if possible,
while Mr.. Fahy waited at the entrance
to the members lobby.
As soon as the House adjourned, about
$50 p. m, Mr.. Norris went to Mr..
Macon on the floor and told him that he
thought 1t would be but fair to strike
from the Record his seathing arraign-
ment of Mr.. Fahy. especially in view of
the fact that the portion of the deba tc
earlier in the day, upon which Mr..
Fahy's article had been based, had been
expunged.
Vile Epithets Are Used.
Mr.. Fahy entered the chamber along
with a number of other newspaper men
and stood close by while Mr.. Macon re-
peatedly refused to do anything what
sover. At length. when it became ap-
parent that Mr.. Norris could not
change the mind of the Arkansas mem
Der, Mr.. Fahy stepped between them
and peremptorily demanded a retrac-
ton. Mr.. Macon again refused, and
sharp words followed. The words
liar" dog" cur" and worse were
flung backward and forward by the two
angry men.
Just as they rushed upon each other,
other newspaper men, employees Of the
House, and Mr.. Norris stepped between
them and prevented the encounter.
With a sneering smile Mr. Macon
cried: Il want TO know IL this matter
is going any further? If IT is. shall be
prepared"
While Mr.. Fahy was still being held
Dy lIS II II "dS tADIdluSu III no
uncertain language to Mr.. Macon by all
of the other reporters present that they
believed there has been no eXaggeration
or misinformation in the article to
which the Arkansas member had taken
exception. They also told him that they
shared Mr.. Fahy's belief that the criti-
ctSm of Mr.. Fahy was of so offensive
a character as to demand some eX-
planation and expurgation from the
The rnernher from Arkansas hoiIed and
fumed with anger, and at length re-
luctantly admitted that he did not wish
to be unfair and had not intended to be.
He said he would request the official re-
porters to eXpunge his reference to the
article and it's author from the Record.
With this understanding the matter
was dropped.
Report of Colloquy.
The article which caused all the troll
BILE was a report in part of colloQuy
between Representative Augustus o.
Stanley, of Kentucky, a Democrat, and
Mr. Macon over the latter's habit of
through appropriation bills
for opportunities to prevent all increases
of salaries to employees of the Govern
mental departments.
1t is common knowledge that Mr.. Ma
con, in the opinion of most Of the mem
bers of the House on both sides, has
made himself nuisance In this partiCu-
lar In his criticism of Mr.. Macon, Mr.
Stanley said that he hoped no member
Of the House was so constituted, men
tally as to suppose that Righteousness
would die with him, or that he was the
solitary figure in the House upon whom
the burden of guarding the Treasury
rested, or the only man whom Diogenes
might find without the use of a lantern.
Furthermore, Mr. Stanley remarked
that he himself had Introduced a reso-
luton which, If passed, would result in
saving to the people of the United States
S25 600 600 a year on steel rails. He re-
ferred to his resolution for investigation
Of the United States Steel Corporation.
The irony in Mr.. Stanley's voice was
very apparent when lie added that, of
course, this saving would pale into in
alongside the saving that
down the wages of charwomen in the
service. He suggested
that Mr.. Macon had spent SO much
time trying TO prove that Peary had
not reached the North Pole that he had
not had time to find out what was really
good in the legislation before the House.
To this Mr.. Macon made the hot re-
joinder that it was "a case of a hit ami
nal howling."
This dialogue and more to the same
effect was later ezIpunged from the
Record after Representative Burleson,
Of Texas, had succeeded in pacifying the
upon which Mr.. Fahy based his article,
which was headed. Macon Denounced
BY Clerks Friends"
Starts 11,000-Mile