Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-06
Macon Says Newspaper Men
Tried to Intimidate Him.
HOUSE ORDERS AN INQUIRY
Incident Of Saturday on the Floor Is
to Be Investigated.
DEMANDS TO KNOW HIS RIGHTS
Wants Shotgun, He Says, If Con-
stitution Fails to Protect
Members.

n remarkable scene occurred in the
House today when Mr.. Macon OF Ar
kansas, on motion Of privilege, arraigned
newspaper men who, he claimed, sought
to intimidate him, and dramatically asked
what protection members of Congress
had.
The incident was an outgrowth of a
passage Saturday between the Arkansan
and a newspaper correspondent whom he
had denounced.
The House adopted resolution offered
by Mr.. Gardner of Massachusetts, pro-
viding for a full investigation Of the Incl
dent by a subcommittee of the judiciary
committee. empowered to summon and
examine witnesses under oath and to re-
port by February IS.
Immediately after the House met at
noon today Mr.. Macon secured recog-
milton. He announced that he had risen
to a question of the highest privilege.
"Constitution or Shotgun"
MY purpose" he said, sis to ascer-
to members Of this House for words
to know whether the Constitution is to
be the protection of member or
whether he must resort to shotgun.
II the House determines the latter 1
want to know 1t, in order that l can
have my shotgun handy.
ION Saturday / subjected myself to a
catechizing from the gentleman from
Kansas, Mr.. Scott, concerning certain
acts Of mine with reference to legislation
on the floor of this House. Members OF
the House took sides, and words were
used in haste that may become too warm
for an ordinary missionary tract. But
these words. by common consent, were
withheld from the record, and had hoped
that that would be an end OF the matter.
but in the afternoon a certain publ
cation of this city appeared. and In mead
lines that could be read across street
car said that Macon had been denounced
by clerks friends.
II called on the membership OF the
House to know who had denounced me,
and in the absence Of any one rising l
proceeded to the denunciation of the pa
per and the author Of the article In falr-
ly temperate language
Approached by "Concourse."
Tho House." continued Mr.. Macon,
cident occurred. 1 have sat in my seat
here for eight years and I have noticed
that along in the evening. particularly
when appropriation bills are being con-
sidered, the press gallery is usually va
cant. For some strange reason on Sat
urday evening. after the shades of night
had fallen, I saw a concourse coming IN
that practically filed this Space'-indi-
eating the well In front OF the Speaker
desk.
"Mr. Norris came in and approached
me on behalf OF the gentleman that ]
had, in as mild a manner as l could.
spoken of in the afternoon. I talked
with him. While talking to him some
individual came up and stood behind me
and said. Il am the man that you de-
nounced as a liar
II stand by it, I replied.
He said that I was the liar. I ad-
vanced q little. as was natural, and Mr..
Norris stepped i'm
Mr.. Macon then told the House that
the man he had called liar had COM
menced to pull off his coat, repeating that
Macon was liar, and that he (Macon)
had advanced until stopped by the news
paper men who were looking on.
Demands to Know Reason.
1.-THE question isl cried Mr.. Macon.
"for what purpose did his colleagues
enter the House on that occasion. 1t Is
not their custom to come on the floor
after the House has adjourned. They
were not there to protect my welfare.
There was some other reason. II 1t was
to intimidate a member Of the House SO
that he should not raise his voice III
legislating, according to his lights, want
to know what protection member has
in exercising his rights on the floor.
"There are some things in life that, l
cannot understand. l don't know why the
press gallery has been opposed to me
ever since I have been a member of this
House. / have not tried to influence them.
/ have offered them no insults by trying
to buy their influence. But upon all oc-
casions, whenever contest arose on the
floor Of this House, where l represented
one side and some one else the other. 1
have been discredited in the newspaper
reports. 70 ..o,;,,,
is being pursued to intinlidats members
Of this House. then the Congress has
fallen on an unhappy hour. We can no
longer be free agents OF the American
peoDle. On that basis a newspaper re-
porter can write articles assassinattng
the character OF memoer, put wnen
that member resents 1t the reporter
gathers a host of his associates and
when the member is unprotected seeks
to intinidate him..
Adopted by Unanimous Vote.
Then Mr.. Gardener offered his resolu-
ton providing for the investigation re-
ferred to. Mr.. Mann made point of
order against it, but this was overruled.
The resolution was adopted by a unani-
nous vote.
AS at first introduced, the resolution
provided that the inquiry be made by
the rules committee. but after Champ
Clark of Missouri had explained that
this body was too busy the resolution
was referred to the committee on the
judiciary.
MAY SPEAK FOR SHEEHAN.