Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-19
INVESTIGATE PRECEDENTS
TO BRING BANKER TO BAR
Attack Upon Representative in Far
ragut Square 0utgrowth of Re-
ent District Insurance Inquiry.

GloEef slapped MI. sims lace anu
knocked off his hat an affront 20 the
House OF Representatives was committed
Representative Finis j. Garrett of Ten
nessee spent some time this morning
looking up precedents in the matter and
called upon the Speaker to talk the case
over. Mr.. Garrett is planning to intro
duce resolution to bring Mr.. Glover be-
fore the bar of the House.
The precedent which is cited as bearing
directly upon the affray in Farragut
Square is that of Gen. Samuel Houston.
who went after Representative William
Stanberry of Ohio with "A club in April,
1892. The attack was made upon the
member of Congress because Houston
took exception for something the repre-
sentative had said upon the floor of the
House. RepI sentative Stanberry was in
jured physically to far greater extent
than Mr.. Sims
Received Historic Scolding.
A resolution was introduced into the
House providing for the arrest of Mr..
Houston and his trial before the bar of
the House. This provoked long and
wordy battle, in which James X. Polk
of Tennessee held that the House Of Rep
resentatives should not deign to touch
the matter. and that the District Police
Court was the proper place to settle the
differences beween Stanberry and Hous-
ton. Edward Everett, then representing
district in Massachusetts. debated
against Polk. uphOding the resolution.
The matter was bitterly fought at every
turn. Francis Scott Key was Houston S
attorney. Several delicate points were
settled before the House really knew
whether it had any right to punish Mr.
Houston. When this was finally decided
in the affirmative, Samuel Houston was
sentenced to a reprimand from the Speak
er, and he stood up and received an his
toric scolding.
Had the House been in session yester-
day, an attack upon "a member might
find precedent more serious than that
was that of Patrick Woods. alias Pat
Doo1ey, who assaulted Representative
Porter of Virginia, while the representa-
tiye was on his way to the House. and
his punishment. meted out by the House.
was a Jail senence lasting until the end
of the existing Congress.
Constitution Is Consulted.
Provisions of the Constitution regard
on their way to and from the Capitol
were looked up by many representatives.
Section 6 of the Constitution of the
1
vides that senator's and representatives
shall in all cases, except treason, felony
and breach of the. peace, be privileged
from arrest during their attendance at
the session of their respective houses, and
in going or returning from the same; and
for any speech or debate in either house
they shall not be questioned in any other
piace''
the controversy between Mr.. Sims and
Mr.. Glover said Mr.. Garrett, but the
Constitution provides that members of
Congress must not be held personally
accountable for statements made on the
floor in debate and an assault of this
character cannot be left unnoticed''
movement is on foot among men,
bers also to enact legislation for the
protection of members under the
guaranty of the Constitution. Some
members propose bill making it a
felony for attacking a member for
statements made on the floor of, the
House or Senate.
Speaker Favors Investigation.
Speaker Clark after having conferred
with Representative Garrett and Repre-
sentative Sims, said that he believed
the matter should he taken up by the
House
Representatives Sherley of Kentucky
and Houston of Texas spent the morning
readins the laws and precedents in. the
case, and both of them consider that Mr..
Glover's actions. as described by himself,
constitute a serious situation.
Representative Houston spoke Of the
case as follows:
THE Constitution provides that no
member Of Congress can be held per-
sonally responsible for what he says on
the floor of the House or in his official
capacity. 1t is my opinion that when
MIR. Glover interfered with Mr. Sims on
his way to the Capitol and assaulted him
for something Mr.. Sims said about Mr.
Glover in a speech in the House-in
which speech Mr.. Sims was replying to
statements made by Mr.. Glover before "a
congressional investigating committee
that Mr.. Glover made himself liable for
severe punishment, under the law, by
the House.
Hopes for Prosecution.
Mr.. Sherley expressed the opinion
that If the facts are as given in the
statements by Mr.. Glover and Mr.
Sims, the banker is guilty of a grave
offense, and he said he hoped to see a
vigorous prosecution made.
NO TcSoIutlOIl lOr an
quiry by the judiciary committee vet
has been prepared, but from the de-
termined manner in which Representa-
tives Garrett, Sherley and Houston
searched the authorities today and
spoke Of the incident it is expected
the matter will be taken up on the
floor Of the House when that body re-
convenes Monday.
Representative Sims and Mr.. Glover had
been bombarding each other at long range
in the recent insurance investigation and
from the floor Of the House. The stories
of the principals in the affair in Farra-
gut Square yesterday differ in detail but
both agree that Mr.. Glover landed once
or twice upon Mr.. Sims unprotected jaw
The differences arose over Mr.. Glover's
connection with the acquiring of land for
Rock Creek Park. Mr.. Sims has de-
clared on the floor of the House that Mr.
Glover's motives We're selfish
There were no witnesses to the prelimi-
naries. Mike Mullins, park employe,
was up a tree near at hand and saw