The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-10

been universally adopted and practfeeo.
This is not a case Of a member Of
Congress against the prisoner at the
bar. 1t is the House Of Representatives
in it's assembled capacity asserting the
freedom of speech and the dignity OF
the House. 1t is not to punish an In
dividual, but for the public good. that the
| republic may endure.
Not only that, Jut to assault a Repre-
sentative or a Senator for words spoken
in debate on the floor Of either House
might compel a good man who does not
/ want to kill anybody, to perform that
very act.
THE Chair, therefore. reprimands Mr.
Glover, in the name of the House Of
Representatives, and directs the Ser
geant-at-arms to remove him from the
House and discharge him from custody"
When the Speaker concluded, Mr.
Glover bowed slightly. turned on his
heels, and followed Sergeant-at-arms
Gordon from the floor to the lobby, with
out a sign of recognition to any men,
Der, although many Of those on the floor
were his personal friends.
Moon Attacks Glover.
There was little relief during five
hours debate from the monotony OF
technical legal discussion and the pre-
sentation of precedents. Following the
presentation of the committees case by
Chairman John w. Davis, Representative
Moon of Tennessee sought to stir up
feeling against the local banker by a
bitter speech.
Moon refrained from entering into the
merits of the original controversy beyond
stating that at the time Glover's attempt
to sell the United States an option upon
land between Rock Creek and Wisconsin
Avenue, Glover was reaching his hand
into the Treasury" Later Representa-
tive Cooper Of Wisconsin not only called
attention by reading from the record
to the fact that Sims had admitted on
the floor of the House, following Glover's
first statement before the House Dis
trict Committee, that in his original at
tack upon the banker he had been under
a misrepresentation of the facts, but
Cooper also showed that in attempting
to excuse himself for misstating the
facts Sims had made further misstate-
ments. All of these misstatements Moon,
in his attack. had repeated
Thomas of Kentucky injected a ray of
humor by comparing the physiques of
the two participants in the ARRAY in
Farragut Square.
Private Citizens Defended.
Many of the speakers. including
several of the committee, emphasized
directly or indirectly the unfairness
which necessarily initiates against the
private citizen who is attacked on the
floor by member of the House. AS
in the report they signed, members OF
the committee declared that citizens
should be protected against reckless,
slanderous, and defamatory attacks by
members who throw regard for truth to
the winds becaus, of the knowledge
that they cannot, under the Constltu-
ton, be called to account outside the
House for any statements made in de-
bate on the floor.
While calling attention to this, men,
bers of the committee declared that
the House stands ready always to punish
its members for such attacks. While
this may be true, ii also is true that, as
the lie always travels faster and farther
than the refutation, so the original I'M
just attack gains greater publicity and
wider circulation than any subsequent
attempt on the part of the House to
right tn wrong.
Although he voted for the resolution
declaring Glover in contempt of the
House and for the reprimand, Mr..
Cooper, in answering Moons attack upon
the respondent declared that he wished
in favor of protecting citizens from. to
use the language of the report, 'defama
ton on the floor of this House
Campbell Cites Precedcnts.
Representative Campbell of Kansas
spuhO- rur nearly rIuur Carefully re-
viewing precedents in support of his con-
tention that the House was without
jurisdiction in the premises He declared
the case was one for the Police Court
and that IF the House is to resolve itself
INTO Police Court every time men,
Der of this House is assaulted We NAV
In the future be doing nothing else but
trying Police Court cases" He declared
the immunity offered in the Constitution
was intended to he applied only in So far
as statements made in debate on the
floor of the House might be concerned
In cases in court
Representative Covington of MARYLAND.
4 member Of the committee declares me
had sought to take =" entirely
mpersonal view of the Wise, admitting
hat otherwise the course recommended
night have been different. He declared
he committee had been at pains to rec
,gnize the right of citizens to protection
rom defamation of private character
md had Incorporated in it's report as the
ense of the committee that the House
must be Jealous to safeguard the
lights of the public as it is to guard its
'wn privileges.
81 am sure there can be no doubt" he
aid, but that this House, if a member ]
uthlessly, recklessly, and wantonly de-
ames the reputation of a citizen. will, in
xercise of it's Constitutional integrity ,
nd in the plenttude of its power, just ,
S surely and swiftly punish that men, |
er as it would punish citizen for an ]
nfraction of its privileges"
Talks on Law Involved. {
Representative Prouty confined himself !
Exclusively to the law involved I've are ]
OF here to discuss the question as to 4
neither the things said were true or l
alse.'' he said. I'VE are here to settle l
we can. the question whether under
he Constitution this body is clothed with :
over to protect itself against contempt:
, punish those who undertake to trans
ress the high privileges of this branch {
Congress
1T is conceded that there is no express !
over given by the Constitution to punish i,
Or contempt. i may say the same ap- $
lies to all courts. But the courts have S
n implied power that grows out Of the S
cry dignity of their Office and jurisdic- S
on to determine and punish for con- :