Evening star., 1918-07-21
Senators Lamar and Conkling.

To the Editor OF The Star:
If Senator Lamar and Senator Conk-
ling are still reading The Star they
will be very much interested In the
letter of Mr.. Clayton, printed in q re-
cent issue of your paper. in which he
speaks of the friendship forged and
held with links Of steel between Conk-
ling Of New York and Lamar of Mis-
sippi remain yet fragrant memories" ~
The friendly relations existing be-
tween these eminent statesmen found
expression In the Senate nearly forty
years ago. in a filibuster on the Mis-
sissippi river commission bill. Mr.
Conkling charged Mr.. Lamar and his
democratic colleagues with duplicity.
saying:.'I say, Mr.. President, and I
measure my expression. that it was an
act not only insulting. but an act Of
bad faith. mean that" Whereupon
Mr.. Lamar observed: with reference
to the charge of bad faith that the
senator from New York has intimated
toward those who have been engaged
in opposing! these motions to adjourn.
I have only to say that II am not
superior to such attacks from such q
source have lived in vain. It is not
my habit to indulge in personalities,
but desire to say here to the senator
that intimating anything Inconsistent,
as he has done,i with perfect good
faith. pronounce his statement q
falsehood, which repel with all the
unmitigated contempt that feel for
the author Of it"
Mr.. Conkling then went to the bat
and, after some preliminary state
ments, remarked: 'I understood the
senator from Mississippi to state in
plain and unparliamentary language
that the statement Of mine to which
he referred was a sfalsehood. II
caught his word Alright. - Should
the member from Mississippi, except
in the presence Of the Senate, charge
me, by intimation or otherwise, with,
falsehood, would .denounce him as q
BLACKBOARD, as q coward and a liar; )
and, understanding what he said as
I have, the rules and the proprteties
Of the Senate are the only restraint
upon me-"
By.way of rejoinder. Mr.. Lamar said:
''Mr. President, have only to say
derstood me correctly. I did mean to
say Just precisely the words. and all
that they impaired. beg pardon Of
the Senate for the unpariiamentary
language It was very harsh; 1t was
very severe: It was such as no good
man "OulQ OSSSE NCs anu AAS - 80 ~AsA~se
There was a good deal of talk at the
time about pistols and coffee. but so
far AZ the record shows. Mr.. Conk-
ling did not challenge Mr.. Lamar to
mortal combat. The New York star:
commenting on tho Occurrences, saio
that 'Mr. Elaine hugely enjoyed the
spectacle of Lamarss torture OF Conk-
ling and the latterss towering rage
In the Senate" and when he was
asked by q member Of the House
from Massachusetts what he Thought
about It, replied: ''O.s It was exceed
inEly rich! I don't think I ever saw
Conkling's wattles quite SO red.
In Mayes' Life, Times and Speecnes
Of Lamar" II Is said: 'Mr. Lamar did
not cherish any hostility to Mr.. Conk-
ling because OF their collision. He
soon recovered Of his anger. In later
years 1t was no uncommon thing 70
read In tho newspapers statements 10
the effect that the two men had be-
come "boon companions" that they
held boxing bouts. etc. but there
seems to have been no truth In those
reports. It II more than doubtful
whether they ever assumed anything
like cordial relations.
Both Of them will be surprised.
doubtless. when they receive their
copies Of The Star, containing MT.
Clayton's letter. J. G. HEMPaiI1l-