The Washington herald., 1919-10-17
MISSISSIppIAN
..ASSAILS IRISH
Senator Williams Gets a
z Singing Reply From
Senator Phelan.

A tactless and virulent attack
upon the Irish race was made in
the Senate yesterday by Senator
John Sharp Williams, Of Mississippi.
The speech aroused the strongest
resentment among Senators on both
sides. and brought singing reply
from Senator James d. Phelan, Of
California
Al am tired of. this whole Irish
pretense," said Williams. They
never won the war of the -Revolu-
ton as they contend they did. Nor
did they win the civil war. 1t was
ne noble. magnificent men of the
West of Iowa. wisconsin and Ohio
and Indiana that won the war
against Us. fighting with a spirit
that no people upon the surface OF
this earth ever displayed before. but
going down before superior num-
bers.
Williams assailsd those who call
themset1es htsh-AmericAns, German
Americans and the Ike. and said
we have fnaffy reached the point
where no-man can Be Q real Amer
lean, unless he b an Irish-American
q q Geruxn-Amsr3can or some other
kt1d Of . Hphsnated American"
FeA.nS OeveR ssatre.
when tbs lCssisztppi Senator had
nnished his speech. Senator Phefan
endeGvrSd to obtain tho foor to re-
psy. but Senator Brandegee held the
floor and would not consent. be-
cause OF the limited time Of the de-
bate. to yield to Senator Phelan for
an extended answer to Senator Will
kms Senator Phelan thereupon
framed his repfy m ne form Of an
inteKrogztRy addressed to Senator
Brzndegee ss follows:
I would nre to ask the Senator
II he thinks It perfectly fair for q
Senator 10 Iexve This side of the
chamber and. taking his place on
the ocher st1e. make . speech which.
fn u,s eyes Of the strangers looking
down upon this body, might be at
r1ufed to a member Of the Repub-
nzn psrtJr
fhfs question drew laughter from
tAs occupants Of the galleries. and
nfhsr they had been admonished by
We President Marshall. Senator
Pnefan continued:
4 desire further to ask this ques-
ton II the Senator would consider
q opprobrious for The managers Of
the Dublin horse snow to post upon
the gates Of the enclosure. during
the fntermission between races,
that These gates are closed IN or
der TO prevent ne escape Of velch-
erss
The sarcasm embodied In this in
quiry win be appreciated when 1t
is reflected that Senator Williams Is
of Welsh descent and Senator Phe-
lan's use of the term -welchers"
was a dne play upon words.
A Po.er for wInasnN
another question:
@A yn.llcnpdI
- Does the Senator think II would
be any reelection upon the Deity II
Senators addressing this chamber and
commenting upon the street address
Of the junior Senator from California
s Senator Johnson) made reflections
upon the color green with which
God has clothed all his wonderful
works? Or would the Senator think
that in making q comparison between
the Irish in battles and the Irish in
peace. that the South. having accept
ed the situation and yielded to supe-
rior forces. should also record such
conduct on the part Of the Irish. who
light but never surrender
The fact Is. that the South. after
a valiant struggle. gave way because
there was no moral force behind their
cause They were fighting for slav-
cry. whereas the Irish are always
fighting for freedom
> 'T commend to the Senator from
Mississippi that he go and live IN Ire
land because. as was said by q Chi
nese mandarin who had observed that
=
in any other land. in answer to the
interrogatory to explain why. he OBJ
served. it is the only country in which
the Irish have nothing to say"