Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-04-07
Friday, April 7, 1922.

For the third time within n year
the house was thrown into an uproar
yesterday, with Representative Blan-
ton Democrat) of Texas the object
of attack In a fiery ten minutes
speech, Representative Garner, dean
of the Texas delegation, declared that
Mr.. Blanton was "as common a liar as
ever spoke word Of English in this
country" Mr.. Blanton, however, was
not there to hear the Characterization
for he left the chamber at the outset
of the verbal attack, after shouting
that he would hold the gentleman
personally responsible to me If he
calls me a liar" Standing six feet
away, Mr. Garner had held up his
hand during the confusion asking for
order and requesting Mr.. Blanton not
to leave. But responding to clash
of the speakers gavel sergeant-at-
arms had rushed in to prevent what
appeared to be an open break when
Representative Summers, also OF
Texas. sitting on the front row, start
ed toward Mr.. Blanton, shouting, you
know you are a liar" The trouble
started while Mr.. Blanton, in denounc-
ing a newspaper report of speech he
had made recently in Texas, declared
that members could not defend these
measly items of petty graft referring
to mileage and the funds allotted each
session to members for stationery and
supplies. Mr.. Blanton reiterated what
he had said in the house in January,
when armed with bag of articles
from the stationery store, he produced
q whisky flask. Mr.. Garner, object
ing to this line of argument, insisted
the impression Mr.. Blanton intended
to convey was that members got these
things at taxpayers expense. Starting
out with the statement that the world
is full of "all kinds of liars, the artis-
tic liar, the inartistic liar, and the
common ordinary liar" Garner, his
face flushed, declared that the man he
had in mind, would destroy his own
family in order to accumulate wealth
or to place himself forward from q
political standpoint" And then speak
ing as he said. for the Texas delega-
ton, he shouted: we hang our heads
in shame and humiliation when Blan-
ton of Texas is referred to as our
colleague" He spoke, too, he added,
for the entire Democratic party when
he declared that 1--WE look upon him as
a liability and distinct injury TO our
party" IF / could only suspend the
rules of the house." Mr.. Garner said,
as he moved toward his seat, 81 would
4, ;e, IN, Ortc q
rules did not prevent / would say
what 430 members believe at this
moment-that Thomas Blanton OF
Texas is q disgrace to the house of
representatives and ought to be kick
ed out" After Representative Mon
del, Wyoming, the Republican leader
had made o general reply to Blanton's
charges rs to petty graft with the
declaration that he could count on the
finger of ono hand the number of
house members who "would Stoop to
graft, petty or otherwise" the excite
ment subsided. A moment later Mr..
Blanton returned to his seat and with
in ten minutes was making points of
order on the $26,000,000 bill carrying
appropriations for the departments of
justice and state. One of the rea-
sons, as explained for Mr. Carriers
speech was the charge that Mr.. Blan-
ton. in publishing the menu at the
house restaurant, had omitted the
prices 'in hope of making it appear
that the government paid for q con-
gressmar's food AS 10 the whiskey
flask, Representative Barkley Demo
craD Of Kentucky said the stationery
room record showed it had been Or
dCred from Philadelphia at Mr.. Blan-
tons request and that the latter had
paid for il cut Of his own pocket.