The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-08-26
Prcccdents Are Cited For
Senate To Censure Members
e. JOHN CHADWICK

decide what 70 do about members
Who spat Id the face Of opponents,
dubbed them with fireplace tongs
and, ia one case, even shot col
league dead in q duel.
The lawmakers unquestionably
took dim view Of such goings.
on. But records indicate that Con-
3ress was inclined 10 forgive and
forget in return for an apology.
These turbulent episodes In con-
ptessionaI history were turned up
n i search Of precedents for hear
ines 1 special Senate committee
viii start next week on resolu-
ton to censure Sen. Mccarthy
(R-Wis) for his conduct.
Censures have been extremely
rare in the Senate. somewhat
more frequent ID the House. No
recorded instance closely paral-
iels the Mccarthy case, which in.
wolves allegations cOacerning .
wide variety 81 his activities said
by accusers TO be tending to bring
the senate into disrepute.
Three Senate cases are cited as
precedsnts, although the first Of
these, occurring in 1850. did not
actually get 70 the point q cen
sure.
/. According 10 the records.
SEN. Henry S. Foote Of Mississippi
menaced Sen. Thomas H. Benton
81 MISSOURI with Z pistol during
IN 1850 debate and the matter
was referred 10 = special COM
mittee.
The committee, in its report,
condemned carrying arms IN the
Senate and regretted what it
called 4 s'naerant breach Of or
der" Il, however, recommended
no action and none was taken.
z. The first instance In which
the Senate voted eenSure was a
two-way affair in 1902 in which
both Of South caroIina's senator's,
John Z. McLaurin and Benjamin
h. Tillman, were censured.
The records give this account:
In 4 debate on a revenue bill
for the Philippine Islands, McLaur-
in called 4 statement Of Tillman
"a wilIful, malicious and deliber-
ate lie. Tillman strode over 70
McLaurin and the two met in q
personal encounter" before they
we're pulled apart By other sen
ators.
The Senate Immediately went
into executive session, adopted a
resolution declaring McLaurin and
Tillman in contempt d the Sem
ate, and referred the matter to the
privileges and Elections Commit
tee with instructions TO report
wha action shah BE taken
The Senate also voted to "a the
two senator's to be heard so they
might purge themselves Of con-
tempt" Both McLaurin and tn
man then apolosi1ed to the Sen
ate.
Six days later the Privileges and
Elections Committee submitted 1
report saying that no investigation
it could make could possibly throw
any additional light on the alter.
cation since II had taken place in
full view Of all the senator's.
It recommended adoption Of 4
resolution cenSuring both senators
but vacating the previous order
judging them In contempt. The SEN
ate approved the resolution Sl.12.
3. No violence, Of word or deed,
was involved ia the Senate's only
other censure case, occurring ii
1928. Nor was the matter referred
to a committee.
In that year Senate committee
said in q report on an investiga.
ton Of lobbying activities that
Sen. Hiram Bingham Of Connect
cut had employed q lobbyist and
admitted him to q closed meeting
of a committee considering tariff
law changes.
On the basis Of the report, Sen,
George w. Norris Of Nebraska
proposed that Bingham be cen.
sured. The facts were not disputed
and, although Bingham said he
had intended no wrong, the cen.
sure resolution was adopted.
IN contrast with these rare
censure cases in the Senate, the
House has 4 history Of censufe
cases dating back to 1888 wher
Rep. Roger Griswold Of Connecti
cut tainted Rep. Asa Lyon Of Yer.
mont about his Army record and
Lyon spat in his face.
A resolution to expel Lyon fol
''dlsofderly behavior" was intro
duced, but before this was settled
Griswold, according to the records
set upon Lyon with cane q few
days later in the House and Lyor
grabbed some tones from the fire
place and hit back.
The next day a resolution wa:
introduced to expel both House
members. This was referred t.
the committee on privileges and
after taking evidence, II recon
naend6d against the expulsion reso
1lti0n. The House approved il,