CONGRESS. (A SENATORIAL SENSATION.) 



205 



wise judgment, and such single-minded devotion 

 to the country's interests. Now, 1 ask that the 

 Cubans be given all possible chance to use to the 

 best advantage the freedom of which Americans 

 have such right to be proud and for which so 

 many American lives have been sacrificed. 



THEODOKE ROOSEVELT. 



WHITE HOUSE, June 13, 1902. 



A Senatorial Sensation. The quarrel be- 

 tween Senator Tillman and Senator McLaurin, 

 both of South Carolina, after many dramatic 

 incidents, came to a fight on the floor of the 

 Senate; and perhaps a record of the session re- 

 quires an account of the affair. Mr. Tillman, on 

 Feb. 22, 1902, in discussing the Philippine tariff 

 bill, reviewed the contest over the ratification 

 of the treaty of Paris, reverted to the influence 

 which Mr. Bryan exerted to procure the neces- 

 sary votes, and declared it insufficient to control 

 the Democratic Senators. The following collo- 

 quy then took place: 



Mr. Tillman: But with all Mr. Bryan's influ- 

 ence and it was very great, because it was recog- 

 nized then that he would be the nominee of his 

 party he did not and could not persuade enough 

 men here to give the necessary votes. After every 

 man whom Mr. Bryan could influence had been 

 influenced and counted, you still lacked votes, 



I and you knew it. You know how you got 

 them. 

 Mr. Spooner: How did we get them? 

 Mr. Tillman: I say you know how you got 



Mr. Spooner: Fight it out with your colleague. 

 Mr. Tillman: I am ready. 



Mr. Spooner: Yes, I am" ready and he is ready. 

 Let him 



Mr. Tillman: 

 Mr. Spooner: 

 Mr. Tillrnan: 

 Mr. Spooner: 



Mr. Tillman: 

 them. 



Mr. Spooner: I do not know how we got them. 

 I do not know that any man voted for that 

 treaty except in obedience to his convictions. 

 Does the Senator know any different? 



Mr. Tillman: I only know that in a court 

 the Senator would convict on circumstantial evi- 

 dence some men. 



Mr. Spooner: Does the Senator impeach any 

 Senator? Let him name him. I do not impeach 

 any Senator, nor do I know any ground for im- 

 peaching any. 



Mr. Tillman: I have reason to believe from 

 the circumstantial evidence and from things that 

 have been told to me in confidence by men on 

 the other side that improper influences were used. 



Mr. Spooner: Name the man. That is due to 

 the country, and due to the man whom you 

 suspect, and by innuendo charge. Who was it? 

 Let him answer for himself if he is still a mem- 

 ber of this body. 



Mr. Tillman: Whom do you mean? I can not 

 name the man who gave me the information. 



Mr. Spooner: Whoever you mean. 



Mr. Tillman: I can not give the name of the 

 man who gave me the information, because he 

 gave it to me in confidence. 



Mr. Spooner: Oh, in confidence. A man who 

 would impeach another in confidence is a coward. 



Mr. Tillman: Cowardice in that case does not 

 rest on my shoulders. 



Mr. Spooner: The Senator turned to me. If 

 the Senator knows of any member of this body 

 irho voted under corrupt influences for that 

 treaty, name him. 



Mr. Tillman: I can not prove it. 



Mr. Spooner: Well, I would not say it. 



Mr. Tillman: But I can prove this- 



Mr. Spooner: I would not say it. 



Mr. Tillman: I can prove this: that the pat- 

 ronage of a State has been given to a Democrat 

 voted for the treaty. 



Mr. Spooner: What State? 



Mr. Tillman: South Carolina. 



He is not here 



He has not shown his readiness. 



But he will be. 



The President pro tempore: The occupants of 

 the galleries must remember that any marks of 

 approbation or disapproval are not permitted 

 under the rules of the Senate, and if there is a 

 violation of the rule the Chair will be obliged 

 to have the galleries cleared. 



Mr. Tillman: I will state that after having 

 made a speech in this body two weeks before, 

 replete with cogent arguments and eloquence, 

 against the ratification of the treaty, and after 

 having told us in confidence that he would not 

 vote for it, he did; and since then he has been 

 adopted by the Republican caucus and put upon 

 committees as a member of that party, and has 

 controlled the patronage in South Carolina. I 

 did not expect to bring this in in this way, 

 but I do not dodge or flinch from any responsi- 

 bility anywhere. I simply know what I believe. 



After Mr. Tillman had closed his speech, Mr. 

 McLaurin, who had returned to the Senate cham- 

 fcer, rose; and the Record reports what follows: 



Mr. McLaurin, of South Carolina: Mr. Presi- 

 dent, I rise to a question of personal privilege. 

 During my absence a few moments ago from the 

 Senate Chamber, in attendance upon the Com- 

 mittee on Indian Affairs, the gentleman who has 

 just taken his seat, the Senator who has just 

 taken his seat, said that improper influences had 

 been used in changing the vote of somebody on 

 the treaty, and then w r ent on later and said that 

 it applied to the Senator from South Carolina, 

 who had been given the patronage in that State. 

 I think I get the sense of the controversy. 



I desire to state, Mr. President I would not 

 use as strong language as I intend to had I not, 

 soon after the Senate met, replied to these in- 

 sinuations and said that they were untrue I 

 now say that that statement is a wilful, mali- 

 cious, and deliberate lie. 



[At this point Mr. Tillman advanced to Mr. 

 McLaurin, of South Carolina, and the two Sena- 

 tors met in a personal encounter, when they 

 were separated by Mr. Layton, the acting assist- 

 ant doorkeeper, assisted by several Senators sit- 

 ting near.] 



Mr. Gallinger: Mr. President, 1 ask that the 

 doors be closed. 



The President pro tempore: The Senate will 

 be in order. Senators will please resume their 

 seats. 



Mr. Pritchard: Mr. President, if the Senator 

 from South Carolina has concluded 



Mr. McLaurin, of South Carolina: Mr. Presi- 

 dent, I will now proceed with my remarks, which 

 were so unceremoniously interrupted 



Mr. Teller: Mr. President, I call the Senator 

 from South Carolina to order. 



Mr. McLaurin, of South Carolina: Which one 

 of the Senators? 



Mr. Teller: This one, and the other one, too, 

 for that matter. 



Mr. Foraker: Mr. President. I join in that. 

 Surely there is some way of protecting the dig- 

 nity of this body. 



Mr. Burrows: Certainly; the Senate can not 

 let this thing pass, Mr. President. 



Mr. Gallinger: Mr. President, I asked that the 

 doors might be closed. 



Mr. Foraker: Mr. President, I move that the 

 Senate go into executive session. 



