Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 June 1879 — The Personal Debate Between Senators Conkling and Lamar. [ARTICLE]

The Personal Debate Between Senators Conkling and Lamar.

The Washington Associated Press dispatch of the l'Jth furnishes the following account of the wordy encounter, in the United States Senate on the night of the 18th, between Messrs. Conkling and Lamar: Mr. Conkling then denounced tho Army bill. After the time had come when the majority dare not adjourn the session and leavo the Government to languish and starve, now when the whole battle has been fought, it is proposed by trick, artifice and juggle of words to do what had failed as an open measure. The words “as a police force” were a mere cheat. The operative word? were “ to keep the peace at the polls.” He was glad to accept the responsibility for any proceeding, call it obstruction or anything else, to prevent the passage of such a bill without debate to show its real nature. Mr. Conkling having charged the other side with bad faith in not allowing the time taken by the Mississippi River Commission bill this morning* to be allowed in the debate on the Army bill, Mr. Lamar rose at the conclusion of Mr. Conkling’s remarks, and said that as far as any intimation of bad faith to him was concerned, he had lived in vain if he was not superior to such a charge from such a source. “It is not my purpose,” he said, “to indulge in personalities, but I will say to the Senator that if ho intended to intimate that anything I have doqe was not in good faith, I pronounce his statement a falsehood, which 1 repel With all the unmitigated contempt that I feel for the author of it.” Mr. Conkling, who had been walking slowly back and forth behind tho benches, advanced to his seat and said: “Mr. President: I was diverted during the commencement of the remarks, the culmination of which I heard from the member from Mississippi. If I understand the member right, he intended to impute, and did in plain and unparliamentary language impute, to me an intentional misstatement. [Pausing.] The Senator does not disclaim that?” Lamar—“l will state what I intended, sir, so there can be no mistake.” The presiding officer (Cockrell) called Mr. Lamar to order, and Mr. Conkling proceeded: “ Whether lam willing to respond to the member from Mississippi depends entirely upon what that member has to say, and what he did say, and for the time being.! do not choose to hold any communication with him. I understood the Senator to state, in plain, unparliamentary language, that the statement of mine to which he refers was a falsehood. If I caught his words aright, I have only to say—(this not being the place to measure with any man the capacity to violate decency, to violate the rules of the Senate, or to commit any of the improprieties of life) —I have only to say that if the Senator, the member from Mississippi, did impute, or intended to impute, to me a falsehood, nothing ex- , cept the fact that this is the Senate would prevent my denouncing him as a blackguard and a coward. [Applause and hisses.] Let mo be more specific, Mr. President. Should tho member from Mississippi, except in the presence of the Senate, charge me,l>y intimation or otherwise, with falsehood, I Would denounce him as a blackguard, as a coward, and as a liar. The rules and proprieties of the Senate are the only restraint upon me. I do not think I need say anything slso, Mr. President.” [Applause and fusses.] The Chair demanded qule,t in the galleries. Mr. Lamar—“ I have only to say that the Senator from New York understood me correctly. 1 did mean to say just precisely the words and all that they importeo. I beg pardon of the Senate for unparliamentary language. It was very harsh, it was severe, it was such as no man would deserve and no brave man would wear.” [Renewed demonstrations 6f approval and disapproval.] The Chair—The galleries will be cleared upon a repetition of applause.” Mr. Conkling—“ What is the question before the Senate?” The discussion of power to send for absent Senators was resumed. . k .. x■■ The Jersey City Journal believes that there are probably not over a dozen or so of perfectly able-mined adults in the world who have never told a lie, and most of them have told a good maqy. It, therefore, wonders that the average m'an hates so to be called, a The heart beats 100,000 times in twenty-four hours.