Show READS TiE RIOT ACT Senator McLaurin Excoriates the New Leaders Lead-ers of the Democratic Party Highly Dramatic Episode Follows Denunciation When Senator Tlllman Challenges His Colleague to Resign With Him on the Spot So That They Might Wash Dirty Lr natHomeJ I Washington Dec 9Tho Senate chamber was the scene of n highly dramatic episode today when Senator Tlllman of South Carolina challenged u his colleague Senator McLaurin to resign re-sign with him on the spot In order Louse Lo-use his oWI ruage that they might be able to wush their dirty linen at home Mr M Laurln did not take up the gaugo fie incident today was the direct seque1ot the very bitter controversy con-troversy which arose between the Senators Sen-ators In Soufh Carolina last spring A stir In the chamber followed when Mr McLaurin arose to a question of personal privilege He had before him I a huge pile of manuscript MLAURINS ADDRESS I rise to a question of personal privilege In connection with the pub i lication of the stat Tnent that 1 have been excluded from participation In the Democratic caucus he announced With evidence of considerable emotion emoton he proceeded to explain that I such was the case and ho were to be without I with-out assignment upon committees the rights of his I State which he in part represented in the Senate would suf I fer ferNOTICE NOTICE SERVED LAST SPRING I Tho only notice he had ever had he said that he was to be excluded from the Democratic caucus came last I spring before the adjournment of the Senate when the chairman of the Democratic national committee In the cloakroom asked him why ho no longer attended the Democratic caucuses cau-cuses He had replied that In view of his opinion on the questions growing out of the Spanish war he thought his presence might be embarrassing The Democratic chairman had replied WHAT CHAIRMAN SAID Then perhaps It would be less em barrassing to you not to be Invited to the caucuses Mr McLaurin said 1 he had replied Certainly F repled This incident Mr McLaurin declared de-clared was the culmination of Was cUlminaton a long I series 06 events In n contest waged by an clement of the Democratic party par-ty agafnfcst him TJfe cnUve Senate by this time had barffinct interested < Several ul R plh llcans crossed the political aisle to jtjie Democratic side the better to listen to wHat Mr McLaurin had to say MOVEMENT AGAINST HIM Continuing Mr McLaurin said lie could be silent did he not fear that the movement against him was one to keep alive sectionalism For many years the people of the South had realized that they had not obtained their fair share of the national bene fits Mr McLaurin recalled the net that although Samuel J Randall had advocated a protective tariff lie had been voted for in a Democratic national rntc tional convention for President Hancock Han-cock although he declared the tariff was a local Issue had been nominated for President and David B Hill although al-though ho opposed the Income tax i had not been read out of the Democratic I Demo-cratic party i INDORSED BY HIS STATE I The holding of such views by Northern North-ern men no matter how diverse did not endanger tho prestige of certain leaders and consequently they were Immune from attack But when a Southern man said Mr McLaurin tried to get the benefit of the tariff for his people those whose political career might be ended by the success of his r efforts were ready to crush and hu I initiate him He had contended that I If the tariff were a robbery his section should share in the booty Upon the Issue of that speech he had later gone Irtto a campaign In South Carolina and although his Democracy had been attacked upon the stump the people of his State had Indorsed him He declared de-clared that during that campaign J I calumny falsehood and trickery never before equaled in American politics I had been employed I CHARGE AGAINST HIM I Now tho principal charge against him was that during the McKlnlcy administration I ad-ministration he had been bought by patronage and that he had re newed his former contract with Presi dent Roosevelt Entertaining the high personal regard that he did for both the late President and his successor Mr McLaurin said IL would be mine cesaary for him to say that neither would stoOl tl so Ignoble an act OPPOSED TO MOB LAW It was true that an unfortunate cpn dltion of affairs had existed in his Slato and that he had recommended good men for office because he did lnot l desire to see a repetition of the horri blc affair at Lakevllle when a negro postmaster had been burned to death VOTED FOR TIn WAR He had voted for the war with Spain and declared that in the same spirit In which he had cast that vote he felt that he was compelled to support sup-port the Administration that conduct cd It lie still thought that the conduct con-duct of the war should have been nonpartisan non-partisan and during its progress he had never heard from President Mc Klnleys lips u word concerning party advantage WHAT ALLEGATIONS ARE I While without official knowledge of the charges brought against him by his Democratic colleagues from the newspapers I news-papers he understood that the principal princi-pal charges were that he had not opposed op-posed the ratification of the treaty of peuro with Spain that he had upheld I the Administration In Its efforts to restore re-store order in the Philippines and to that end had voted for an Increase In I the standing army and that he was In favor of the upbuilding of the American Amer-ican merchant marine GLORIES IN THE CHARGES If these are the only charges said he dramatically they are true and I I glory In thorn He said he had not wished to vote against hiS party upon I the question of ratifying the peace treaty and had It not been for reopening I I I reopen-ing of hostilities In the Philippines he would have deferred to the opinion of his colleagues But he declared the dictates of na on and conscience should not be stilled by i the party lash lashWith bitter words Mr McLaurin then I proceeded to excoriate the new leaders of tho Democratic party who l1dhe said guided the party to Us destruction destruc-tion during the last six years and were trying t to crucify those who would seek to draw the Democratic party back to Haol allegiance lie still proposed he raid to vote in his Judgment for what he believed to be along the lines of Democratic principles but he did not propose to place himself against a proposition which he believed to be for the best Interests of tie people simply because was advocated by Republicans Repub-licans WHAT HE PROPOSED DOING IIi conclusion Mr McLaurin said he did not propose lr be drawn from his own parti nor to be forced Into af t flllution with the party with which he I did not caro to ally himself and that I on great public questions he would act according to the dictates of his own I conscience and best Judgment JONES MAKES STATEMENT 1 When Mr McLaurin took his scat Mr Jones of Arkansas took thQ floor I Some of the statements made by Mr I lIcLaurln Mr Jones considered a reflection re-flection upon himself and said he desired I de-sired to offer a statement concerning the Incident to which Mr McLaurin I had referred At the extra session of the Senate last spring he had been asked by the caucus officer for the list of Senators who reiobe summoned to a caucus and Mr McLaurln3 name being mentioned he Jones had said I that he himself woild see tho Senator from South Carolina I met him in I the cloakroom said Mr Jones and recalling the fact that he had not attended at-tended a Democratic caucus for more than two years asked what his status I was He replied that his relations with the party were such that he thought it would be embarrassing him to enter the Democratic caucus I then said to hIm hImWOULD WOULD LEAVE MLAURIN OUT 1 You do not wish to be Invited I then and he replied Certainly As to tho charge of ulterior motive on my part continued Senator Jones II am content totreat with the contempt it deserves ItIs n notorious fact that everyone seems to understand except the Senator from South Carolina that there hrts been no Democratic caucus at Ihisvssslon of Congress 1 hah nr nuslWneyvhow < jver > in saying tljtV t dncre conversation with a leading membertle other side I said to him snl that I t1d1 not think the Democratic caucus could undertake to provide committee com-mittee assignments for the Senator I from South Carolina SHOE FITS TILLMAN Mr TJllmanof South Carolina Tlman Carolnn was on his feet when Mr Jones concluded In his chiraclerlstic way he answered that while his name had not been men toned he realized that he was the cause of It all He would not at this time make an extended reply Briefly he reviewed the controversy between himself and Senator McLaurin which led to the Joint tender of their resigna tions to the Governor of South Care Hna last spring and told of the Governors Gov-ernors suggestion that the resignations be withdrawn Mr Tillman said he contended that the Governor was simply sim-ply A box Into which he had put let tots for the Legislature and that they could not undo their act but ir McLaurin had hastened to withdraw his letter wlhtlaw NO CONSPIRACY EXISTED Mr Tillman said he had examined th record and that of about 2W cases In the history of the Government where Senators had resigned Mr McLaurin enjoyed the distinction of being the only one who had withdrawn his resig leslg nation after offering HAs McLau rlns charge of conspiracy to humiliate him by barring him from the Democratic Demo-cratic caucus Mr Tlllman called at ten lon to the t fact that he had not been In Washington during the extra session of the Senate last spring This conspiracy con-spiracy he said Is a dream conjured up by him HUlo creation of hla own brain brinl1LA URIN ANSWERS JONES McLaurin made no reply to Mr Tlllman but In replying to Senator 1 Tones said that he did not desire that there should be anything personal In his charge that there had been an ulterior purpose In anything he had done i i HOAR ON RESIGNATIONS 1I I Mr Hoar of Massachusetts addressed himself j I to tho legality of tho reslgim I tlons which the Soutji Carolina Sean torn had sent to the Governor of their State He declared that the resigna tion of a legislative officer vacated the I omce ac once and i that he doubted whether such resignations could be nalons i I withdrawn He said Speaker Blaine Balnc i had so held on one occasion in the I House contrary to the English notion I that a legislative officer cannot noton cannot I sign j iHP said that a man could not be I kept In oflica against his will and raised I I a laugh by observing that In his opin ion neither of the South Carolina Sena I tots had a right to Carlna Senate If the statements b by Mr Tlllman were 1 1 I correct T1mal I WASHING DIRTY LINEN Mr Tlllman Bald he had been of tho I same opinion himself and in withdraw raw ing his resignation from tho Governor of the State he had added I it wag lawful to do so He suggested that the Judiciary committee look Into the matter oa ho should enjoy nothing so homer much as washing the dirty linen at home-r BOTH SENATORS WARM I Jumping to his leer Mr McLaurin cLurln I r declared In ringing tones that ho was ready to meet his colleague at anyplace 1 any-place or atany time for the discussion i I of the Issues between them Thereupon In most dramatic fashion Mr Tillman challenged his colleague to resign on the spot Let us draw up the papers now said he and tender them to this man pointing to the presiding I pre-siding officer and that will settle It I All eyes were turned upon Mr Mc I Laurin but the latter did not rise from I his seat or make reply RESIGNATION VACATES SEAT Mr Hoar explaining In detail the occasion upon which Speaker Blame had held that a resignation immediately imme-diately vacated 1 seat In the TIouse said a resolution for tho expulsion of n member from South Carolina was about be voted and the to uppji member t p knowing that the resolutionwould be adopted sent his resignation to the chair with the Intention of addressing the House and then offering It before tho vole on tle resolution was taken As soon as Speaker Blaine saw the na ture of the communication sent to him ho Immediately declared the seat vacant va-cant thus putting an end to all further proceedings Mr Hoar contended that if the facts bearing upon the case of the South Carolina Senators had been correctly stated It was doubtful whether they were entitled to scats up on the floor of the Senato at this time tmc He thought the Committee on Privi logos and Elections should Inquire Into the matter READY TO RESIGN Mr Tlllman sid if his colleague would prepare any document that would vacate his scat as well as his Tlllmans he would be glad to sign It As Jong as he represented the peo plo on the floor he said In conclusion he proposed to represeht thorn honestly and not In a fashion which was a disgrace dis-grace to his State Mr Lodge at this point announced smilingly that while the resignations were preparing he would move that the Senate go Into executive session After half an hour behind closed doors the Senate at 265 p m adjourned |