I mentioned yesterday that the House went a little wild on Friday with Capitol Police, the Sergeant-At-Arms, and one Republican scared of a 71-year-old Democrat who called him a “fruitcake.”
To be sure, this was not the House’s finest hour. As Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.) said, both sides made mistakes that were “destructive to the body.”
While the fiasco was certainly embarrassing, and testament to a deep partisan divide in Congress, I thought I’d mention by historical standards, Friday’s debacle wasn’t that bad.
I think a lot of people believe that today’s politicians lack the tact and professionalism that their predecessors had. Somehow, many believe, things have gotten considerably worse over the years.
The truth, however, is that things haven’t really deteriorated much. While I’d agree that over the last 10 years or so we’ve seen some of the most intense strife in several decades, conditions have been worse. Much worse.
With this in mind, I thought I’d share a few examples of congressional fights that made Friday’s fracas look like a tea party.
* Sen. Benjamin Tillman (D-S.C.) vs. Sen. John McLaurin (D-S.C.) — 1902
At one point, oddly enough, Tillman and McLaurin were allies — both were from the same state and political party. Friendship later turned to competition, however, which later turned into a bitter rivalry. In 1902, Tillman gave a speech from the Senate floor accusing McLaurin of corruption. McLaurin, in turn, accused Tillman of being a liar. Then things got physical — Tillman hit McLaurin over the eye, McLaurin struck Tillman in the nose. Other senators intervened and separated the two, and then passed a unanimous resolution holding the two “in contempt” of the Senate.
* Rep. Laurence Keitt (D-S.C.) vs. Rep. Galusha Grow (R-Pa.) — 1858
In a debate over admitting Kansas into the Union, and whether it would be a slave or a free state, Keitt and Galusha traded insults. Moments later, they were wrestling on the House floor. When many of their colleagues intervened, the fight between two House members quickly became a melee with dozens of lawmakers. At one point, one of the participants in the skirmish had his wig pulled off. Someone made a joke about getting “scalped,” and the ensuing laughter eased tensions enough to end the fight.
* Rep. Roger Griswold (R-Vt.) vs. Rep. Matthew Lyon (Federalist-Conn.) — 1798
When Griswold mocked Lyon for alleged cowardliness during the Revolutionary War, Lyon responded by spitting in Griswold’s face. Griswold didn’t appreciate that, so he struck Lyon with a cane. Lyon then came after Griswold with a pair of steel fireplace tongs. (Be sure to take a look at this artist’s rendering. It’s hilarious.) All of this happened, of course, on the floor of the House of Representatives. Eventually, the House passed a resolution urging the two to take a pledge of “nonviolence,” to which Griswold and Lyon agreed.
* Rep. Preston Smith Brooks (D-S.C.) vs. Sen. Charles Sumner (R-Mass.) — 1856
Preston Smith Brooks was, by all accounts, a notorious champion of slavery in America. When Charles Sumner took to the Senate floor to deliver his famous and still-celebrated “Crime Against Kansas” speech, Sumner not only condemned Brooks’ loathsome ideology, he lambasted South Carolina Senator Andrew Pickens Butler, Brooks’ uncle, by name. Brooks took offense and entered the Senate chamber three days later to beat Sumner with a cane until it broke. It took Sumner three years to recover from the injuries suffered during the attack. Brooks resigned after the ensuing outrage, but was back in the House less than a year later when South Carolinians voted to return him to Congress. (Brooks’ constituents apparently didn’t approve much of Sumner’s stark opposition to slavery. Some of them presented Brooks with commemorative canes with a message engraved: Hit Him Again.)