Alexandria Gazette

BITTER WORDS FOR FRYE.

Senator Frye, the presiding officer of the Senate, having referred to Mr. Turner's speech against the bounty in the ship subsidy bill as "very amusing," and made the statement that those who had spoken in opposition to the bill showed their "dense ignorance." Mr. Turner on Saturday stated in the Senate that Mr. Frye had a vicious job on his conscience and could not afford to laugh at anybody. The fact that he had laughed, he said showed that he (Mr. Frye) would laugh in a graveyard at midnight. He argued that the man who had charge of a crime and was pushing a steal had no room to laugh at anybody. He called Mr. Frye "a gudgeon smelling around in the mud for food and accepting the decayed with the good."

Mr. Frye was driven from the chamber in his anger and remained away during the remainder of Mr. Turner's speech.

Mr. Frye called the bill up at the close of morning business. Mr. Turner arose and referred meaningly to Mr. Frye's statements about those Senators who had spoken against the measure.

"The Senator from Maine," said he, "looks down from his pedestal with wisdom and scorns those less well read than himself. He refers to my speech as 'amusing,' and later referred to the 'ignorance' of other Senators.

"Now, when a man like the Senator from Maine, with such a vicious job on his hands, and his conscience, be this, can smile at the arguments offered against the bounty steal, he could smile while going through a graveyard at midnight. He is so certain that he will get this crime enacted into law that he thinks he can trample on those who oppose it. I don't think he has any room to smile at anyone, not so long as he has charge of the worst attempt at looting the Treasury ever made on this floor. He ought to be quiet and not attract attention to himself.

"The Senator from Maine has four errors to my one in his speech and as he claims that the most profound ignorance is exhibited on this side of the chamber, so I want to prove to him that he is not so wise as he deems himself."

Mr. Turner then went through Mr. Frye's speech and discovered many errors and misstatements. He proved that Mr. Frye was over $3,000,000 out of the way on one item, wherein he figured out the earnings of a number of British lines. He showed that Mr. Frye had ignored facts in order to make his speech a glowing argument in favor of subsidies.

"The Senator from Maine," said he, "like a gudgeon smelling around in the mud for food to swell up his iniquitous measure, has swallowed everything in sight, forgetting to sort the decayed from the good."

"I deny that," said Mr. Frye.

"I knew that the senator would deny it," said Mr. Turner. "He denies that white is white. He expects to pass this bill on superior assumptions and does not see that the ignorant men in the chamber might desire facts."

"Would not the Senator admit that I would admit anything that was true," asked Mr. Frye.

"If the Senator had made an error he would not admit it," replied Mr. Turner.

"He is so exalted and we are so ignorant that we fail to appreciate his chop logic."
Here Mr. Spooner held a brief conference with Mr. Frye, who was rapidly losing all power of argument, and the sponsor of the bill left the chamber.

Mr. Turner continued his examination of Mr. Frye's speech, and tore it into shreds.

In referring to Mr. Frye's statement that the subsidy bill was in the interests of the farmers, Mr. Turner denied this absolutely.

"The foundation of the party of the Senator from Maine," said he, "is based upon the wealthy corporations, and these alone are catered to. No matter how big the steal, if these corporations come to this Capitol they can have it put through."

In showing the false figures given in two tables, Mr. Turner exhibited great disgust.

"My God!" he said, "if I were to have made such a muddle in my speech, I would never get up on the floor of this Senate and taunt another man. I would be ashamed of myself. I wish the Senator from Maine would come back into the chamber, as I want him to hear what I have to say about him."

Mr. Rawlins suggested the absence of a quorum, and the roll was called. Mr. Frye did not appear.

Mr. Turner said that the bill was too rotten for description.

"If it is republican statesmanship to block all legislation while the Treasury is looted by a pack of robbers," said he, "it is time that the people knew it. We propose to debate this bill for a long time yet--long enough to kill the republican party. I hope that the passage of this bill will kill the republican party."