The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-11-01
THE LABOR QUESTION.
Petitions to Congress-Representat Ke1-
ley's Bit of FacetiOusness.
washington Cor. Chicago Times.l

Washington Cor. Chicago Times.l l
After the close of the Colorado case in
the House, perfectfood Of petitions was
sent to the Clerks desk. Among them
was a lengthy petition, presented by
Mr., Garfield, from 21Ocolored men, ask
ing for assistance to enable them to en-
bark to Liberia. This petition recited
the condition to which the colored man
had been reduced in this country by his
long servitude, and the disadvantages to
which he had since been subjected, es-
peoially in competition with laboring
white men, and the advantages to be de-
rived in Liberia, where the competition
would be confined to his own race. After
the reading of this lengthy document
Sam Cox arose and said that he now had
petition to offer on behalf of the poor
white 1aborer, and accordingly protest
and petition, which he alleged to befrom
large number of mechanics and labor
ers, were sent to the Clerks desk to be
read. These documents set forth that
the signers protested first, most ener-
getically against the unjust discrimina-
ton made by the laws of the United
States in fixing the compensation of the
clerks in the different departments OF the
Government, leaving that of mechanics
and laborers to be established as the
whim of individuals might dictate; sec
ond, against the assumption of authority
on the part of the heads of the Executive
Departments under which the clerks OF
the Government are worked seven hours
day and mechanics and laborers ten
hours day; third, that it is
unjust that Government employees
are allowed leaves of absence with
pay when absent because OF illness,
when another branch of industry is de-
prived of like privileges. The petition
asked that all classes of employees In the
civil service be subjected by law and
custom to like treatment In all respects,
and for the abolition of such undemo-
cratic and un-American usages as now
exist in the civil service. This. petition
was followed by one, introduced by
Springer, of Illinois, from q large num-
Der of citizens of the District, asking for
a restoration of impartial suffrage, and
one by Mr.. Wright, Of Pennsylvania,
who said he had petition in his desk,
signed by 90, 1872 workingmen, asking for
an appropriation for small loans to en-
able men to locate on public lands, said
loans to be secured by mortgages on the
lands and to bear interest. Mr.. Wright
thereupon took out of his desk q huge
roll, which was about as much as page
could do to carry to the Clerks desk, the
transaction being received by burst Of
laughter from the House. Whereupon
Mr.. Kelley, Of Pennsylvania, arose and
asked permission to present a petition III
addition to the others which seemed to
have been precipitated upon the House
to counterfeit the effect of Garfeld's petit
ton in favor of the colored man.
Mr.. Kelley, in stentorian notes, which
secured the attention of the whole House,
then said: CT desire to present the pc
tition of a citizen of the United States to
Congress that it so change the financial
system of the country that laboring peo-
pie shall not apply to the Government
for means of expatriation, but that they
may continue to live in the homes Of
their choice, and pursue the calling to
which they have been trained, William
D. Kelley being the petitioner" This
bit of righteousness was received with
uproarious laughter, which did not sub
side for several minutes.