The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1878-05-31
LAEoR VS.. REFORM.
Speech Of Hen. ". G. Whitthorue, Of Ten,
nessee, in the House Of Represen-
tatiVes, May s, 1878.


tatives, May s, 1878.
The House being in session for gen.
eral debate, Mr.. WhitthOrne said:
Mr.. Speaker: 1t was the aspiration
and belief of the men who founded
and originated the governments max
ing the Federal Union that the con-
hicts between labor and capital, which
had embrOiled the people of the Old
World, would find their solutions in
, the guarantees secured or attempted to
be secured in written constitutions.
In the struggle of man for life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness he had
been met by force, which, enthrOned,
claimed to govern by divine right
Force, obtaining power by fraud, trea-
son, and might, sought, under the pro-
lection of religious sanction, to enslaVe
the mass of mankind. This mass,
protesting from time TO time against
the arbitrary power and rule of force,
rebeIled against its tyrannical eXac-
tons and asserted equality before God,
and the right inalienable To life, liber-
ty, and the pursuit Of happiness. The
mass represented labor. Capital was
represented in force. The founders of
American Constitution, recognizing
! this conflict, wisely eDdeaVOFed in
| framing a government to secure TO
each individual the fruits of his labor
and the protection of his inalienable
rights; hence their protests against
perpetuOus mOnOpolics and hence the
reservation to the people of the taxing
power and control of all questions af-
fecting their rights, privileges and re-
spOnsibility of labor.
1t WAS wise that they should do so.
Almost living witnesses of the dis
graceful and tyrannicaI oppression of
the house of Stuart, who had made
merchandise of the labor and rights of
the people of England, careful students
of the struggles of the oppressed labor
ers of centuries of the millions tribu-
tary from the sweat of their toll to the
luXurieS and pleasures of those who
were anOinted by fOrce-themselVeS
fugitives from the expressions of the
| few, who claimed jurisdiction over the
! soul and body of man, it is not sur
prising that, in defining the rights of
the governed and the powers of the
ruler, they should declare that all
men are created equal; that they are
endowed by their Creator with Ger
tain inalienable rights; that among
these are life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness; that to secure these
|
among men," and that they should
make in our constitutions such mon
lumental boundary marks as in their
opinion would secure labor protection
from the encrOachments and dOmin-
of power and capital. And for this they
proclaimed the sacredness of jury tri-
al, the freedom of speech and the
press, the right of petition, the sancti-
ty of contracts, and the preservation
of the rights of person and property
under the guardianship Of the law.
Their idea and purpose i'll forming
governments was that IL was the mere
agent and creature of the people, made
and ordained to establish Justice" by
securing and guaranteeing to each cit
! izen protection in the fruitS of his in
dustry and the security i'll the pursuit
of that which would insure his happi-
ness leaving him. to the full enjoyment
of these rights deemed inalienable, on
| " enioining that in such pursuit and
! endowment he should not treSpaSS on
| the granted similar rights belonging
! to others. Thus Independent and
| free, man, subject alone to govern
ment of his choice, would
| in peace, with full assurance of
due reward to his labor, avoid con-
hfcts which had heretofore made
] have said that it was the aspira-
ton of the founders of American gov
ernments that this conflict should he
avoided, and with that view our pecu-
liar and popular institutions were
| formed. Have these governments
failed to accomplish this purpose?
He who reads our history and heedS
| the lesson of the prese 1T cry of distress
now a1road i'll our land must conclude
| that, Notwithstanding the form and
| character of our government, the end
| is not vet, that the conflict still exists.
| Indeed, so severe and alarming have
been the struggles between these OPP
posing forces that conservative ana
patriotic lovers of constitutional liberty
are awed with Apprehension of danger
! thereto, from communism upon the
one hand and Capitalization upon the
other.
! Capital seeks the protection of cen
| tralization. Distressed labor, denied
| the security of Government, resorts to
| communism. The effort of each is
| stab at the form of government estab-
! lished by those from whom we inher-
| tied it.
Labor and its representatives assert
! that the Government is conducted III
the interests of capital, and so rs to
control its efforts and deprive il of its
| lust rewards; that its industry and
mechanism, through partial and
| class legislation, are made trlbu-
tary to the behests, dominion, and
power of the few; and, impatient un~
der the continuance of this dOmina>
tiOn, seeks by mObS, combinations,
and other steps unknown to the law
or n healthy political existence to be
| r,IioNad Of this puRlaNpmpnt.
Have we forgotten how the country
WAS startled and shaken to its fOuuqa
ton by the riots of the last year? Can
we forget the immense destruction of
nrOpertV-cOunted in value by the
| millionS-that occurred as the result
of these riots? Is il possible that so
soon have fled from our memory the
fright Of capital and the paralysis OF
commerce, and that, pallid with fear,
they vdemanded the protection Ofthem mil
! itarv varm ofthe Government? DOnot
! the scenes of that eyeHtfUl crisis speak
| in warning and prophetic tones of
coming danger" Shall the lesson OF
that period go unheeded?
I Were not these scenes the OutgrOwth
of this conflict between labor and cap
itaI? Beyond these evidences of this
| conflict let me invite your atten-
ton to the increase of u sentiment in
all sections of this country that threat
ems the reuJdiation of all obligations
that rest for thafF enforcement or pay
ment upon the tax powers Of this Gov
erhmeiit. That this sentiment exists
and is growing in numbers and
strength no thoughtful citizen for a
moment doubts.
In view of this unquestiOned state of
affairs, pausing for a moment that the
full significance of the queries that !
have propomded may find lodgment
i'm considerate minds, | have to repeat,
shall the lessons Of these riots as well
the logic of threatened repqdiation 90
UNDECIDED?
! That We may give full heed to them
Il :. w Mr.. Speaker, that we should
look deeply an,, wisely into the rtilss-
that have produced these results,
resort to force or an applica, ::h VI
evasive remedies will not suffice. We
must boldly and conscientiouSlY con
front the complaint made 10y labor and
the taxpayer, and feaTlessly, honestly
and justly give the remedy. If these
complaints be just they should be
and relief granted. Ifthcy be not Just,
| an,aa1 In ra4lpl1 4nI .,I.Vn.t tho arrp1