The Evening critic., 1882-03-06

siye Administrations the
workiDgnan's Representative Says
About It-Another Appeal 60 be
Made 10 Congress TO Right the
wrong - WorhinEmen Demand
only Justice-Thcy Don't want
Administrative Discretion.
The United States Government, through Its
Congress and supreme Court, as well as by
the sentiment OF its people, whenever ex.
pressed on rostrum or in the public press, Is
intensely adverse to the reputation OF the obll.
cations 1t has assumed through the forms Of
law; and public opinion insists upon the
observance Of every form Of obligation, express
or implied, even when equity and common
sense say that the time and reason have long
since past for SO strict an observance OF certain
financial obligations assumed by the Govern.
ment In the hour OF peril and In the moment
when Columbia pawned all her plate lands
and labor to the usurers at exorbitant In
teresi and on the hardest terms. The party
that has been In power for the past twenty
years, as we'll as Its principal opponent.
abhors, or affects TO abhor, the idea OF "Read-
justorism" in Virginia, on the ground that as
they allege, the proposed readjustment OF the
debt of that state violates the faith and credit
Of the State and the rights OF the bondholders.
Apparently unconscious OF the beam in Its own
eye, the Executive of the United States Govern
ment frowns down all attempts at Reputation
that assume the form Of notes in the eyes OF
others, and continues to repudate Its obliga-
tions to thousands of Its citizens, and to null
lify Its own legal obligations In evadlng,
avoiding and ignoring the only statute Con-
gress has ever enacted in the direct interest OF
Its lahoring employees, and which Is popularity
known as the
Eicht-hOur Law.
Our reporter recently took occasion to inter
view Mr. John g. Mills, who Is the secretary
and acting representative Of a delegation of
leading men from various parts OF the coun.
try representing the labor interests of the
United States, who have been endeavoring for
three or four years to secure the enforcement
of this law. Mr.. Mills was found at Col. II. q.
Ingersoll's Office, 1921 New York avenue, and
was asked
"what are the prospects of the elght-hour
law at this session of Congress?"
"We have about come to the conclusion that
Congress has done nearly all that the friends
OF this law require at their hands. They have
passed a plain and brief law declaring that
seight hours shall constitute days work for
all workmen, laborers and mechanics en-
ployed by or on behalf Of the United states;
dent Grant evidently recognized his duty to
obey this law and to see that this, like other
laws, was faithfully executed and enforced;
| but even In his time 1t required two proclama
| tions to secure obedience to this law on the
| part of his subordinates and contractors, while
| other laws went into operation OF their own
accord or without special Executive aid"
"why, in your opinion, did not Hayes en-
| force the law p asked the reporter.
"The best reason / can assign for the nuli-
| fication of the law during Mr.. Sherman's ad-
ministration, of which Hayes was the nominal
| head, is that neither sherman nor temper
ance meeting commanded Hayes TO observe
| It,.
"But you requested him to enforce the
| law 2"
"Yes: our delegation went to both Mr.. Hayes
| and TO Secretary Thompson TO secure their
| obedience to the law they had sworn TO exc
| cute, administer and obey, and they, under
what thew chilled
Administrative Discretion,
| decided 10 nullify the law. Hayes didn't seem
| to have any opinion about the matter, but he
| promised us abundantly that the law should be
enforced and that he would call the attention
of his Cabinet to 1t. OF course neither OF these
| things were done. Secretary Thompson, fot
| whom | have a sincere regard, and whom
regard as a capable and honorable gentle
man, gave us a patient and respectful hearing
and finally, after several days deliberation,
| concluded that 1t was within the province OF
| his administrative discretion to enforce
the law from September 81 to March 21. and
| to nullify 1t from March 21 to September 81 OF
| each year,
| Requiring Ten Hours Day
| rs a days work during the last-named half OF
| the year By just what process OF sophistry
| Mr.. Thompson arrived at this remarkable
| splitting OF the difference, which is still the
| established rule of the Government, is zone OF
| those things which no fellow ever found out,
but this result led those who desire the en-
| forcement OF the law to appeal TO Congress to
| pass a joint resolution wherein they reasserted
the principle OF eight hours day for days
work, and left no room for the self-assumed
administrative discretion of the Executive
Departments, which nulllhed the law and re
pudlated the obligations OF the Government
toward Its employees"
"what became of this effort ~ queried TIL
CRITIC.
"The House has twice, by two-thirds ma
jorlty. passed the resolution referred to, ano
from want OF time and a desire to foster execu
| tive administrative discretion no vote was
ever reached on the resolution in the Senate
| alt nj af nGxlv va MI a
Bruce Of Mississippi, and Voorhees, Of Indiana
with others, labored hard to bring it to ,
| vote"
"was the matter ever brought to the atten
ton of Mr.. Garfield while he was President 2
'Yes; early IN the brief term the friends o
the law called on Mr.. Hunt, secretary OF tn
Navy, and on President Garfield to secur
their obedience to this law In Its enforcement.
"What were Secretary Hunts views OF tn
law"
"He expressed none. He did, however, or
press The opinion that II would be both
Improper and UnbecOming In Hin
to change the mode of administering y the la'
| as established under the assumption OF al
administrative discretion by his predecessor
and declined 10 change the established rule q
his department In that regard"
"What did Mr.. Garneld say or do In refel
encc 10 the matter :"
"Observing that the wrong and repudlatio
Of the former administration was IN due pre-
cess of becoming stereotyped tradition tina
would continue 10 override the law, We col
cludcd 10 go TO the President, whose duty
WAS TO see tllht All lnt laws were 1ultnIull
executed, and who had taken his oflcial oat
50 recently before our interview that we relie
upon It's vivid remembrance In his mind I
overcome In President Garfield some OF III
captious and trivial objections To the law whic
Congressman Garfield had raised In regard I
II In the House Of Representatives. We Wen
TO the White House and
The Crowd Of Onice-scekers
| were not even turned out OF the room, nor tli
thread of their din and supplicatlons hardl
broken when we were "turned In - TO see th
President, headed by some Congressionf
lsfriends. Mr. Gar1eld was as smiling as Hayes
! but more dignihed and less communicative. II
raised no objections 20 the law, evidently re,
/, | Ognizlng that that was neither his right sine
| lis passage, nor his duty as the Chief Execi
| tive. He assigned neither excuse nor reaso
| for the disobedience OF his Cabinet officers an
| other subordinates with reference 10 the Law
but seemed both III at ease aad puzzled undc
| our arguments and statements. lie asked 1
| II We had been 10 the AttOrney-General abOl
the law for his opinion. We told him no. an
Attorney General on this law, as II had bee
mained nnaltered on the Statute book. NJ
, Garfield, however, insisted that We should
Go 10 the Attorney y-Generai for II
Opinion,
and that he would consider the matter whe
Il came to him through that source. This v
| refused 10 do, and withdrew with many poll
and formal leayetakiDgs.
sand you never went % the Attorney-Ge
eral =
"No. We clearly saw that MIR. Garfield on