Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-04-24
CONGRESSIONAL.
An Interesting Debate in
the House
On THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Butterw0rth of Ohio and Samuel
j. Randall Engage in the
Discussion.
IspsefaltO The Herald bvme associated Pres

of Illinois, moved its reference to tie
Committee ON Labor. with instructions to
that committee to report on it by bill or
otherwise on or before May 18th.
Hammond, of Georgia, thought there
was no reason to believe that tae COM
mittee would not act diligently, and it
was unusual to instruct committees on
such matters. A.
| Butterworth, Of Ohio, moved to refer
the message to the Committee of the
Whole. Lost.
Mr.. Reed, Of Maine. regretted that
there would be no opportunity to discuss
the message in Committee Of the Whole.
The result would have been more speedy
aud useful legislation than would be sc-
complished by its reference to q stand
ing committee.
There being thirty minutes debate al
lowed under the rules, Mr.. Butterworth
secured the floor. The object Of his
motion to refer the message TO the Com
mittee of the Whole, he said, had been
considered by some gentlemen as unwise
because it would not be reached at an
early day. Every gentleman believed or
affected to believe that the message
presented a question of vast conse-
quence to the country. II had been
his purpose if his motion had prevailed
to ask unanimous consent to fix an early
day for the consideration Of this ques-
ton with the hope and expectation that
it might be fairly considered, not with a |
view TO control the elections in Novem- |
Der, but with view to getting at the |
right solution of the great problem. He
wished that the people could read what
was passing in the minds of their assem-
bled legislators here, and their desire to
do what was best for the country from
what WAS regarded as mere expedient to
catch votes. He protested in the name
Of American manhood against any policy
that segregated one part of his fellow
citizens and set them apart as if they
had an interest in the conflict with the
great mass Of the people, Who was
there that hoped and expected that his
children would eat bread except in &C
cord with Gods ordinance, "by the
sweat OF his facet" He had three BOYS
at his hearts strings, one of whom had
suffered from the hand Vi affiiction
aud who would fight the battle of
life against fearful odds and he pro-
tested against any organization that
would segregate one of those boys and
set him apart as belonging to a peculiar |
class. The great constituency repre-
sented here could not elevate labor; God |
had done that in the beginning. He |
was tired OF this demagogism that |
sought to catch votes, not by asking |
what wages were best for labor, but |
what the working men could be induced |
TO believe was best for them. He was |
in favor Of organizations which brought |
together all men and recognized an uni. |
versal brotherhood Of men. The bill |
which passed here a few days ago was q |
hollow mockery and sham. 1t was not |
one intended for the laboring men. 1t
was mere tub to the whale. The de- |
liberate purpose was to catch votes. |
He criticized the want of consideration |
given to the arbitration bill by tine Com |
mittee ON Labor. There had been no |
effort made to ascertain the facts. If a |
member secured fifteen minutes to speak |
on the bill, and devoted eight minutes to |
abusing Jay Gould. six minutes to abus-
ing corporations and then surrendered |
the other minute, he was unequal to the |
task of suggesting any remedy"
why didn't you suggest remedy!"
asked Mr.. O'Neill, of Missouri.
because could not get time to even
open my mouth, replied Mr.. Butter
worth.
Mr.. Bland, Of Missouri-We had a |
bill here some days ago that proposed TO |
set the lsborers of the country at work.
How did the gentleman vote on the |
question: That contraction of the cur
rency is impoverishing the people to-
day."
still harping on my daughter"
quoted Mr.. Butterworth in reply. "If |
we were discussing infant baptism here.
the gentleman would stand up and want |
to have the baptismal basin purchased |
with standard silver dollars" Zap
plause.
In conclusion, Butterworth said that |
Congress owes it to itself to take up the |
labor question and consider it carefully, |
and then refer the subject TO an ap. |
propriate committee. Ii it were re-
ferred to the committee now, he feared |
that measure would be reported repre-. |
senting not the needs OF the hour, but |
the political necessities Of the coming |
campaign.
Randall, of Pennsylvania, confessed to |
feeling surprised at the heat with which
the gentleman from Ohio had approach |
ed this subject. He desired to direct
attention to the fact that the Constitu.
ton made it the duty Of the President
from time to time to communicate to
Congress touching on the state of the
Union and recommend such measures
as he shall deem necessary and expedi-
emit. The President had not ventured
far beyond that, and how was he met
here, he was met here with an assault
on his motives. There was not one word
against the proposition which he made.
On the contrary, there was not an intel
ligent man in the country but knew that
the present condition of the labor Of the
country commanded the attention of
Congress. 1t was easy to question mems
motives. He had also supposed that
the right to question the motives of a |
human being rested with the higher |
power. He asked that the message
should have due consideration and DELHI |
GRAFTON and remedy for troubles con-
ceived il possible and enacted into law.
He declared proudly that there was not
a word in it that appealed in any partic-
ular to any party, or any set. or any
class of men in the United States. On
the contrary, it appealed to Congress as
a body OF American citizens, wishing for
the public welfare. Applause.
The message must be calmly considered.
The gentleman from Ohio (Butterworth)
said II could only receive deliberate and
calm discussion in the Committee of the
Whole, but what example OF calmness
had the gentleman himself set He
had not suggested any remedy for the
troubles. 1t was easy to find fault, to
carp and criticise. but it required states
manship and calm deliberation to meet |
the underlying causes of the recent la
Dor troubles.
Mr.. Gibson, of West Virginia, regret
ted that the gentleman from Ohio should
undertake to bring politics into the dis
cussion of this question. The gentle-
man had charged the majority of the
House with not bringing forward prop
osition which would have any practical
results on the labor troubles. The
troubles the country was suffering from |
were the result OF powers given by q |
corrupt Congress to great Corporations
under twenty years OF Republican ad-
miaistration. 1t was watersd stock |
and unjust charters against which labor |
was rebelling. The gentleman on the |
other side ought not to assail this House
because it could not bring about a RENE
dy in day, but ought rather confess
the crimes and sins Of their twenty
years Of legislation.
Mr.. O'Neill, of Missouri, said that the
arbitration bill had been discussed by
the House for four days. Not one word
Of partisan bias had been injected into
the debate. II had passed by four
tifths vote. 1t had been reported unan-
imously by the Senate Committee. 1t
had been endorsed by the journals Of
the country and by the intelligence Of
the country. and It rests with the gen
tleman from Ohio to taks this pretext