The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-02
Mr. Kelley Again Declares that the Bill Is Ut
terly Worthless as Remedy for the Evils
from Which the Country Is Suffering.
Mr.. O'Neill and the Members Of the La
Dor Committees upportthe Measure.
Provisions of the Proposed Law-The Senate
Passes Bill AppropriatiDg 100000 for
Monument to Abraham Lincoln.
Debate ON the Arbitration Bill Reported by
the Committee on Labor.

sylvania, rising to q question Of privilege, said
that he had found in the Record. this morning,
that the gentleman from Missouri lMr. O.Neill
yesterday had stated that he Mr.. Kelley had
made speech on the bill prohibiting the i'm
portation of contract labor identical with that
he made on the arbitration bill. He had not
heard that statement, and he did not wish by
silence to acquiesce to its correctness. He sup
ported the contract labor bill. but he had de-
clared 1t to be crude. and had suggested amend
ments to perfect it. That bill could be amend
ed but the bill OF the gentleman from Missouri
meant nothing, and could not have life breathed
into it.
The House then went into committee Of the
whole-Mr. Springer, of Illinois. in the chair
on the labor arbitration bill, general debate to
closed at 4 o'clock
Mr.. Gibson, of West Virginia, opposed the bill
because. he contended, it accomplished nothing,
and advocated the passage of an interstate COM
MERGE bill. with compulsory provision requir-
ing the commissioners appointed under it to
take hold of all controversies arising between
capital and labor, and settle them in the interest
of the public and in behalf of the country. The
pending measure had been hastily drawn, and
should not be forced through the House. What
was the cause of this panicl Was it that rail
road attorneys were seeking some advantage for
their roads, or that some men were attempting
to secure popularity among the masses? The
bill should be recommitted for careful considera-
ton. and, at the proper time, he would make
motion to that end
Mr.. Grain, of Texas a member Of the commit
tee on labor. defended the bill against the ad
criticism, and argued in support of its con-
stitutionaity. The gentleman from Virginia
Mr.. Daniels had said this bill would cost the
country too much. If it had cost the govern
ment 800, 900 to have prevented the late strike
the country would not have suffered because the
result had been paralysis of trade, the avenues
. of commerce had been obstructed business had
become ga 'nant. and thousands of men not
connected W th the Knights of Labor had been
thrown out of employment The evil to be
remedied was not an evil which arose between
laboripg men and railway companies generally,
but an evil in which the m -sAs of the people
were interested TREY were the ones who were
the sufferers 1t was better for the country to
pay out million dollars in taxation for the pur-
pose of providing arbitration, than to have the
country in the condition in which it had been
fUi The last few weeks, whereby there had been
a loss to the country of over $50, 900, 900. Then
turning to Mr. Reagan's constitutional argument
against the bill Mr.. Grain proceeded to the points
raised by it. and asserted that the pending bill
was constitutional
committee on labor, with the limited juris-
diction Congress had over the subject, had done
about all it could do. He was disposed to vote
&or the bill, but he could not but feel there was
possibility that 1t it would 90 out to the world
legislative nondescript, which bore on its face
an apology for its own existence.
Mr. Tarsney, of Michigan, member of the
committee on labor, defended the BILL which ap-
pealed to the highest arbitrator there was in the
land-to public opinion and public judgment.
Mr.. Anderson, of Kansas, said that the labor
question In its broad sense was not the real
question at issue, but that the real question
pressing Congress was, whether legislation
should be enacted to compel common carriers to
perform their obligations. The great problem
TO be solved the protection of the people
during the great struggle between capital and
labor. His opposition to the bill was that it was
purely temporary measure 1t would be wiser
to appoint national commission, clothed with
national authority, sitting permanently, study
ing all the features Of the problem, suggesting
legislation SO that Congress might be better able
70 act
Mr.. Warner. of Missouri, congratulated the
committee on labor that, amid excitement. when
gentlemen are anxious rush to the forefront
Of battle as the champions of labor, IL had brought
80 sensible and conservative measure the
one ur der consideration.
Mr.. Osborn, of Pennsylvania, gave the bill his
ecfdial support
Mr. Long. of Massachusetts, favored the bill,
and Mr.. Bound, of Pennsylvania advocated its
passage.
Mr.. Cannon, Of Illinois, earnestly supported
the bill and thought that it would be effective of
much good. He doubted whether the provisions
could be made strong enough under the Consti-
tuition.
In closing the debate, Mr. O'Neill, Of Missouri
said that every compulsory law placed on the
statute books of any country had proven a fail
ure. The desired result could only be secured
by Cancellation.
In speaking to a verbal amendment, Mr. Ham
n Oto oasd hat he tncfa Inf
being bill to protect labor, was one to prevent
strikes, in the interest of the corporations. and
st the expense of the United States. Every
man who believed as the gentleman from Penn
sylEauia Mr. Kelley did, that the measure was
q trick and fraud, ought TO vote against it.
Tho House proposed to crystalline into statute
Jaw something which nobody said was good. and
many people said was simple trick to get rid Of
the question.
Mr.. Kelley. of Pennsylvania, said that by his
remarks yesterday he did not mean that the gen.
tle0nen OF the committee on labor had deli ber-
ately perpetrated a trick and fraud. He knew
that the gentlemen who could submit this bill To
the working men OF the country as a provision
for the speedy settlement of trouble between en-
poyers and employees were quite too innocent to
deliberately attempt q fraud or a trick. Laugh
teri Mr. Powderly had done more to advance
the principle of arbitration than all the frothy
eloquence that he Mr.. Kelley and his associates
had uttered yesterday and to-day. Mr.. Powder
Tvs paper had been read and considered by the
heads of corporations, and they had said: IF
this is the spirit Of the working men. we must
regard it, For many years he Mr. Kelley had
denounced as frauds and tricks just such bills as
this, which pretended to be in the interest of
working men, but which were not Of any es
pecial benefit to them. He had seen so many
frauds and tricks perpetratsd on working men
that he had incontinently used words for~which
he now apologized to the innocent members OF
committee on labor
The committee then rose. and Mr.. O'Neill
moved that all debate on the first section OF the
bill be limited to one minute.
Pending q vote on MIR. ONells motion, the
House adjourned.
The bill introduced by the committee on labor,
and which was the subject Of the foregoing dis
cussion. reads as follows
"A bill TO provide for the speedy settlement of