The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-02
FORTY. NINTH CONGRESS-.
ME LABOR DISCUSSION In THE
HOUSE.
The Question Discussed In All Its
Bearings-PrOceedings In
the Senate.

the bill prohibiting the importation OF
contract labor identical with thai he
made on the arbitration bill. He bad
not head that statement, and he did
not wish by silence to acquiesce in its
correctness. He supported the con-
tract labor bill. but he had declared it
10 be crude and had suggested amend
ments 10 perfect it. That bill could
be amended, but the bill Of the gentle
man from Missouri meant nothing and
Oould Oh have life brsa!hed into it.
The House then went into commit
tee of the whole (Mr. Springer H.
in the chsir} on the labor arbitration
bill, general debate to be closed at 4
O'Clock.
Mr.. GibeOn nv. Va. criticised the
bill, because he commended that it &C
eomplished nothing, and he advocated
the passage Of al interstate commerce
bill with compulsory provision re-
curing the commissioners appointed
under it to take hold OF all controver-
siee 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 hssti-
y drawn and should not be forced
through the House. What was Il e
cause Of this panic7 Was it that rail-
road attorneys were seeking come adj
vantage for their roads, or that some
men were attempting to secure popu.
larity among the masses? The nil
should be recommitted for careful con-
sideration, and at the proper time he
would make motion 10 that end.
Mr.. Grain Tex a member Of the
Committee on LABOR, defended the
bill against the adverse criticism, aud
argued in support OF its constitution
atty. The gentleman from Virginia
(Mr. DanieD had said this bill would
cost the country too much. If it had
cost the government 81 900, 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 OBJ
Structed, business had become stag
nant. and thousands of men net
connected with the Knights OF Labor
had been thrown out OF employment
The evil 10 be remedied was not an
evil which a. Ose between labofiDg men
and railway companies primarily, but
an evil 10 which the masses of the
people were interested. They were
the men who were the sufferers. 1t
was better tor the country to pay out
q million dollars in taxation for the
purpose Of providing arbitration than
TO have the country in the condition
in which it had been during the last
few weeks, whereby there bad been a
loss to the country Of over $50, 600, 900.
Then turning to Mr.. Resgan's consti-
tutional argument against the bill, Mr..
Grain proceeded to answer the points
raised by it, and asserted that If the
Reagan interstate commerce bill was
constitutional, the pending bill was
constitutional.
Mr.. Worthington [Ill.] thought that
the Committee on Labor, with the
limited jurisdiction Congress had over
the subject, had done about all it
Sould do. He was disposed to vote for
the bill, but could not but feel there
was a possib, lily it would 60 out to
the world a legislative nondescript,
which bore on its face an apology for
its own existence.
Mr.. Tousney mich. member of
the Committee on Labor, defended the
bill, which appealed to the highest
arbiteT there was in the land-to pub
lie opinion and public judgment.
Mr.. Anderson Kas. said that the
labor question in its broad sense was
not tbs real question at issue, but that
the real question pressing Congress
was whether legislation should be en-
acted to compel common carriers to
perform their obligations. The great
problem to be solved was the prOtec.
ton OF the people during ike great
struggles between capital and labor
His opposition 10 the bill was, that it
was purely temporary measure. 1t
would be wiser to appoint national
commission clothed with natio GAL au-
thority, sitting permanently, studying
all the factors OF the problem suggest
ing legislation, so that hereafter Con-
gress might be better able to act than
now because OF ignorance of those
factors.
Mr., Warner Mo ] congratulated the
Committee on Labor that amid ex-
element, when gentlemen were aDx-
ious to rush TO the forefront of battle
as the champion of labor, it had
brought in sensible and conservative
a measure as the one under considera-
ton.
Mr.. Osborn [Ps.l gave the bill his
cordial support.
Mr.. Long Mass favored the bill
and Mr.. Bound pal advocated it's
passage.
Mr.. Cannon NIL earnestly .up
ported the bill, and thought that 1t
would be effective OF much good. He
doubted whether its provisions could
be made strong under the Constitu-
&on.
In closing the debate Mr.. 0'Neil
mo. said that every compulsory law
placed on the statue books of sny
country bad proven a failure. The
desired result could only be secured
by Cancellation. When public opin-
'on was behind a measure it was
powerful. He quoted from views of
political economists, which had been
considered by the Committee on
AnDOA1 anu WhlCh upuOlu INC pIlbC'-
pies Of COrciliation and arbitration,
and at the conclusion of his remarks
the bill was read by sections for
amendments.
In speaking to a verbal amendment
Mr.. Hammond LGa. attacked the bill,
which, he asserted, inttsad of hsing q
bill to protect labor was one to prevent
The strikes in the interest of the corpo
rations and at the expense of the
United States. Every men who be-
ieved as the gentleman from Pennsyl-
Vania (Mr Kelly) did, thst the meas
ure was q trick and fraud, ought t.
vote against il. The House proposed
to crystslise into statute law some.
thing which nobody said was good
and many people said was a sin pie
trick to get rid of the question.
Mr.. Kelly Pa. said that by his re-
marks yesterday he did not mean thai
the gentlemen on the Committee on
Labor had deliberately perpetrsted
trick and a fraud. He knew that
gentlemen who could submit this bill
to the workingmen Of the count IS
3 provision for the speedy settlement
~ trrv,b1oe hatuyann au1 plOvprq and