The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-03
Mr.. Lawler Thinks the Hanging of Jay GonK
Would Be Blessing, and Mr. WE'LL Sxys =
Volcano Is Concealed Somewhere.
Mr.. Glover Makes Inyidious Remark
About 0'Neill's Baseball Standing.
The Bill Slightly Amended and Four Sectioni
of 1t Adopted, the Remainder Going Over
for Further Consideration To-Day.

WASHINGTON, April 2.-On motion Of Mr..
ONeill, of Missouri, private business was DID
pensed with-yeas lis. nays 71-and thu Houss
went into committee Of the whole--Mr Spring.
er, of Illinois, in the chair-on the laborarbitra
limited to thirty minutes.
Mr. Foran, of Ohio offered an amendment
providing that IL on the written proposition 81
either party to a controversy to submit the die
ferences to arbitration the other party shall re-
fuse, the party submitting the proposition MAY
request judge of United States Distrioi !
Court to appoint an arbitrator. He regarded the
bill IN its present shape as an entering wedga
for the enactment of such legislation IN future
as would crush out organized labor. Throuch
organization, and organization alone. the labor
ing-men of this country could work out thaj.
salvation. =
Mr. Dibble, of South Carolina, offered "a !
amendment providing that the Commissioners Of
Labor, on the request OF either party TO a con.
troversy. shall order an investigation to DO mada
The Bureau of Labor, he said, has been ignored
in the great emergency. The purport Of hia
amendment was to make the Commissioners Of
Labor factor in gathering this information
Mr. Negley, of Pennsylvania, offered an
amendment providing that the board Of arbt
traton shall inquire into the practice Of certain
railroad companies of maintaining company
system Of life insurance to evade the payment
of damages for loss Of life through negligence
or otherwise
Mr.. Phelps, of New Jersey, approved the Of
Mr.. Willis. of Kentucky, expected to vote To-
the bill. Its opponents agreed that it was +
harmless measure, and then proceeded to pour5
out the walls of their wrath upon it. They de-
nounced it; they epitheted LII they called IL d
trojan horse; they called 1t fraud and trick.
He believed that the bill had some meat in II.
He favored it not because it was harmless but
because il took forward step In settling the
greatest problem Of the age Some legislas
ton was necessary and the committee on
labor had brought in the pending BILL IL II
needed amendment, let the wisdom OF Congress
amend it; il it were harmless let it be passed
as sentimental declaration that Congress felt
for the workingmen. This hall had been called
the audience hall of the Nation. He had seen
all the monopoly Of the country here, and when
this organization of the Knights Of Labor Game.
though their voice be but whisper. as this bill
was, for one, he would listen to it and heed IT :.
few years ago the tonnage of the rivers and
canals and lakes of the country had been 100.
000, 900 tons. To-day four men In the Union
held in their grasp and controlled four timea
that amount of tonnage. These four men
could reduce the wages of $4,000 men. These
four mon, organized in their own interest, could
control an aggregate capital amounting TO $780,
900 900. If the laborers organized and asked
Congress for the poor privilege of being heard
by peaceful arbitration, in the name of justice,
in the name OF equal rights, let their com.
plants be heard and public opinion be invoked
Mr.. O'Neill. Of Missouri, declared that the
Knights of Labor were in favor of arbitration
He stood here appealing for law, for justice and
tor right, for to-day the country was almost on
the verge Of volcano. People were standings
idle and suffering for food in the West on ac
count of the strike, while constitutional cranks
stood quibbing on the floor of the House He
appealed to members to stand by the committees
on labor, to vote down amendments and to put
their heels on that class of men who could sug
gest nothing, who were mere obsGructionists and
barnacles on party, and who ought to have bet
ter sense.
The amendments were all voted dcwn but the
first section Of the bill was modified in several
particulars.
The committee then passed to consideration Of
the second section
Mr. Breckenridge, Of Kentucky, moved to
strike out so much of the section as gives the
board of arbitration the power to administer
oaths, subpoena witnesses, etc. He said that
the effect of his motion would be to make the
bill less Objectionable on constitutional grounds
He protested against the passage Of the bill, ba-
lieving that 1t WAS grave and might be dam
gerous mistake. He pleaded for higher iud6s
pendence, he pleaded for a nobler manhood. he !.
pleaded for an ampler liberty than that which
was found within the lids of statute book ia
the name of labor-for the blessedest thing that
ever crowned mankind was the honest sweat on
an honest mans brown the name OF labor he
protested against this interference with progress
and, deeper than this, he protested against class
legislation. There was no labor as q class in
this country. Let not Congress make q classi6s
cation. Let Ii not divide all Americans into capi-
tai and labor. Let it not draw q dividing line be-
tween fellow-citizens. In the name. therefore,
of all laboring men, he protested against thiG
bill The problem was being solved day by day,
and hour by hour The time was coming when
capital and labor would find In participation Of s.
profits the true solution. Let Congress distrib.
ute the rights of our civilization equally between
labor and capital Let it make capital pay its. :.
share. Let taxation be reduced. There are On
party tactics in this bill, he said, in conclusions
'sThey for whom You seek to legislate will turn i
to rend you, when they take this bill up an&,
find that in the future it will provide means b.
which strikes can be made punishable by arrest
For voluntary arbitration will give place TO In
voluntary arbitration Involuntary arbitration
will give place to federal jurisdiction, and fsder-
al jurisdiction will be held by capital They viii
find out that it has been snare and sham
worse than sham, because 1t has been adeiu~
sion and disaster want to put on record that
stood here for true labor, the manllness and tho
dignity OF labor, that only asks fair living
chance In the great battle of life Applause.
Mr. Mckinley, Of Ohio, ironically suggested#
the eloquent words of the gentleman FROM Ken
lucky would be received by the laboring men o.
the country as salve for all the ills which az:
flicted them. He believed in the priaciple ok .
the bill It conferred no rights or privileges
touching arbitration which were not now en-
joyed by common carriers and those engaged in
their service. 1t left them where II found Them,
with the right OF voluntary arbitration to settle
their differences through peaceful and orderly
took to furnish to them the machinery for carry
ing on that arbitration. Arbitration was Che
only way OF settling these differences and Al
that was done by this bill was to give arbihxj
ton q national sanction. He was in favor cf n