The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-01
FORTY. NINTH CONGRESS-.
O'NEIL's LABOR BILL IN THE
HOUSE.
Discussion Of the Measure in Com
mittee Of the WhOle-In
the Senate.

WASHINGTON, March 3l.-Houss.-
MIR. O'Neill [ No. ], from the Commit
tee on Labor, reported bill to pro
vide Tor the speedy settlement OF con-
tr0versies and differences bttWeen
common carriers engaged in interstate
ard territorial transportation OF prop
eIty or passengers and their employees.
DE- point Of order raised by Mr..
Dunn Ark. the bin was referred TO
the committee Of the whole, and the
House immediately went into COM
mittee (Mr. Springer [Illl in the
chair for the confederation Of the
measure.
Mr.. O'Neill said that for the past
two months the Committee on Labor
had been engaged in draining every
avenue where there was a reasonable
hope OF securing information as to
some feasible method consistent with
the constitution and the laws that
would provide q mode OF sett ement
OF the disastrous disputes between
capital and labor. The committee
had decided that the pending measure
was the best that it could formulate.
1t was a simple, voluntary arbitration.
He knew tina, this was disappointing
to many members OF the House. He
knew that there was feeling
in the breast OF many men
that this was not what
was expected, but II they would but
reflect, they would realize that the
first thing to consider was, how far
they could requisite the disputes by an
appeal to public opinion. II this
method failed, then he could see but
one other, and that was the strong arm
Of the government TO take the great
corporations by the throat and tell
them they must yield to arbitration |;
that they must submit the differences
between them aud their workmen to
some peaceful agreement; that the
government could not have the condi-
tons OF affairs that to-day prevailed
throughout five States Of the Union
q practical revolution-all business
suspended, and the people OF great
cities suffering from the increased cost
OF food and fuel.
He simply knew that the workmen
had stated that they were willing TO
arbitrate their grievances and he knew
That the president OF the Missouri Pa.
ofc had not yet consented to do II.
lobe meantime, thank heaven, the
sobtU second thought Of American
workaen had kept the strike within
bound and he was convinced that
they wsuld prevent any DISASTROUS
consequences until the termination OF
the issue, The Committee on Labor
was unantnously OF the opinion that
this bill was the best that could be
passed now Il invoke the public spin.
ion OF the country and to compel men
in this case as II all other cases, to ap
neal to reason, AVID not TO use brute
force TO invade human rights.
: Mr.. Kelly Pa. said that he would
, vote for the bill, but es that waI biz
purpose, he wantedNo say In advance
to the workingmeu olthe country tba
IL was aarick on theii redulity and &
fraud. Re asked the Rntleman from
Missouri whether workman who be-
lieved tha the bill was / measure ''tC
. provide foi the speedy Aettlement o.
controversies and differences" woulc
not be deceived Could there be an,
Adjudication between Jay Gould anS
i the strikers IN his road as long al Jal
Gould did net consent thereto.
Mr.. O'Neil could only answer b,
sitting that In LivlBgstone's work
which the gentleman had evident,
y been readingI II was said that in tn
interior regions OF Africa there could b
+ found the mos intensely critical pee
pie on the earth, In regard 10 mechan
lam, who could not put the slmples
!, piece Oh machinery together. VIII,
did not the gentleman from rennsyl
!. vania IMH Kelly1 aa father OF tn
House, propose something instead O
tearing down?
Mr.. Kelly said that be would vot
for any bill which would give relief t
Il oppressed labor, but he would nc
vote for this mass OF words, unless hi
volts was accompanied by the motto
that the bill meant nothing,
$ Mr.. Foran 70. was no more oppose
/ to the pending bill than he was I
g drinking q glass OF water. Both wer
. harmless. The bill could iDjure n
q one, but 1t could accomplish no good
v There was no more arbitration in thi
r bill than there was flesh on doctor
|. skeleton. Referring to the Missou
n Pacific strike, he said that the worl
n men had asked for arbitration and ia
|. Gould had refused. II the arbilIatio
/ we're accepted 1t would be because NJ
"a Gould had become satisfied that 1t WI
70 for his interest to end the Controvers
n and not because he loved the princip
4 OF arbitration. Suppose he did n,
70 desire TO arbiba.e; then the bill WEI
for rothing. There was nothing in
The labor problem could not be Sc
tied by arbitration or by Legislation
]. II was deeper, and went beyond legi
lie lAtion, The idea tba! Congress cou
* in one day solve problem which hs
m been before the civilized world 1
y ages and ages was nonsense.
lie could not be done. The difficult
n was in the unjust distribution
II wealth. II, by law, wealth could
n, distributed, something could be don
~ but nothing could be done by passil
n arbitration laws. Just as soon &c mi
IN Of wealth and property were made
ID understand (whsther by education
g, something more serious) that their
Ne tereet demanded that their neighbC
should be as happy aud as content
ms themselves, and that their proper
and lives were in'ieopardy when \
he ing in a community where everybo'
ee was dissatisfied, when they learn
r. that fact the problem would be solv
lis and not before. The only way II
ID the problem could be solved was
be the wealthy men TO consecrate thu
at lives TO the amelioration Of the con,
g. ton Of the workingnen.
IN Mr.. Hammond Tea ] opposed {
as bill. r g,r
On Mr., Weaver Iowa said that t
en- remedy for labor troubles must COZ