Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-05-23

WAsH1NGTON, May ZS.-The principal
feature in the Houss yesterday was the dis
cussion on the bill to probit the sale of con
yict labor goods outside of the State where
IN they are produced.
The conference report on the bill to
bridge the Black, Northeast and Cape FeaI
rivers in North Carolina was agreed to.
The day having been set apart for the
consideration of bills from the committee
on labor, Mr.. 0'Neill called up the bill To
confine the sale of the products of con-
vict labor to the State in which they are
produced.
Mr.. 0Neill said the measure was the re-
suit OF visit to Washington of manufac-
turers from New York, BROOKLYN, Jersey
City, Philadelphia and other cities who ap-
peared before the committee declaring that
absolute ruin would result to them from
competition Of convict labor; that in each
case where such labor attacked an industry,
lower rates of wages to employees followed.
Labor organizations throughout the coun-
try, he said, had urged upon the committee
the necessity for the passage of the bill.
The tariff question sank into insignificance
when it was realized that there was cam
Ger at home, eating the heart out of every
trade and industry.
Mr.. Plumb, of illinois, opposed the bill
on constitutional grounds. He said it in
that proper investigation OF the subject had
not been made. The committee had based
its action upon petitions of manufacturers,
who in many cases sold in this country the
products of English prisons. He con-
tended that prison labor was necessary to
the reformation of convicts.
Mr.. Rogers argued that Congress had not
the power TO lay an embargo and pass q
law which provided for non-intercourse be-
tween the States of the Union.
Mr.. Butterworth, of Ohio, said this was
not the first time when in the name of
labor, labor had been outraged upon this
floor. The highest interest of the House
was to promote the well being of all and
the man who intimated that any one on
this floor was unfriendly to labor
was q Ounce, knave or an un
abridged ass. The main hackers of the
bill were not laboring men. This was the
only time he had ever known monopoly to
joint hands with labor in order TO make
the criminals of the country gentlemen of
elegant leisure.
In answer to Mr.. o'NeiIl as to what labor
the gentleman had sought to support in
his tariff speech" Mr.. Butterworth re-
piled that he was trying to protect Ameri-
can labor against foreign labor. He was
not attempting to tar laborers at home in
order 70 support laborers on the other side
in idleness. Mr. Butterworth maintained
that there was not well ordered business
establishment that could not compete with
prison labor. TO which assertion Mr. Brumm
took exception. Messrs. Wilson, (Minne-
nesota) and Adams, (Illlinoisl ar
gued against the bill as being un-
constitutional. The latter read a
by the Governor of that State. stating that
large numbers Of jute bags were made by
convict labor. which did not compete in
the slightest with free labor, and that the
passage of the bill would work great hard
ship. Mr.. Adams also called attention to
the fact that the convicts in the Missouri
penitentiary were large producers Of saddle
trees. most of which were sold in Mexico.
The passage of this bill, he said, would pro-
hibit that expectation.
Mr.. Cannon, of Illinois, was unwilling
that the bill should be passed unless there
was q provision Incorporated in it prohi-
biting the importation of foreign goods
manufactured in whole or in part by con-
vict labor.
After further debate by Messrs. Outh-
waite, of Ohio, and Blount, of Georgia, in
opposition and by Messrs. Lodge, of Mass,
and Round, of Pennsylvania, in advocacy
of the measure, the previous question on
the engrossment and third reading of the
bill was ordered, and the House at o'clock
adjourned.
The Senate.
The rejection in secret session of the
Riddleberger resolution to consider the
fisheries treaty in open session, and the
discussion and passage in regular session of
the bill to create department of labor
were the principal points of interest in the
Senate yesterday.
A message from the president returning
without approval Senate bill for the relief
of L. J. Warden, recently Postmaster at
Lawrence, Kansas, for an allowance of
$625 for extra clerk hire, was laid before
the Senate. The grounds of the veto are
that such allowances are fixed by the Post
master General, and that in this ease two ap-
plications for additional allowance had been
declined; that the expenses was therefore
incurred at the postmasters own risk, and
the passage of special acts in such case
would have a dangerous tendency to en-
courage postmasters to substitute their
own Judgment for that of the department
and to relax wholesome discipline; that
the time allowed by the constitution for
the approval of bills. expired in this case
on the 18th inst; that the Senate adjourned
from May II until May 2l; that the mes
sage was drawn and engrossed on the 18th;
that on the 18th the message and bill were
rendered TO the Secretary of the Senate,
who declined to receive them; that they
were then rendered to the President of the
Senate, who also declined 60 receive them
on the ground that they could only be pre-
sented TO the Senate in actual session, and
that they were therefore transmitted as
soon as the Senate convened Monday with
this explanation.
Mr.. Hoar said the communication raised
anpSfffntinnal nttaSfinn
and moved its reference to the Committee
on Privileges and elections, which motion
was agreed to.
Bills were passed appropriating $4,000
for public building at GAINESVILLE, Ohio;
granting to the Milwaukee, Lake Shore &
Western Railway Company the right of
way through the Lac de Flambeau Indian
reservation, in Wisconsin; and House bill
appropriating So, 900 for public building
at Bar Harbor, Maine.
Shortly after 80 the Senate went into
secret session, and half an hour later. when
the doors were reopened, consideration of
the House bill to establish department of
labor was resumed
Mr.. Reagan secured the floor and opposed
the bill. He said the laboring men had
men had many grounds of complaint, but
he had never heard that they demanded q
mere change in the manner of collecting
information about labor and being suffi-
cient to satisfy cir complaints Their
complaint was the Government had
been for many years past lever since the
Republican party had had control of it)
run in the interest of various corporations,
bondholders and capitalists and extrava-
gantly protected manufacturers. When
labor asked for bread he would not con-
sent to give it stone as the pending bill
proposed, Mr. Reagan moved as a substi-
tute a bill creating department of indus
try. but after a yea and nay vote-there
being but nine votes in its fayor-the SUBJ
stitute was withdrawn.
The bill was then passed and conference
committee ordered. Messrs. Blair, Wilson
CIowa) and George, were subsequently ap-
pointed conferees on the part of the Senate
The following bills were then passed: Sem
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