St. Paul daily globe., 1888-07-18
TO CATCH VOTES.
The Republican Senate Takes
a Step in Class Legis-
latioa.
President Cleveland VetoeS a
Proposal to Reward a Sol
dier's Treachery.
A Vote on the Mills Bill Will
Be Reached on Satur-
day.
Food for Reflection Contained
in the Civil Service Com
mission Report.
Special to the Globe,

Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, July 1.-THE feature
of to-day's proceedings was the passage
of the government workmen's eight
hour law. Mr.. Teller, who obtained the
floor yesterday for speech on the
fisheries treaty said he was not well
enough to proceed, but hoped to be to-
morrow. Mr.. Blair offered a resolution
directing the committee on rules to pro-
vide suitable place in the capitol to
test ID. ii. Craig'S Improvement in teleg-
raphy, with view to protecting the
interests of the American people.
The invention, Mr.. Blair said
was great improvement in
the art of telegraphy, and the only OBJ
Ject OF the resolution was to furnish an
opportunity for an inspection of the in
YentiOn so that the government might
secure it and prevent its falling into the
hands of private parties. The resolu-
ton, on objection from Mr..
Plumb, went over until to-mOr-
row. Mr.. Allison, from the COM
mittee on appropriations, reported
back the sundry civil bill, and said he
would soon call it up. The bill to place
the army as major general was taken
up and passed. On motion of Mr..
Plumb, the senate receded from its
subsidy amendment to the postof1ice ap-
preparation bill. Consideration of the
bill to provide for the adjustment of
CLAIMS OF GOVERNMENT WoRKMEN
under the eight-hour law of 1868, and
which provides for settlement of such
claims for OVerWork done since the pas
sage of the law, and making eight hours
a full days work, was then resumed.
Mr.. Reagan opposed the bill, as one in
the interest of few laboring
men at the expense of many laboring
men brought forward with the view to
catching votes. 1t was small step in
the direction of class legislation, and he
Stewart supported, it and offer
any officer of the government from
making contracts whereby any work
man shall labor more than eight hours
day, except in special emergencies. In
these days and with improved machin-
cry, he believed even eight hours
a day was excessive labor. More than
eight hours day was wrong in
a double SenSe-it overworked those
who were employed and deprived of
employment thousands of others. who
became burdensome to society. Mr..
HaWley dld not see how the
government could escape the plain
tenor of the eight-hour law, and
so far he was willing to support the bill,
Mr.. George said that, as member of
the committee on education and labor,
he had diSsented from the report of the
bill. He then pointed out his objections
to it, claiming that
IT WAS CLASS LEGISLATION.
Mr.. Dawes moved to amend the bill
by inserting the words whether en-
gagged at price per day or on piece
work or task work." Agreed to. The
bill was then passed: Yeas 25, nays %;
as follows:
Yeas-Blair, Bowen, Cameron, Chandler,
Cullom. Davis, Dolph. Farwell, Faulkner,
Eric, Hale, Hawley, Hoar, Kenna, Mitchell,
Palmer, Sabiu, Sawyer, Spoouer, Stewart
Stockbridge, Teller, Turpie, Voorhees,, Will
son, of Iowa-25.
Nays-Bate, Beck. Berry, Blodgett. Brown,
Butler. Call, Cockrell, Coke, Georke, Gibson,
Gray, Hampton, Hearst, Jones, of Arkansas;
Mcpherson, Paseo, Pugh, Reagan, Vance,
Vest, Walthall-22.
The bill for the admission of the state
of Washington was taken up, and will
be the unfinished business" and the
senate at 4:40 adjourned.