Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-05-31
Time to Call a Halt.

The labor committee of the house Of
representatives has surpassed its prev
ious record of stupidity and reckless-
ness in the bill it ls now attempting to
force through congress. This extraor-
dinary measure is intended to prohibit
the citizen of Missouri from buying in
Illinois and bringing into Missouri any
article made in the Illinois peniten-
tiary; to prohibit the citizen of Missou-
RI from shipping from this state into
illinois any article made in the Mis-
souri, penitentiary--in a word, to pro-
hibit the citizens of one state from i'm
porting goods made by convicts in
another state and to prevent such
goods from passing beyond the bound
aries of the state in which they are
manufactured.
The bill is, of course, in opposition to
both the spirit and the letter of the
federal constitution. IF 1t could be
passed and enforced it would pave the
way for governmental encroachments
that would put an end to individual
freedom and to free trade between the
states. It is hard to imagine what
condition of mind could have made
such an idea possible, but we may sup
pose that it was an exaggerating of the
profound ignorance, dense stupidity.
~
tutions and reckless demagogy which
have characterized the labor committee
of the house as it is at present cOnsti-
tuted. To enforce such law, it would
be necessary for the federal govern>
ment to take entire charge of the COM
merce between the states, and to stand
ready at each state frontier to make
, such searches and seizures as are now
made by customs officials on the feder-
al borders. There would be no shadow
of liberty left.
We have no idea that the measure
will become law, but we surprised to
see that it is being seriously discussed
in the house-that "Mr. Caruth, of
be allowed to pass on it's unconstitu-
tionally." Unfortunately this Is not
merely evidence of Mr.. Caruth's ment-
al weakness. and moral obliquity.
Other members display the same ig-
norance of their duties as representa-.
tives of the people and custodians OF
their liberties; the same extraordinary
cowardice when the blatherskltes Of
the labor committee crack the whip
over them.
We feel the utter hopelessness Of at
tempting to argue this or any other
question with the labor committee.
Dy SOIIo SID8uldF COuUiuatlOu VI CiT.
cunstances--wheth by accident or
design we do not know--those men,
bers of congress most remarkable for
their lack of information in all that
concerns the rights and duties of the
American citizen; for their contempt
for the American constitution and for
the constitutional system of govern
ment; for their ignorance of public af-
fairs and of the true function of labor
in the economy of society; and for their
truculent attitude towards those who
show disposition to stand by the old
constitutional landmarks, have been
put on this same labor committee.
There is not an intelligent man in Con-
gress who does not know that these
men are the cheapest of cheap dema-
gogues. yet the country has been re-
peatejly humiliated by the spectacle
of the American congress cringipg un-
der their insoient dictation.
Temperate argument Is out Of place
under such circumstances, but If this
sort of things continues there will be e
reckoning. 1.-THE whirligig OF Time
brings round its Repubti-
can.