The daily critic., 1890-05-27

stimulates an interest in the c3nsr
/ Of labor and pre,ends devotion TO the
downuoddeu because such preten.a
| gives substance to his ambitious efforts
in his own behalf. But whatever n, 1y
have been the motive of Mr. McComa.
/ he became suddenly Indignant at the
failure of Public Printer Benedict 10
enforce the eighthour law. and. in
venting his indignation, made re-.
markable speech in the House Of Rep.
rescntativcs.
An earnest reformer Of an abuse of
which himself has been guilty, liar
by instinct or by education, little poll.
tician engaged at dry work, mean
fellow who strikes foul blows while
charging the ofTense upon bis victim.
! Speaker Reed, and Republican plat
forms never pay any attention to facts:
and in this respect Mr.. McComas. in
making his eight hour speech, was like
them but we are sure he was instigated
to disregard the facts al his hand by a
desire TO promote his own interest, and
not by any natural or acquired dislosi
tion to bear false witness against even a i
enemy but that he did shamefully dis.
regard facts Is a proposition that can be
demonstrated.
For instance, he declared In his speech
that President Grant had signed the
eight hour law Certainly he knew that
Grant was not President in 1868 when
the law was made
And, again, he said
In March. 1855. we discover that the
shadow W this Capitol fails on this pile
1.-THE Government Printing Onicel wherein
more than 1000 men, women and girls are
employed by the United States in IT'S name,
and that more than one fourth Of the men,
women and girls toll from nine TO twelve
hours every day and night, and, what is
worst Of all, that the most Of these toilers
are delicate women, orphan girls or wild
ows. ! deuouuce this as a violation Of the
law, and the Public Printer for violating
the law.
During twenty years the shadow of
the Capitol had fallen on the Govern
ment Printing Office, in which had
existed during all that time the same
condition that Mr.-McComas was de-
nouncing, but that condition, as a viola.
ton Of the law. did not burst upon his
judicial mind until the Republican
creators Of that condition had passed
out of power and the Democrats had
passed into control Of aifairsl
Out of this discussion a result came
in the form Of the ONeill amendment
to an appropriation bill in 1883, as
follows:
And the Public Printer Is hereby IL
rected to rigidly inforce the provisions of
the eight-hour law in the Department under
his charge.
And under this amendment, after It
became law, the Public Printer exc.
cuted the eighthour law to the letter
and in the spirit. And the perturb 81
soul Of McComas was at rest
But the Democrats passed out Of
power IN 1850, and the Republicans en-
ter,d again The wicked Benedict,
while faithfully executing the eight
hour law under the O'Nelll amend
ment, gave way TO the good Palmer.
and then, mysteriously, all regard for
the eiehthour law passed away from
It's Republican advocates.
Without fusslness-very quietly-al-
most gently, the eighthour law was
showed aside by the Public Printer. Il
became an iniquity in his sight It was
TO him an impedlment. II stood In the
way Of his faithful performance Of his
duty. And these views he impressed
upon the employees of his great work
shop designated by the pathetic Nc.
Comas as men and delicate women,
orphan girls and widows so that they
went back quietly under the yoke Of
the l0-i2-lI hour system.
And that system now prevails in the
Government Printing Office, as il has
prevailed under every President, except
President Cleveland, since the enact.
ment Of the law In 1888
And the eloquent McComas Is dumb
"WHAr KIND or clothing shall the baby
wear 90 This was the subject discussed by
lumber Of motherly- ladies Ia
Mrs, Coolidge's parlors yesterday afternoon,
the occasion being another Of the nursery
talks which were instituted several weeks
ago Next Monday the talk viii he on
" Infant Hygiene.n