Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-09-05
COULDN'T HELP IT.
Reasons Given Why Mr.. Gest Was
as Dumb as an Oyster.
Other People Used mp all the Time
and he Couldn't get Chance Until
the whole Thing Was Over.

the whole Thing Was Over.
A little while ago the Union was herald
ing to the world the great good Mr.. Gest
was doing in congress, and everything
that passed the house in the remotest way
relating to this section Of the state, it was
made to appear that he was not only the
active moving spirit. but the head and
front of the whole legislation. One
would think. too, from reading the con-
tributions sent to that paper that Mr.
Gest was a whole host in himself at Wash>
ipgton, and that he was so deeply en-
crossed in the affairs of state that it WAS
trying to his constitution. In fact one
would think that our representative was
laboring night and day and even between
times for the good of the people who con-
ferred upon him the honor And when
the eight>hour bill came up and a
of Mr.. Gest, the Union used all
the space at its disposal for a re-
production of the report of the
proceedings copied from the Con-
gressiORa! Record To this, too. it
was particularly dwelt upon that
through the labors of Mr.. Gest the
government employees had at last got
what they We're looking for-the sums
due them from the government for all
the time they had worked over eight
hours in the day. This they were enti>
tied to, aud this they were promised by
Mr.. Gest. He made them believe that he
was just the man for that purpose; that
he had their cause at heart, and that as
he was living among them and knew
their wants and condition, he could make
better presentation of the matter than
anyone else. And they believed him and
trusted in his statement and they gave
him their votes accordingly and he was
elected.
Now rs To the eight-hour bill which
has just passed the house the truth
should be known. As already shown in
these columns it is worthless. The men
whom it was intended to benefit will re.
ceive nothing under it. 1t is a bungling
piece of legislation, but not bungling
piece of political schemiug Something
had to be done for pthese men who have
been clsmoring so long and loud for
their money. They thought it was
time that they should receive some
thing after waiting over twenty>one years
for some material recognition. They had
lived upon promises long enough and
things were getting so that it would
scarcely do for a congressional candidate
to come before them again with cock
aud bull story as to why they hadn't been
paid. SO something had to be done
some showing had to be made. Although
the Jaw said they should have their mon
ey, there was bitch in the proceedings.
One man attempted to get his pay for his
work by carrying the matter into the
courts. 1t was contested. Tue supreme
court was finally appeoled to and they de-
cided that IS the man had expressly en-
tered into an agreement to work so many
hours for so much money, and was paid
that sum, that he .COuld not take advan-
tage of the law making DAYS work
eight hours aud thus get pay for the ex-
ira time-because he made a contract with
bis eyes open and knew beforehand all
the conditions. 1t would seem, however,
That in deciding this case the supreme
court did not fully catch the aim aud in>
tent OF the law. Be that as it may, this
decision in the case made and defined the
law, but still it had not reached the real
intent of the legislature Claimants
might still go into court to enforce their
rights and receive compensation for a
days work of eight hours, but If it should
be shown that they had received pay &C
cording to contract entered into, express
or implied, that would decide the matter
and no further compensation would be
granted. This was stumbling block in
the way, because it was very easy TO
show that the claimant had entered into
contract. especially an implied one, and
thus would be debarred from receiving
the very relief he was seeking 1t WAS
to assist in getting rid of this difficulty
that the bill was framed. But before its
passage in the house MIR. Brewer tackled
on to 1t two amendments, one of which,
chiefly, took away from the bill all the
advantages which it originally possessed.
1t virtually followed the adverse decision
of the supreme court and thus practically
left the wOrkingman no redress under il
whatever.
Now, this is the complaint the ARGUS
makes. Mr.. Gest got the credit for pass
ing bill for the benefit of the men who
were entitled to compensation under the
eight-hour law. 1t complains that the
bill rs passed the house is an absolute
failure and that no effort on the part of
Mr.. Gcst was made to make it otherwise.
He sat supinely by and let the great
fabric over which he had been toiling for
lol these long weary months-years may
become tumbIng about his ears and
did not even lift his hand to prevent the
disaster. The Union this morning took
up nearly a column to tell the people that
Gest couldn't help it, that other men were
talking and they wouldn't give him a