The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-03-28
Senator EdmundS Denounces Labor
Unions as Forms of the Most
Unjust Tyranny.
Coal Barons, He Says, Have the
Right to Unite Against
Their Miners.
The hin to Admit Wyoming Into the
Union, Woman suffrage and All,
Passes the House.

WASHINGTON. March @7.-In the senate to-
day the house bill WIS amended so that tho
census act will allow special agents three
dollars per day for subsistence when trnyel-
| ing.
The hill passed authorizing the secretary
of war to purchase 1000 tents TO shelter
the people driven out by floods in the Mis-
sissippi valley.
/ The antitrust bill was then taken M.
When tho amendment excepting from the
prohibitions of tho law combinations of
workingmen and farmers came up Edmunds
spoke al some length. lie favored going as
far as the constitution permitted in sup
pressing and breaking up trusts and mo-
nopolies. The people esniFt7 fegtt--Sffrt tiIcir
eyes TO The fact that ii capital combined. il
the great industrial establishments COM
/ hiued 10 regulate wages. worlmen also COM
bined 10 defend themselves, and this country
and others for the last forty years had been
turned into camps of oppositions where
there ought To be only one camp of coop
cratiyo friends. Even in Washington.
where congress has exclusive jurisdiction,
all trades had combinations which were
armed camps, making an aggressive war
fare against the rest of mankind. Edmunds
cited MS an incident the case of a skilled
printer who wanted employment in the pub
lie printing office, but could not be hired
because the man did not belong 10 par
ticular combination and the public printer
was threatened with n strike if the man
was employed. If this sort of thing
was moi tyranny, Edmunds did
not know what tyranny was.
Edmunds went on 90 argue that If labor
combinations put up wages fifty per cent,
the people who owned mines and furnaces
had the right TO combine 10 protect them
selves. SO as 10 get such prices as would
make up for the increased cost of produc-
tion. BE believed it better to endure the
partial evil of even grinding monopolies
than TO attempt TO step over clear bonn
Diary line established and maintained be-
tween congress and the legislative powers of
the states.
Platt also attacked the bill. motion
by Walthall 10 refer the bill and amend
ments 10 the judiciary committee to report
back in twenty days was then agreed TO.
The senate bill granting pensions 10 ex.
soldiers and sailors incapacitated from man
ual labor. and 10 dependent relatives of de
ceascd soldiers and sailors. was taken up,
and Plumb argued in support of his
| anne 1dment made eome time ago extending
the provisions 30 all who served three
months or more. Berry opposed the amend
ment as another form of service pension bill.
Davis, of the committee on pensions, also
opposed 1T. He was not ready TO 90 to the
extent of pensioning everybody, irrespective
Of dependency. The bill reported by the
committee would make an appropriation of
SB,0O0,OO necessary in addition 10 the
$9s,0OO,00 now needed. Plumb's amend
Inent would add at least Sls.OO00O0 more.
plumb's amendment was rejected, and the
bill went over. The house bill for the ad
mission of Wyoming WAS ordered printed.
Adjourned.