Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-04-12

WIG OAiSo IOpoA euSh"
On Monday, April Z, the three repre-
sentatives of the Building Trades Sec
ton appeared before the august SEN
ators in Part III of the Superior Court.
The room was filed with politicians.
1t was by that time well-known fact
that the Democratic and Republican
"bosses" had come together and con-
cluded that it would be dangerous
thing to themselves and to their respec.
tive retinues of political lackeys, regard
less of party or faction, to have the
police investigated. How Fassett and
his colleagues would wriggle out of the
dilemma in which they were placed,
was however, an interesting question.
They were equa! to the occasion, and
we are sorry to say that Mr.. Archibald
proved feather-weight in the grasp of
the mighty Fassett.
As he took the witness chair, Mr..
Archibald, as spokesman of the Labor
committee said that the 1870 labor organi-
cations with their $4,000 members repre-
sented in the Central Labor Union, be-
lieved it to be in the interest of good
government in this city that the Police
| Department should be investigated. He
| appealed to the committee to make that
investigation, and said that he was
authorized by the Central Labor Union
to pledge its assistance and support. He
was then going to read the above memo
iial-the contents of which had been
printed in the daily papers ano were
therefore already known to the Sen
ators-when Fassett, who did not want
it to be recorded on the minutes, inter
rupted him with the question whether
the @. l.. U. could present any specific
charge against the Police Department.
Mr.. Archibald answered that the body
which he represented wished to know
before presenting specific charges
whether the Senate Committee proposed
to investigate the police.
By this reply he played handsomely
into Fassetts hands, and lost his only
chance of presenting officially his me-
mortal. From this time on the proceed
ing was farce.
Senator Fassett-When any one comes
to this committee with the request that
any department Of the city government
be investigated, the committee thinks it
only courteous for the applicant to give
some idea of what facts there are on
which to begin an investigation.
Mr.. Archibald-,We wish to be lust as
courteous Us the committee but we do
not care to make public our evidence
unless it is to be acted upon.
Senator Fassett--Well, can you not
specify some case?
Mr.. Archibald--Yes the case of the
Progress Club, where there was strike
two or three months ago, and the police
sided with the owners of the building
against the strikers.
Senator Fatsett-That is what we
want--now specify some more cases.
Mr.. Archibald hesitated and again
asked whether the Central Labor Union
could have the assurance that the Senate
committee would investigate the charges
that might be made.
Senator Fassett with annoyance
Then you wish to force the hand of this
committee?
Mr.. Archibald-No, not at ALL We
want to know whether you are incline
to make this investigation or not; if you
are we will give you the specific charges.
This drew forth quite long speech
from Senator Fassett. This commit.
tee, he said, "has heard all sorts of
rumors, and received all sorts of re-
quests from all sorts of men and organ
izations to investigate all sorts of things.
Men come to us and say: This depart
ment is rotten, and you ought to inves-
tigate that. We have had requests to
investigate Rochester, Long Island City,
Brooklyn and New Utrecht. We have
received letters, many of them anonym.
Gus, here to look into the Park Board
and the Dock Board and the Police
Board, and almost every other Board in
this city. But few people give us any
evidence or anything tangible or definite
to work on. We must have some proof
before we begin any investigation. Ii
isn't good plan to hunt ducks with a
brass band. We must know something
of what we are going to do before we
begin to shout. Now, if Mr.. Archibald
or any other man will come to us with
definite proof of wrongdoing in the Pc
lice department or any other depart
!, ment, why we will investigate that de
partment to the best OF our ability; but
,, we must have that definite proof, OF
something that looks like proof, first.
In conclusion Senator Fassett sugges
ted that if the G. l.. U. did net wish t.
reveal its charges to the public, the
committee would receive them in secret
session. This seemed to satisfy Mr.
Archibald and he withdrew.