Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-06
BLAME THE DEMOCRATS.
Spicy Report Published by the X. of L.
Legislative Committee.


The Legislative Committee of the X. of L.
has published lengthy and rather spicy re-
port, commenting on the attitude of the
two leading political parties toward the sew
eral bills that were presented at the recent
session in the interest of organized labor.
The report first speaks of the attempt to get
pledges from legislative candidates in ad-
vance of the election on certain measures.
The Constitutional Convention bill was
the first one advocated. The report finds
that: ITO the Republican party is due the
credit of q Constitutional Convention. Less
we cannot say, more it is needless to say. 1t
would be unfair to charge the Democratic
Senators as individuals with bad faith in
this matter. Foremost among those oppos-
ing we are compelled to note as follows: Sem
ators Ross. Lloyd and Dunlap; and those fav-
oring and strongly advocating: Senators
Rapsher, Green, Hines and Brown. The Rob-
insOn bill was not all in this respect that we
honestly contended for, nor is the bill as
passed what the people are fairly entitled
to; but when the party pledged to the con-
ention refused to exert proper efforts in
this behalf it Is not competent for that
party to except to the Robinson bill, nor is
it the province of this committee to COM
plain that. under the circumstances, this
was less than our portion as awarded by the
Republican side.'
The committee blames Messrs. Lytle and
Farr with the defeat of the free school book
bill and Senator Thompson for the loss of
ertson comes in for the committees con-
demnation for having worked against q gen.
eral eight-hour law. The thanks of the
committee, however, are rendered to the
members who did not assist in having the
following bills enacted: constitutional
convention bill, ballot reform BILL bill
abolishing company stores, q semi-mont thly
pay bill, a bill abolishing conspiracy laws,
an anthracite mine bill, compulsory edu-
cation bill (vetoed) and bill enabling lab
orers to collect pay for work stocking saw
logs, etc.
The committee concludes by heaping the
responsibility of their heaviest losses upon
the heads of the Democratic members, and
in the following language strongly intimates
that the prediction made in THE DISPATCH
few days ago that the X. of l.. would support
the Republican party this fall, is true.
1t is only simple justice to say in our case that
silence on the Democratic side during the debates
on labor measures was about equal to modest oppo-
sition on the Republican side upon the same meas
1t has been the boast of the Democratic
party that it stood for the people and for labor's
just demands. Yes but the facts are they did not
stand, but sat during the debates on our bills. The
true. brave and aggressive Hines had to do the
standing and take the shafts that were constantly
and remorseessly flung from the other side. This
unfair to and decidedly unchivalric. Had
pledged friends on the minority side stood up"
for our bills, they should have done, we are sat-
ised to believe that their argumentative powers in
defense of Just measures would have impressed the
Republican side and persuaded them-even against
cess, and, though they failed in this. they would
have earned respect for their efforts from those who
were delegated to Witness. but were not permitted
to engage in the debates.