Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-11
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY II, 1891
The BACK PAY BILL.
1t is Re committed by the United
States Senate.
Nnder Discu 81 IN for several DAYS
and Finally sheIved by a close
Vote-A Disappointment
to LCcal Claimants.

The defeat of the back pay bill in the
United States senate on Monday decides
the fate OF that measure during the pres
ent congress at least After being up for
consideration for three consecutive ses-
SONS, II wss recommitted to the commit
tee on education and labor on Saturday
and on Monday motion for reconsidera-
ton was beaten by one vote PARTY lines
were not drawn on the measure, its wsrm-
est champions being Blair and Dawes, re-
publicsns, and German, democrat. 1t
was strongly opposed by Wolcott, repub>
lican. aud Harris and Cockrell, democrats.
The absence of both Senators Cullom and
Fa-well, of this state at the Saturday ses-
sion' when the bill was recommitted, gives
col0r 10 the suspicion that they were dodg-
ing the issue. Farwell was present on
Monday and voted for reconsideration
and had Cullom been in his seat there
would have been tie vote, with prob
able subsequent favorable action.
The bill was first brought up as it pass,
ed the house with the Objectionable
Brewer amendment, which THE ARGUS at
The time claimed would practically kill
its effect, and upon which critical occa>
sion it sharply criticized Congressman
aest for mis- silence The amendment
Has:
Thai this act shall not be operative
whenever the court shall find that such
laborer. workman or mechanic performed
such labor or service under q contract
express or implied. and has been paid
therefor the amount agreed upon"
When the b use bill had been discussed
IN the senate for some time, Dir. Blair
moved to substitute the former senate
bill in its stead, which was agreed to-
This disposed of the Objectionable
amendment, but it was subsequently in.
terposed again and carried. so that the
defeat of the bill with its constructive
defects is not to be regretted so deeply as
though its provisions tended to a Just
settlement of the claims. For the bene>
BIT of the many workmen interested in
The bill in this vicinity, THE ARGUS ap.
ponds an extended report of the proceed
ings Of the senate in connection there's
with
In the senate on last Thursday Mr..
Blair stated the facts and circumstances
formed no Of ha H.
said IL had been estimated that it would
require 81 200. 900 to pay these claims;
but his own opinion was that it would
require larger amount
Mr.. Dawes rep, Mass } gave notice of
an amendment in the way of substitute,
requiring payment for overtime, notwith-
standing any agreement to the contrary.
Mr.. Morrill, (:ep., VT said that the
bill was too important measure to be
considered and disposed of in the mere
selvage Of day lie desired to address
The senate upon it tomorrow morning, and
he asked that the bill be laid aside in
formally. 1t was so ordered.
On Friday when the S.hour bill came
up, Mr.. Morrill, spoke in opposition to it,
II was not too much to say, he remarked,
that large ma ority OF the people of the
United States labored more than ten
hours day. He had the deep conviction
that not only was the eight hour law of
1868 fundamentally wrong, but that the
attempted resurrection of it in the pend
ing measure, instead of being beneficial
10 the class to which it was specially in
tended TO benefit. would inf1ict upon that
class and upon the country ct large
grave and possibly an irreparsble in
jury.
The amendment reported from the
committee on education and labor was
read. 1t strikes out of the house bill the
proviso that it shall not be operative
whenever the court Of claims shall find
that the work or service was performed
under any contract, expressed or implied,
and the workman has been paid therefor
the amount agreed upon.
MIR. Sherman rep, Ohio said that he
would vote for the bill as il passed the
ense. He considered it an excellent
bill. recognizing. as it did, the general
principle that eight hours were a fair
days labor. but not denying the right of
men to work more hours il they Choose,
and TO make contracts. But where con-
tracts had been made to work nine or ten
q 10Y NV SUN Jul
tracts be observed?
Mr.. Spooner rep, Wis said that the
contracts in question had been made IN
der duress.
Mr. Sherman denied that there had
been any duress about it, or that Amer-
can workmen could be forced to enter in
to contracts against their will. The con-
tracts having been made. he could not
under stand why they should not be OBJ
served-unless there were some slight
shades of demagogueism in the bill.
Mr.. Allison (rep., Iowa. asked Mr..
Blair to state the probable amount in
yolved in the bill.
Mr Blair replied that in answer to a
question Yesterday he had given the esti-
mated amount at 81, $50. 600. and had ex.
pressed his individual opinion that it
unuld no moro than that He cOuld mt