The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-02-20

thsn II you want personalities bore Is some
thing. have in my hand 4 lsttcr which
YOU sent us after / begged . pass for yos
The Chairman; 1.-THE gentlemen will
come to order" .
should not start an exchange Of PERSONAL
tiles"
After Mr.. Grsenough's a~msndmsnt had
been defeated nv u vote OF eighteen to
twenty-five Mr.. Wo0dson aross and said:
No one will doubt that this subject 10 one
| Of most vital Importance, not alonO TO the
mine owner, the mine worker, but TO the
entire state OF Montana, directly and indi-
rectly affecting every species OF business IN
the state. SO imrortant ~ TINS subject
/ hero assert that IL would have becn better
| not to have even broken the legislative
deadlock than for this body TO place upon
our statutes a law 10 unconstitutional, so
unjust, 30 short-sighted, 70 disaStrious, as !
believe this would prove to be. unconsti.
tutional because IL abridgcs the rights OF
free men, to buy labor from men on any
| terms upon which they mutually agree,
without subjecting themselves to punish
ment like a crimina stealing a horse, I'M
Just to tho mine owner inasmuch rs 1t
jeopardizss his mining interests Ill many
ways. 1t 10 short-sighted because liz 10.
suits are sure to bring about q reduction OK
wages. Don't you know that to-day no
class Of unskilled labor il 80 well paid as
the Montana miner, no occupation so fas-
c~inating to those who follow itT Do
you wish to see wages reduced. then
why pass this law, for ! tell You that hon,
estly believe that the passage Of this bill
means n reduction OF wages to not more
than $3.50 per eight hours work, when You
now get $3.50 for ostensibly ten hours, but
in fact not more than miro hours. and III
most mines not more than eight hours.
l have heard il said that the mon would
| do trsf al rnuDh in piOht M in ten hnufg. DV
the same reasoning why won't they do az
much in six ~ in eight, III Tour rs In SIX,
and so OIL. You row have An advantage
that you will sacrifice by this law. you sec
that the mine owners are almos compelled
to reduce you wager which means hard
times, it means strikes and a general
paralysis Of business.
Our state has just passed through q
most disastrous year. The stock
interest, the farming interest and
all sorts of business are suffering
from the great depression in the money
market. We have looked with renewed
hope to Montans's greatest industry, though
yet III its infancy, to grow fast and be q
power In the land. Are we going to Kill. the
main dependence Of our hope and our prideF
We have not one-fftieth enough capital in
the state to develop this industry. We are
looking to Europe and the eastern states
for capital, and they are looking for in
vestments in our mines. Do You suppose
for a moment that capital will invest in de-
velopsd mines or undeveioped ones in .
country where there il q strike?
Mr.. Howey arose with a copy OF the For
um in his hand. II favor this BILL" he
said. because of the rapid concentration OF
wealth in the hands Of the few" Here Mr..
Howey read from an article on this subject
by Thomas G. Shearman, showing that
are worth from twenty to $50 millions
each. "Practicslly 10000 persons control
one-half the wealth i'll the United States
to-day. To-day the m%iilionaires are moro
numerous than the gods of ancient Rome.
and many Of them are quite as useless
(applause). The statutes Of Montana are
warped in the interests corporations.
Twelve years before there was q railroad in
the state We had legislation in their favor.
There has been legislation for thirty years
to protect capital. Capital should protect
itself in time of peace. l am in favor OF 4
division Of the profits Applause from the
gallery. The dividend from the Granite
| Mountain last year were two and one-half
millions. What has become Of that!
Where is it spent? Every time q man goes
down into Of the mine he risks his life.
Mr.. DAILY once said he would have a man
80 before the mast rather than
90 down in a mine yet these
are the men who are against this law. The
law should be passed for sanitary reasons.
Labor movements in this country and
Europe nave HelDso tue iSDoIiip ,haii'
There is no other way except for him to
help himself"
MIR. Penrose: II am glad to see one law
yer with a conscience. The question Is
now, will this act help the iaborina men.
/ would favor an eight hour law at the
right time"
Mr.. HASTE: "Are you performing labor
at this time in the mines?"
Mr.. Penrcse: mo: nor you either"
Mr. Wallace closed the debate in the
morning session by q very clear and concise
statement of facts and an appeal for the
miners.
In the afternoon Mr.. Wing introduced a Il
amendment providing that eight hours
should be the time only IN mines paying
dividends. Mr.. Wing in supporting this
said that the passage of the law would be A
direct blow ct men opening up prospects.
to men rising above the ranks of
wage earners. He had spent a
great deal of money in mines without
drawing anything out. lie believed the
bill in its present form was certainly a bad
measure. Mr.. Roberts protested against
the amendments which he thought were de-
signed to delay matters and hinder a square
discussion of the bill. He said the coward
ly way of lacking amendments showed tnat
the opposition did not have the manlinesa
to fight the bill squarely.
Mr.. Wing: "AI camps are not like
Butte. think this should be considered
Mr.. Howey and Mr.. Woodson INDUCED
in an exchange of personalities. after which
Mr.. Toole arose and said: "a politician
told rue that the men in this house would
not have the moral courage to do anything
to hurt the political chances. l said, you
do not know the men in that body. The
gentlemen on the other side have not
fairly presented tue question because
they DO not know the mining business. !
think there is one broad principle to be
considered in this discussion. Our fore
fathers left tine old country because OF OPP
preston. The foundation of our govern
ment Is the right of personal liberty. l de-
sire to 60 on record as saying that IT this
bill is passed these very men who are ask
ing for it will come back here and ask fol
its repeal. Do you believe that if l 90 W
on the hill and work for my wife and chill.
dren twelve hours that | should be i'm.
prisoned? Applause from the house.
Ihe business ID hazardous. and for thii
danger the men are paid more than ranch
men. At the same time there is no finer OIL
more perfect body of men physically than
the miners of Montana. Now. then. II yot
nave found the psnacea of all evils in thi
bill | am glad to know it. Making this mat
ter n penal offense il certainly an unheart
3 of thing. 1t is not an offense against socie
. ty.'' Mr. Ioole thought that the endorse
> ment of the newspapers was because OF
I desire to maintain their circulation.
I Mr.. Wallace in replying read from tn
statutes to show that laws of a similar ma