Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-07-08
ROCK ISLAND, FRIDAY, JULY s, 1892.
PALMER'S SOLUTION
The Illinois Senator on the La
Dor Troubles.
VERY RADICAL REMEDY OUTLINED.

VIM MANUAL hbM EDY UUTLlNED.
Manufactures To Be Considered Public
Institutions-A View of the Rights of
LabOrers Which Is New in the Senate
Both Houses Preparing to Go Into
1nvestigation-No Kind Words for the
Pinkertons-Prospects of the Silver Bill
The Antis Confident of Defeating 1t
-Wheeler's Committees Attack on
Raum.
WASHINGTON, July S.-The Homestead
riots were brought under discussion almost
Immediately on the opening of the senate
yesterday. The resolutions offered by
Gallinger to investigate the matter
through the committee on education and
labor and by Peffer to appoint special
committee 10 investigate the general ques-
tion Of the employment of Pinkerton men
were laid before the senate. There was no
difference of opinion about the investiga.
tion, but the Pinkertons came in for a
good deal of denunciation, Stewart calling
them "murderous gang" and EARNED
assassins." But the sensation of the de-
bate was the speech of Palmer of Illinois.
he said that wherever the Pinkertons had
been present they had shed blood.
In the course of his speech Palmer said:
Il maintain and ask the attention of the
committee on education and labor, if that
committee shall be instructed 10 inquire
into the subject, that these citizens 1.-THE
Homestead strikersl were right. l main.
tain, according to the law of The land-not
as the law is generally understood, but ac-
cording to the principles of the law which
must hereafter be applied to the solution
OF these troubleS-that these men 1.-THE
strikersl had the4ight to be there That
makes it necessary for me to assert that
these men had a right to employment
there. They had earned the right to live
there. These large manufacturing estab-
lishments must hereafter be understood to
be public establishments in the modified
sense, which will explain in a moment,
and the owners of these properties must
hereafter be regarded as holding their
property subject to the co-relative right of
those without whose service the property
would be utterly valueless.
More of the Rights of Labor
{ The only concession l make comedies to
them 1.-THE ownersl the right TO reason.
able profit on the capital invested in their
enterprises. | maintain. furthermore.
that these laborers having sent their
lives in this peculiar line of service have
the right to insist on the permanency OF
their employment, and they have right
to insist, too, upon "A reasonable compensa.
TN for their services We talk about the
civil service law as applicable TO govern.
mont employment. l assert that there is
a law wider and broader than that, which
gives to these men who have been bred in
these special pursuits, as for example, in
the service of railroads. or of these vast
manufacturing establishments. a right to
demand employment, right which can
only be defeated by misconduct on their
party.
Tenure of Employ of workmen.
81 maintain, therefore, that at the time
of the assault upon these people at Home
stead, they were where they had a Sght Uo
be; they were upon grounds they had a
right to defend. Do you ask me if these
men may by force take possession of the
property of another No. They were
conducting themselves in the line of their
rights, as / understand that. Business
was suspended and these men were simply
awaiting settlement of the disputed
questions between them and their EN-.
pIONtES. -haIh me. MAINTAIN Ine rlglt
of owners of property to operate it at their
will / maintain the right of the opera
tive to assist IN its operation. maintain
the right of both parties to reasonable
compensation for their services. main
tain the right of these laborers to continu-
ous employment, dependent not upon the
will alone of the employer, but dependent
on the good conduct of the employees.
The Right to Employment
"This is the only road out of the diff.
Guilty. You may call ont the militia of
the state of Pennsylvania and you NAV
eXterminate all the inhabitants of that
beautiful and thrifty village, and what is
done? Human life has again been sacri.
feed in one of these struggles for human
rights Do you establish the right of these
large establishments to control their bust
ness? On the contrary, the laboring men
of the country, so conscious of the exist
ence of this right which | asSert-the right
to continue in employment during good
behavior-will continue to resist, and this
social war will be upon you, and it will
become the duty of Christian statesmen,
republican statesmen, to find some road
ont nf thic difficultv