Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-04
PETER ON THE LIST
Of Senators Who Will Investigate
Pinkertons and Homestead.
LITTLE PROGRESS THIS SUMNER.
The Latest Trouble in the House Committee
Not Yet Adjusted.
EvAsIvE REASONS FOR THE DELAY
tFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT

IFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, Aug. 3-The committee
of seven appointed by the Vice President
to-day to investigate the maintenance Of
private armed force for the purpose of SELL
ing their services to employers Of workmen
in the event of strikes or other troubles,
and to inquire into labor troubles generally,
in accordance with the resolution adopted
yesterday, is in the main a good one. Sena-
tor Palmer, of Illinois, was not selected as
a member of the committee, however, and
this is surprise to everybody.
Gallinger, of New Hampshire; PETER, of
Kansas, and Hansbrough, of North Dakota,
have all shown a personal and intelligent
interest in the questions to be Investigated.
For the rest little can he said. FELTON,, of
California, has naturally dabbled a good
deal in the Chinese phases of the labor and
immigration question: Sanders, of Mon
tana; White, of Louisiana, and Hill, of
New York, have never shown the least sim
cere interest in such matters, and might as
we'll not be on the committee at all.
Working Members OF the Committee.
The hard work, if any be done, will be
PETER and Hansbrough. DR.. Gallinger &C.
quired the trade of printer early in life
and can never forget the lessons he then
learned as an employe. Senator Henry
Clay Hansbrough also went through all the
vicissitudes of a journeyman printers life
and is now a newspaper publisher at DEVILS
Lake, n. Oak.
Senator PETER, of Kansas, was a farmer
in Cumberland county, Pa, in early life,
and now holds not only all of the opinions
of the Farmers Alliance, but also many
others OF more radical character than any
that have been indorsed by that body.
These three Senators named first on the list
make the committee an interesting and
wholesome one, to say nothing Of the
others
Whether any sittings will be held during
the recess of Congress has not yet been de-
cided, but it is matter of doubt, as the
services of every member of the committee
will be in demand the moment the cam
paign, opens, and all of them will need a
little rest before that time. 1t is possible,
however, that brief session may be held
at some hot weather resort, where rest and
work may be mingled
Still Lack OF Harmony.
The trouble in the subcommittee which
investigated the Homestead affair grows no
better fast. Chairman Oates is profoundly
displeased at the rejection of his report,
which he purposed should be the greatest
effort of his life, and 1t is now doubtful if it
will be presented to the House at all. A
suggestion was made that the majority of
the subcommittee prepare a report, but
the absurdity of disagreeing reports upon
such question has evidently made itself
apparent, and the probabilities are, as I
wrote ten days ago, that no report whatever
will be made at this session, and, possibly,
unless further and similar labor troubles
occur, at any other session.
When the matter Is given to the full
committee tomorrow it will, it is said, be
concluded that the best course to pursue
will be to lay the printed testimony before
the House and rest at that, with a sugges-
tion that the committee pursue its investi-
cations and report at some future time. 1t
is difficult to understand why the investiga-
tion should be continued. The committee
has done all it started out to do under the
resolution which created it
The Delay Really an Evasion.
They have called and examined all the
witnesses they could think of who could
throw light on the subject being investi-
gated. They have heard employers and
employed, the Pinkertons and the critics of
the Pinkertons Other evidence would
surely be but repetition of what is already
in their possession. It is apparent, there
fore, that the excuse that further investiga-
tion is necessary before making report is
an evasion and not at all explanatory of
the mystery that surrounds this e1traordi-
nary condition of things in the committee,
the real explanation for which is carefully
concealed from the public.
The committee was sent out post haste to
investigate that some report might be made
to Congress this session which would result
in legislation corrective of the Pinkerton
evil, If it were found to be an evil thing.
1t is therefore very queer that when the
Chairman should declare himself ready to
to make report, the preparation of which
was turned over to him by the unanimous
vote of the committee, he should have but
one person to agree with him that his report
was worthy of presentation, and that one
person Republican. Possibly something
may leak out little later in explanation Of
the mystery, but just now each member of
the whole committee gives but the most
trifing reasons for the suppression of the