Omaha daily bee., 1892-07-23
PEFFER'S PECULIAR VIEWS
He Addresses the Senate on the Relations
Of Employers to Employees.
SENATOR WHITE ON TIE ANTl-oPTloN BILL
His Arguments Against the Mcasure-sen-
ator Call Discourses on the Pinterton
system-Proceedings in the House
. i.'i News from Washington.

tons OF capital and LABOR were Drought 10
the attention OF the senate today in TWO
speeches. The first Of them was made by
Mr.. PETER and was based on resolution
previously offered by him instructing the
judiciary committee to inquire into that sub
jcct and as to what legislation was necessary
TO protect the right OF employees to fair rates
Of wages. The other speech was made by
MIR. Cali ard was directed chiefly against the
Pinkerton detective force as an unauthorized
armed organization.
MIR. Peffer's resolution was referred to the
committee on education and labor.
The anti-option bill occupied the attention
Of the senate for the remainder of the days
session, and senators really had the air Of
being deeply interested in the subject Mr..
White's speech was listened to with very
close attention, although it covered nearly
ak hours IN the two days that he occupied
the floor. The bill went over without ac-
tion.
Mr.. George is to speak tomorrow in sup
port Of the bill.
The senate passed. without question, the
house bill authorizing commercial retala-
,tieH on Canada.
PETER Makes n Few Suggestions.
Mr.. PETER, in his address on the relations
OF employers and employees, referred to the
troubles at Homestead and SAID the employ
ers at that place were protected by the
power OF the state in keeping their old work.
men out and in bringing In new men. The
troops surrounded their mills. The pro-
prietors were protected, while the
workmen were sent to Jail. Tho country,
he said, was face to face with ono of tue
greatest phases Of the labor problem, aud
there were but three peaceful ways out of it,.
The first was for the govern ment to keep its
hands off both parties and let the employers
and the employed settle the matter between
themselves And they wonld do IT and do 1t
without resort to arms. He knew that was
not palatable way OF settling the matter.
Another way was for the government to
establish und regulate rates OF wages to en-
ployes and to see that they received them
Justly. That way would doubtless be re-
garded as unconstitutional and revolution
ary. There was still another way. 1t was
for the government to do with those great in
sNtutions as II did with the private lands of
citizens when 1t needed them for public use
take possession Of them, condemn them in the
publicintcrest, pay fo- them and conduct them
rs public institutions. Senators would
doubtless agree among themselves that this
way was more revolutionary than either of
the others. The employe had the same right
lno moro, no less) than the employer has.
But as the situation now Is, and as the law
now In, there is but one party to tho con-
tract protected. and there never had been so
plain and forcible an example Of the fact as
that at Homestead, whore there were l0,0U0
troops to protect the one party to o con-
tract.
Mr. Peffer expressed his belief that con
gress had the right. constitutionaily, to pro-
tect citizens Of the United States anywhere.
II also had the right, he claimed, TO deter
mine for itself when and where private
business had gone to the extent Of its useful
ness aud when 1T was time for the govern
ment to interfere.
Whites Talk Against the Anti-Option BILL
MIR. Call then spoke against the Pinker-
tons and at the conclusion OF his speech tho
anti-option bill was taken up and Mr. White
resumed his argument (begun Yesterday in
opposition to It, He called attention to the
anomaly that II the bill had not specially OK
cepted the government OF tho United States,
the government would have been amenaDe
to the penalties of the bill Were not all
BIDS of the supplies (he asked) that were
rendered to the government made by parties
VINO did not, at the timo contracts were
made, own the suppliesa Tho coal which
they contracted to furnish they had them
had still to mine 1t. Referring to the fact
that the retail dealers were excepted
Mr.. White said there were so many
snV~s isans %sll @ Se called hS an am exceptional tsas
bill, SO utterly exceptional that he thought i,
ought to be beaten. The mind of the honor
aoie senator from Minnesota, Mr.. White
said. had been SO cloudcd by the interest
1elt by him IN tho measure that he (Mr
Washburn) saw justice and freedom " here
he (Mr White) saw slavery and oppression.
Ho discussed the effocts which the bill would
have. He declared IL to be pernicous and
vicioub 1t would strike blow at the com
merce or the country, the length and breadth
and width and depth of which no human
mind could compass until IT'S results OF dis,
aster were worked out There was a con.
NJ ,tA.A 81, 81
commercial bodies of the country against the
measure In proof of this no sent TO the
clerks desk and had read resolution of the
Chamber of Commerce of tho of city New
York, the bankers of New York, Chicago
and Now Orleans and other commercial bod
les In many cities, protesting against the
passage Of the bill Were these great asso-
Citations, he asked, mere bodies of degraded
nnd abandoned gamblers, and yet that was
tho inevitable outcome of tho arguments In
support OF the bill.
Good Effects of tho "Futurc" system,
Speaking Of tho system OF Futures, i" Mr..
White said that before this system came
Into existence the cotton business was con-
hned TO large capitals. Large fortunes were
required 10 carry and hold the product,
whereas now, under the system OF future
delivery, all men were on footing Of equal.
ity, and men with small capital were the
equal OF men with large capital. AS to the
effect Of the future system on wheat, Mr..
fore the house committee on agriculture, ia
tho effect that for the last ten years the
millers had paid more for their wheat than
they had got from the Hour made from IL.
III that were the case, Mr.. White would like
TO know what became Of the argument that
under the future system the farmers did not
receive for tnelr wheat as much as they
otherwise would have done. He made a
comparison Of the fluctuations in tho price OF
cotton before and since tho future period and
asserted that the range OF fluctuations was
greater before than II has been since
With these figures staring HIM in the face
he dared not, he said, vote for the bill. HIS
Judgment was that the effect OF II would oe
to bring confusion, disarrangemenI ana tur.
moii into tho commercial organ ization Of the
whole world and that tho cost of IL TO the
people OF tho southern states would be from
HO,OOO,OOO 10 S6000O,000. And what good
could II dos Was there not cotton ex
change where futures were dealt in in Liver
pooli We're there not cotton exchanges on
the continent OF Europei he added; few
days ago he received copy OF a charter oi
On exchange at Hamburg and letter from
German merchant stating that he had no
heed that there was an Intention To strike
down the business and that ho hoped Il
would come TO them He was unwilling tC
transfer that vast sum OF money out of the
tockets OF tho southern states into the
pockets OF the people OF Europe MIR. Whit,
spoke Tor nearly three hours aud when he