People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-08-12
PIES PARTY
'ONISM.
THE SENAEHED WEEKLY By =
Senator aPER PUBLISHING

doubt verve WHITEHALL S. anv cor
pOratiOn or any n1u- bit to hire
janiZaries or persons, care how
good their object may 81, With view
to fight, to carry arms in defense of any
private quarrel or public controversy.
In the State of Ohio we do not allow a
constable to serve unless he is elected by
the township in which he lives The
sheriff is elected by the community in
which he lives, and all officers who are
expected to enforce the laws are elected
by the locality. 1t seems to be a neces.
sary safeguard to republican institutions
that we will not trust anybody to enforce
the laws except a person kindred to and
part Of the community in which he
lives
Senator Palmer, of Illinois:
My knowledge of them commenced
in 1869, when an attempt was made to
create a corporation in the State of
Illinois with certain police powers. but
the ostensible purpose was to furnish
private watchmen for private property
and the recovery of stolen property. At
that time the governor of the State of
Illinois declined to approve the bill look
ing to that end. He insisted that the
people must depend upon officers created
by their own laws and appointed under
their own laws These agencies are not
only semi-military, but they are semi
political. They take part in the political
controversies in the States, and are the
efficient agents by which men obnoxious
to them are pursued and hunted down
and they are not only at the service of
financial corporations, but [ undertake
to say they are at the service Of political
organizations when the interests of those
organizations and the interests of these
detective associations are in harmony.
Senator Vest, of Missouri:
The citizens of Missouri have had some
experience with the Pinkerton detec-
tives of an appalling character, and I
speak with some feeling in regard to
this matter. Some years ago when
Missouri was unfortunately afflicted
with lawless people who committed as
saulted upon railroad trains and banks,
men who were the debris of border
warfare, which was deprecated by all
good citizens in the State of Missouri
and elsewhere, large reward was of
fered for the James brothers, and a train
was chartered upon the Hannibal and
st. Joseph Railroad to convey from
Chicago to depot in Clay county, Mo,
night private dwelling in that county
was surrounded by this gang of marau-
ders. A battle occurred in the darkness
between these people who mistoOk each
other for the men they had come to
capture. In the most cOwardly and
cruel way they threw hand grenades in
to that home where there was sleeping
family of women and children. One of
them exploded in the sleeping room
of the mother of the James boys, killed
a little child in the cradle and tore off
that mothers arm, and she is now an
old, decrepit, mutilated woman. These
people were not punished for this crime
They escaped in the night, carrying off
their wounded, for they had fired upon
each other. [ had occasion at the time
as an attorney to examine into the facts.
1t was impossible to make the Hannibal
and St. Joseph Railroad Company re-
sponsible because they disclaimed any
knowledge of the purpose or to whom
they had chartered this train of cars; it
was impossible in the city or Chicago,
with all the adverse interests and cir
cumstances which prevailed there, to
--SSbtafff 81 Ffooaff that Mr. oinkertOn author
lied that forage and raid into a peace
able community, and it has gone with
out redress. Time and again these men,
said TO have haen Mr. Pinkerton'e de-
tectives, have come into the State of
Missouri without consultation with the
State authorities, and ignoring the laws
and authority of the State government,
have undertaken for their own purposes
to make arrests. The basis Of defense
made by Mr.. Pinkerton is that his or
ganiEa6On is used to protect private
property. 1t is not true. In all this IN
fortunate affair at Homestead his de
tectives were there without authority of
law, and whatever may be said about the
conduct Of the working people, there is
no sort OF defense for the Pinkertons
when we consider the absolute truth OF
the statement that they went there
not as deputy sheriffs, not clothed with
any legal authority, but simply EN-
ployed for acts of violence by corpora
ton.
Senator Quay, of Pennsylvania
As to the Homestead difficulty, as the
Senate knows, the armed forces of
Pennsylvania are now in the occupancy
of Homestead for the preservation of
the peace and the support of the civil
authority, and the solution of the cues
ten at issue between labor and capital
there is now being arrived at under the
laws of Pennsylvania. The workingmen
there will be very glad to have a com
mittee visit them if that committee can
influence the adjustment of the dispute
as to the amount of their wages. If a
committee of that sort cannot be sent,
they are not anxious for any, as they
believe it will do no good. The con
dition as to Homestead rs simply that
the worklngmen do not desire your com
mittee, and that the proprietary interests
do not desiRe your committee, and the
people and authorities of Pennsylvania
are not asking for it.
Cora+or NoI1 Of E1or;do.