Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-07-11
SENATOR PALMER
TAXES ADVANCED GROUND IN DISCUSSING
THE HOMESTEAD TROUBLES.
Re Believes the Employees Have Reciprocal
Rights With the Employers in the Property
Ills Remarks Cause a Sensation.

On Thursday last Senator Palmer, OF
Illinois, delivered a speech on the hoor
Of the Senate, In relation to the Home.
stead trouble, that has set the tongue OF
every citizen wagging who has read IL,
The REGISTER published y synopsis OF
his remarks at che time by telegraph,
but so much enquiry for the verbatim
report Of his remarks has been made
that the REGISTER publishes tt below as
itaDpeared in the Congressional Record.
Before the subject passes from the al
tention Of the Senate / beg 20 make
very few observations.
am quite satisfied that merelyto de-
plore this condition Of things falls very
far short Of what must be the duty OF
some department or departments OF
either the Federal or State Govern
ments. We are confronted now with
this problem in its most impressive
form. This very large establishment OF
the Carnegie Company. which / under
stand has some SOS, 600, 600 capital be-
hind it or invested in it's enterprise, en-
ployes some five thousand men, be-
iieve, and upon those hye thousand
men there are dependent many thous-
and women and children, persons
who depend upon the proceeds OF the
labor OF those men for support.
/ understand that the Carnegie Com
pany have determined that there shall
be changes 10 their methods, that there
shall be a different rate Of cOmpenSa-
ton paid hereafter for certain kinds Of
labor. and that the contracts shall end
al another time OF the year, and that
they make those conditions peremptory
and abSOlute-the reduction OF wages
and the difference in the termination Of
the period Of the contracts. 1t is also
true that they have in the exercise OF
what they claim 10 be their clear right,
attempted TO bring q large military
force to their establishments; military
force which has q known and recOg-
nized existence ia this country. The
army raised aud commanded by the
Pin kertons is as distictly known in this
country as is the regular army Of the
United States. 1t is not new thing. l
am astonished TO find that il excites sur
prise now. For years that force has ex-
listed. It's number is not always the
same. The cOmmander-in-chief OF this
army, like the barOns OF the middle
ages, has force TO be increased at
pleasure for the service OF those who
would pay him or them, and they have
been employed in many places, in many
of the States Of the Union. They have
been employed in New York, and have
shed the blood Of citizens Of that State.
They have been employed In IlliROis, and
have shed blood of citizens OF Illinois.
At other points In the United States
they have been employed.
This company claim not only the right
to regulate their own business in their
own way, but they claim the right 70
fOrtlfy their position and the right To
introduce this armed force within their
fortified lines. They claim the right To
a free passage from their armed boats
on the MonOngahela river into their
Notifications; and hence this struggle,
this battle, because battles are not
necessarily conflicts between armed
men organized by proper authority, and
there was battle between the men who
supposed they had a right and thi;
armed force OF mercenaries raised and
organized by the owners Of this estab'
lishment.
Mr. President, In making this state
ment I confess / have given no infor'
nation to the Senate. We know what
the facts are. 10 is claimed on one
hand that the citizens fred on the mer,
ecenaries, and 10 Is claimed on the other
hand that the mercenaries first fired
upon the citizens. 10 is not very mate
rial TO nv mind, who fired the drSt
shot. These are men who were taken
there for the purpose of battle, con
tingeht purpose, i confess, but for the
purpose Of shedding the blood Of these
people n they stood in their pathway.
Their boats, understand, were lined
so as 20 be imperviOus TO the pistols and
muskets that were supposed to be IL
the hands Of these people.
But even when that statement is made
have done but little toward reaching
a solution Il this question. What de-
sire from any committee Of the Senate
will be not to tell US the story OF thi:
outrage. nor is it material whether the
blame for the present condition is cast
upon the Carnegie Company or not. il
is simply because they are but repre-
sentativeS OF new conditions Of society
it might have happened at any one Of a
hundred places in the United States
where large numbers OF men are en-
plOved in the service of these enormous
. manufacturing establishments. It may
happen anywhere. IL may occur IN
Illinois, or in New York, or in PennSyl
Vania, or in Ohio. Anywhere it may
happen, because ia the nature OF thing:
these interests oppose each other up u
the extent that I shall describe.
speak Of the Carnegie Company
merely because it happens for the time
being 20 be an actor Ia these things. Il
is claimed for them and by them that
they have an absolute right TO the
MANAGEMENT of their own property; thai
they are not bound 20 listen 70 the sug
gestiOns or the wishes Of any third per
son; that the men who have tOiled with
them and for them for years have nc
voice whatever. have no interest in the
establishment, have no right and only
speak by the permission of those who
employ them. That is the broad state
ment OF property. rights in the Carnegie
Company.
The men who resist claim that they
have some rights because II Il is true
as a matter OF law and if it Is to be re
garded as true in a political sense, thai
these 4, 800 men were simply treSpaSSer:
there, then of course 10 must be very
difficult 10 condemn the Carnegie Com
pany, except as TO the manner in which
they assert their rights. IL may be said
that il was menacing and Insulting thai
they should organize this force in con
tempt Of public authority, because for q
private citizen to attempt 70 enforce
his own rights. however clear