St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-30
AFTER PINKERTONs.
Alliance Men to Attack Them in
the House.

WASHINGTON, Jan. %. = The anti
Pinkerton resolution introduced by
Representative Watson, of Georgia,
was the subject of much discussion in
the house committee ON judiciary this
morning. The Farmers Alliance rep
resentative made strong argument in
favor OF his resolution, and insisted
that it was the duty of congress to in
vestigate thoroughly abuses that had
grown up under the practices of Pinker-
tonIsm and take prompt steps to sup
press this quasi-militIa organization
which has been foStered by capitalists
! alone, and which is the paid agent of
monopoly and constant menace to the
liberty OF the common people.
Mr.. Oates, of Alabama, asked some
questions of Mr.. Watson, and, while
diSclaiming any desire to defend the
practices OF the PinkertOns, expressed
some doubts as to the ability of congress
to legiSlate upon this subject, which he
considered matter only to be regulated
or suppressed by the various state legiS-
latures. The members of the commit
tee generally seemed to share the
opinion of Mr.. Oates. and it is likely
the resolution of Mr.. Watson will be re-
ported unfavorably. In that event MIR.
Watson and his Farmer Alliance col
leagues express their intention of carry
ing the fight to the house and insisting
| upon thorough investigation of the
| methods of the Pinkertons.
1--WE think" SAID Mr.. Watson, "that
! for the corporations to arm and equip a
standing army to settle their difficulty
| with their laborers by war is reducing
the government to anarchy. The labor
erS have no right to maintain stand
| ing army to fight the corporations and
| the corporations should have no right
to maintain standing army to fight the
laborers. If the government is not
strong enough to deal with these people
and settle their disputes from govern
ment standpoint, then there is an end of
the rule of the law and the beginning
of the rule of that party which can
| equip the heaviest battalions."
| Representative Simpson, of Kansas,
for the Farmers Alliance of the West,
expressed the same sentiments as Rep
resentative Watson, of Georgia. lone
of our strong nights in this congress"
said he, us to be made upon the princi-
pie embodied in that resolution. There
are $4,000 men in the United States in
| the employ of the Pinkertons who can
be modified at any city. They can
shoot down the citizens of that city and
the guilty party is al once spirited away
! Dy MS IellOWS without any show OF JUS
tice. That has been many times done in
the past. The existence of the Pinker-
| ton organization is constant menace to
the interests of labor and the freedom
of the people, and if unchecked will
finally result in the establishment of a
] private army to be used in the interests
of monopoly. That practice can be car
ried far enough to destroy free govern
ment."
1.-The resolution will be reported un-
! favorably," said Mr.. Otis tonight, flor
| the reason that congress has no power
| to take away from the states the regu-
lation of this matter. If we have no
right to legislate upon it, then, in my
opinion, we have no right to inquire
into it. do not believe in making an
investigation of subject concerning
which congress has no power to legis-
| lateu