The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-02-08
Mr. Harris Announces that the Time Will
Never Come When He Will Obey the Or
ders of o National Convention.
Hypocrisy of the Cleveland Party Ex.
posed in the Senate by Mr. Chandler.
Democrats Not Only Opposed to Repeating the
Silver Purchase Law, but Against I'm
proved, Safe Railroad Appliances.
IN KEEPING WITH THE PAST.

WASHINGTON, FeO. Ex-senator Cn8nuler
managed to give political twist to the de.
bate in the Senate to-day on the automatic
coupler bill He brought up q resolution
in the national Democratic platform. which
denounced the Republican party and the
Republican Senate for not having provided
legislation for the protection of railroad
employ es, and he insisted that the fact of
80 many Democratic Senators being against
the bill was inconslstent with their party
fealty. He twitted them with the fact
that only eleven of them had voted yester-
Sherman act. knowing the declaration of
the national Democratic convention on the
subject of silver and knowing the entreat-
les of the President-elect to have the Sher-
man act repealed before the 4th of March,
And he predicted that the course of Demo-
cratic Senators at the next Congress on the
subject of tariff would be equally at vari.
ance with their party platform. Mr.. VOL
cott, while arguing against the automatic
coupler bills, said no other Senator than
Mr.. Chandler could have found political
advantage in it. No action was taken on
the bill.
The first thing done by the Senate to-day
was to pass the Senate bill for the relief of
the asslgnees or legal representatives OF
John Roach, deceased. to pay the balance
due on the United States ship Dolphin
S., 165.
Then the Senate resumed consideration
of the substitute reported from the COM
mlttee on interstate commerce TO promote
the safety of employees and travellers upon
railroads by compelling common carriers
engaged In interstate commerce TO equip
their oars with automatic couplers and con-
tlnuous brakes aud their locomotives with
driving wheel brakes. In the course OF his
explain alton of the bill Mr.. Cullom said
that there were forty different patterns OF
automatic couplers, and that II owners OF
IS per cent of the freight cars agreed upon
q particular type of cOuplers the Inter
state-c0mmerce Commission would flx that
as the one to be used.
Mr. Harris asked Mr.. Cullom whether the
railroad companies were not adopting the
automatic coupler as rapidly as their imam
cial condition would allow.
FEW PROVIDED WITH SAFETY APPLIANCES.
Mr.. Cullom admitted the railroad COM
panies insisted that they were doing the
tost they could, but yet not one-third of
the freight cars were provided with COUP
lers or brakes
Mr. Villas asked Mr.. Cullom whether he
company deferred payment of dividends In
order to adopt means to protect the lives
of its employees.
Mr. Cullom knew no instance of the kind.
The trouble was that railroad companies
were looking more to finances than to the
protection OF the lives and limbs of their
Mr.. Wolcott inquired whether the asso-
claton of freight men had not protested
against the adoption OF automatic cOuplers
and expressed preference for the link
and pin.
Mr.. Cullom admitted that the freight
mon would prefer the link and pin rather
than have the variety of couplers that
were now being used. If there was
would. of course. be in favor Of
it. He gave statistics of the loss
of life and limb by railroad employees
through accidents, and said that the coun-
try looked to Congress to hasten the time
cease. 1t had been stated-a startlin fact.
If true-that the total loss of railroad en-
plOyes killed and injured In eight years
was equal to the total number of men en-
gagged In railroad service in one year.
These men. he said. would be safer if they
were enlisted In the army In time OF war
than they were now as railroad employees.
Mr. Hun:on said that he was not able to
very seductive title. He believed that men
who had devoted their lives to the build
ing and management of railroads would
conduct their business better than 1t could
be conducted by Congress, by the Inter
state-cOmmerce Commission or by the ma
tional convention of each of the two great
parties. He quoted Mr. German as saying
that 1t would cost the railroad companies
OF the country S50,000.0O0 to comply with
the requirements of the bill.
Mr. Harris said that Mr.. Gorman's
estimate applied only to cOuplers. The
cost Of brakes would be from $50 to 500
car. and as there are ]. 100 600 freight cars in
the country, that item would add from
In hmm draA fxNM Mr.
mans estimate of cost.
Mr.. Chandler said that the bill should be
passed without hesitancy and without de-
lay. 1t had been favored in the platform
of the national Democratic convention,
but he feared. from the performances of
the last few days in the Senate, that that
platform was in danger of receiving
grlevous If not deadly wounds at the hands
platform had denounced the Republica
party, and particularly the Republican
Senate las il was then. but as it was soon
not to be-, for not taking action on the
House bill to protect the lives of railroad
employees. He would like to know what
the Democratic convention really meant In
that matter. and he asked Mr.. Harris If he
would explain it.
WILL NOT OBEY HIS PARTY'S DICTATES.
Nr. Harris-I am not able to answer
definitely the direct question of the Sena-
tor; but l shall say to him that the time
has never been, Is not now. aud never will
come. when shall be such q devotee to the
orders of a national convention as he seems
TO be. Laughter.
Mr.. Chandler was glad to hear that dec
laration of independence from the Senator
from Tennessee. But he was amazed at
the want of respect with which Democratic
Senators threatened the platform of their
party. He could now understand very
well why the Senator from Mary land Mr..
Gormanl had not wanted this bill to be
taken up yesterday. That Senator had
felt a reluctance TO drive the steel through
the Democratic platform twice In the same
day. Knowing the declaration of the Demo.
cratic convention on the su beet of silver.
and knowing the entreatles or the Presi-
dent-elecr. only eleven Democratic Sena-
tors could he mustered yesterday to vote
for the repeal of the Sherman act. And
now the next declaration of the Demo-
cratic platform which was marked for de-
structIon was it's declaration In favor of
legislation to protect the lives and limbs of
| railroad employees. What are we coming
| 10, Mr.. PRESIDENT Mr.. Chandler continued
| Il believe that when the next Congress
meets n like disregard will be paid To the
declaration of the Democratic national
conversion that any measure of tariff
legislation Is unconstitutional There 10
| In that platform promise that the Mokin-
ley bill shall be repealed one of the first
| fruits of Democratic victory. And yet
| am sorry to say that / have no faith that