People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1893-03-03
SAFETY ON RAILROADS.
Law PASSED TO ENFORCE THE
USE OF AUTOMATIC COUPLERS.
The Vote Decided by the Ten POpunst
Members, Who Sustain the De.
mands of Labor.

the dangerous car-couplers and
brakes now provided by railroad
arrangements at nearly $4,000 each
year, and increasing IN direct ratio
to the added mileage.
The best available reports tell us
that at the battle of Antietam, the
bloodiest of the civil war, the killed
and wounded In both armies num-
bered 22,882, or -fourths as
many as are the victims of the greed
OF railway corporations in this par
ticular department Of labor.
1t is time to realize that this loss
is in human life, and that sorrow
and poverty follow in its wake for
women and children. It were an in
suit to humanity to estimate sum
IN dollars and cents that would state,
a compensation. Stalwart manhood
is without price. But the argument
OF those who opposed the bill which
has passed Congress was that the
corporations could not afford to set
aside the money necessary to guard
against this great annual loss-this
perpetual Gettysburg which con-
sumes the young men Of the country
in battle prolonged by greed.
Though the National Conventions
Of the Democratic andI Republican
| parties declared for tholDassage of
law to promote the safety of en-
ployees and travellers upon railroads
by compelling the use 1T automatic
couplers and continuaus brakes,
there has been a u nqcst "a. a fight IN
''olil Tor the purpose. FEB. ~ in the
House the bill came up ia It's regular
order, and at once it's opponents be-
gan dilatory motions, aae first, by
Mr.. Richardson, of Tennessee, being
to postpone for one wIk, and the
next, by Mr.. Livingston, of Georgia,
being to refer to the committee on
Interstate commerce. The House
proceeded to the consideration of the
Senate amendments, however, and
settled down to fight in which the
minority resorted to every species of
dilatory tactics known. The motion
to refer was defeated by 3 vote Of
ga to 1876. Later it was developed
that a quorum was not present, the
hour being then late in the evening.
The streets of the city were covered
with ice, and the sergeant at-arms
was sent to the homes Of absent
members, failing to bring in suffi-
Gent number to make quorum. A
mock debate then occurred on a
motion to excuse Mr.. Allen, of Mis-
sissippi, who was on the floor and
had not asked it. This was all for
eign to the purpose of the matter
before the House, and was evidently
intended to prepare for an adjourn
ment, which would have been final
defeat for the law. While this was
going on, at late hour of the night,
Mr.. Watson secured the floor and
said:
Now. sir, I desire to say this, with the
| INDULGENCE of the House. [ am as
anxious, I presume, to get home and
have rest after this days session as any
gentleman here, but / am tired Of the
perpetual surrender of the majority to
| the minority, which takes place on this
floor.
feel that upon a question of this sort
| if we of the majority, championlng
measure which both the leading political
parties have pledged themselves in favor
of, which the votes here have demon
strated that a majority Of the House is
/ III IdNOI Ols WL4CI ACsS c10 As@oO AS0SAAS~ -
stage where it appears that it can pass il
this House will accept the amendments
of the Senate-I feel, say, that it will
be a piece cowardice on our part il we
surrender to the minority, or it we do
not fight it out to the bitter end.
[ will stay here till the ants tote me
out Of the keyhole before I will give up
this fight if the gentleman in charge of
this bill will just order us to stand by
and fight it out. Applause.
Mr.. Wise. Will the gentleman allow
me to interrupt him?
Mr.. Wason. Certainly.
Mr.. Wise I will stay here forever,
sir. rather than give up.
Mr.. Watson. Then, brother, we are
with you Applause
Mr.. Speaker, am tired Of this eternal
fashion of the railroads bossing this
House. We are dealing here with a
question of life; we are dealing here
with a question that ought to be sacred
to the hearts of the American people.
While this very debate has been going
on, men have lost their lives by the sell
fish refusal of these corporations to spend
money in buying these safety appliances.
The appeal of labor comes to this Cham
Der. Each one of the parties pretended
in the last election that they would heed