The record-union., 1893-04-11
Agencies.
Special to the REcoRD-UN1oS.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoS.
WASHINGTON, April l0.-The Senate
passed a resolution for the appointment
of a committee TO wait on the President
and inform him that unless he has fur
Their communication to make the Senate
Is ready to adjourn.
a motion to reconsider was subse-
quently made by Hoar and entered.
Hoar's object in moving a reconsidera-
ton was to secure action on the Roach
investigation before adjournment.
Resolutions for the Investigation of
charges against Senators Roach of y orth
Dakota, and Powers of Montana, were
offered by Hoar and Chandler and laid
over until tomorrow.
The recent decisions of Judges Taft and
Kicks in Ohio, and Speed in Georgia, in
relation to the rights and duties of rail-
road employees, came up in connection
with resolution instructing the Com
mittee on Interstate Commerce to in
quire into that and other subjects, and
a long debate resulted.
PETER thought Judge Kicks decision,
which had been good deal criticised by
labor organizations, would be approved
by them when they came to better under
stand its scope and view it in all its full
ness. 1t was the first judicial declara-
ton of the principle concerning the rela-
tons between employers and employees.
1T was declaration that a railroad en-
ploye was as much q common carrier as
railroad President or railroad company.
Judge Kicks decision, PETER believed,
would lead to a final adjustment of all
difficulties between employees and en-
ployers of carrying corporations. The
resolution was referred.
Jones offered a resolution instructing
the Committee on Indian Affairs to con-
tinue the Investigations heretofore or
dered, with power to visit the Indian
reservations in Indian Territory
Sherman remarked that the investiga-
tions ordered two years ago should have
terminated by this time. 1t seemed to
him that there should be an end to such
Investigations. Unless there was n pub
lie demand for them and some public
usefulness to come of them, popular
opinion would condemn them and say
they were mere pleasure parties organ
lied at the expense of the Government of
the United States.
The debate drifted back to the discus
sion of the recent judicial decisions.
German said one matter to lie inquired
into was the recent decisions of the
United States Judges, and whether, in
view OF the interstate commerce law and
antitrust law, the Judges had right 10
determine, not only what railroad en-
ploye should do, but what he should not
do. These decisions were the first great
step Oh the part of the judiciary to make
serfs of men employed by railroad corpo-
rations.
Platt said he had not yet seen in the de-
cision referred TO anything that looked
like usurpation of the power by the
courts or like degrading the workingmen
OF the country to condition of serfs. He
believed employees of railroads had no
more right to engage in determinations
of commerce than their employers had,
and he did not believe there was ANY,
thing either in the Interstate Commerce
Act or in the Antitrust Act that was not
an affirmation of well-considered and
well-established common law.
Mr.. Vest said Judge Kicks in his de-
cision had only affirmed what every law
yer had known to be common law. He
decided that any contract or regulation
in the restraint of commerce of the nited
States was absolutely void; that any engi-
neer had right to give up his employ
ment, but when the Association of Loco
motive Engineers any other association
or corporation undertook to make a rule
and enforce it in restraint OF commerce
that the rule was absolutely void.
voorhees, said the most dangerous cues
ton that the country was facing to-day
was the encroachment of the corporate
power of colossal wealth against those
who were helplessly in its power, and
whom it wanted to have chained to the
oar. This power claimed that railroad
employe was enlisted as private soldier
and if he left his post he was to be pun
ished as deserter. He therefore felt it
was his duty to introduce u resolution
directing inquiry as TO what action
might be necessary for the better protec-
ton of the laboring people and their
greater security from the encroachmeut
of corporate power.
Plat said it was not wise to attack the
Judiciary of the United States it was not
wise to Intimate that judges were czars ::
1t was not wise to talk about the DISPOSE
ton of the Judiciary to reduce laborers to
the condition of serfs. The laboring
man had confidence in the courts. and ne
would be protected in all his legal rights,
but he did not believe, and the laboring
man did not believe, that while engaged
in the employment of common carriers
ne could choose his own time to leave
that employment.
After further debate the question went
over till tomorrow, when Palmer will
have the floor to speak upon it.