The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-01-20
A SPICY DEBATE.
Bnder the Fiye-Minnte Rule Bourke
Cochran Of New York Has Some Fun
with the Pussy Mr. Boutelle of Maine
and other Republican Congressman


and other Republican Congressman
The House of Representatives on Monday
began discussing the Wilson Tariff Bill under
the minute rule, and spicy debate has
been on all the week. On Monday just after
the bill had been taken up. and some amend
ments offered by Chairman Wilson been
adopted Mr. DeForest of Connecticut, moved
TO increase the duty on hats and debate was
precipitated that took considerable range.
Mr. Cochran asked Mr.. DeForest whether
he meant to maintain that the rate Of wages
depended upon trades unions or whether it
depended upon the law of supply and de-
mand.
Il do not want he added, when Mr.
Payne began to make some general state
ment. miscellaneous information, but infor
nation on the subject.
.sYou must first Mr. Payne replied, give
the manufacturer the ability to pay the wages
as a condition precedent
sBut will he do it?'' Mr.. Cochran asked,
impetuously. "Wil he do it; will he do ii if
he can help it?'' [Cries of Yes ''Yes 7"
from the Republicans, and Of MOI MOI
from the Democrats, amid great excitement. ]
'He will not do it of his own free will,
Mr.. Payne admitted, unless he is compelled
to by trades unions. The trades unions will
compel him and can compel him..
Mr.. Cochran asked whether Mr.. Carnegie
and the proprietors of the Homestead mills
had not abundant means to meet the demands
of the laborers when the strike occurred
there.
Mr.. Payne said that he did not know, as he
was not familiar with Mr. Caruegie's bust
ness. [Shouts of dersion from the Demo.
Gratis He added that If Mr.. Carnegie could
make steel rails as cheaply as the gentleman
from Ohio Mr.. Johnson said he could, he
would have been able TO pay higher wages.
| He Mr.. Paynel could not throw any light on
that point.
| 1.-The gentleman last statement. said Mr..
| Cochran, sarcastically, 'explains his posi-
ton. He has evidently spoken without in
| formation on the whole subject" Demo
cratic laughter and applause.
"a Democratic member Of this commit
tee said Mr.. Payne, ''when he found ont
what wages the Carnegie workmen had been
receiving, said that they were the highest
wages he had ever heard of in this country.
| Republican applause.
And YET" said Mr.. Cochran, ''when the
| trades.unions sought to maintain those wages
| they were met by bullets. Derisive hooting
| from the Republican side Of the chamber. ]
| They were met with bullets he repeated,
''in the hands of the hired assassins in the
| protective interests.
"A Democratic Governor" said Mr.. Bou-
telle, pressing into the conflict, 'sent the
militia there
Yes" said Mr.. Cochran, "a Democratic
Governor sent the officers of the law to sup
plant the volunteers of anarchy" Demo
cratic applause.
Ibid they not carry bullets with them?
Mr.. Boutelie asked.
! eto,taI NJ Cochran III
air of triumph land they had no occasion to
use them, for Democrats and all the people
of this country have shown readiness to
submit TO law, just as they have shown a read
mess to resist invasion or oppression or assas-
sination at the hands of oppressors.
Mr.. Cochran. The gentleman from New
York Mr.. Paynel tells us that the theory on
which this protective system is maintained Is
to stimulate profits in the hands of manufae
turers and then to let the trades unions get
their profits ont of them. Democratic
laughter and applause.l We believe in send
ing profits in the first instance into the hands
of the employees.
Shouts from the Republican side, 'How
How p
Mr.. Cochran. by increasing the demands
for their labor"
Mr.. Bouielle remarked that Mr. Cockral
was in the habit of stating only half the truth
as to the position of his opponents. His Mr.
Boutele s. position was that protection fur
nished to the manufacturer market for hi
commodities, so that he could convert then
into cash and be able to pay good wages fo
labor.
Mr. Cochran said that the point of Mr.
Payne's argument which had struck him will
most force was the utter break down in tn,
theory of the distribution of profits. |
trades unions were the only method of dis
tribution that would force the manufacture
to divide his profits with labor he asked how
it had worked at Homestead, where ther,
was not union man employed today. How
he asked, were profits to be regulated in thu
future when the trades-unions were wrecked
Mr. Payne 81 have already stated tn,
enormous wages paid at Homestead, bu
whether those wages were all that Mr.. Car
negie could pay do not know, nor does m,
colleague know But the fact that Mr.. Car
negie preferred to sustain loss of hundreds
of thousands of dollars by the suspension o
work rather than yield to the demands of the
workmrn convince me that the wages were a
the extreme height"
"Why could they not rather" Mr.. Cochran
asked, distribute these hundreds of thous
ands among the workmen?H
because they thought it better" Mr.
Payne replied, ITO lose few hundred thous
and dollars in few months than TO increase
wages for long period of time, which woult
perhaps Il do not know destroy their abilit,
to pay any.
Now" said Mr., Cochran, with an air o
triumph 1--WE have the statement in full a
last Now, il can go TO the country
Mr.. Boutelle again go into the controversy
but his career was cut short by Mr.. Cochran
suggesting sarcastically that Mr.. Boutelle'
fund of information, such as ii was, was ex
hausted.
'Why not apply to myself for the informa
tion?n Mr.. Boutelle asked.
'If said that anybody was exhaustless eX
cept the gentleman from Maine" said Mr.
Cochran, 81 did violence to the facts of his
tory. Laughter and applause on the Demo
cratic side. We have. then, this statement
That it IS better to have spent hundreds o
thou ands of dollars to settle the question o
wages by reducing them than it was to dis
tribute that amount among the employees
But how? What was the method of reduc
ton? By the breaking down of the trades
unions. IL this settlement of distribution
which is the only one my colleague MI
Payne) can mention, can be broken down a
a salutary exercise of the power of capital
what is left for the benefit and protection G
the laboring man to get bis share OF the rob
berry which yon have made universal, unde
the application of protection? Democrat
applause. Why are the laborers hungry an
the manufacturers comfortable? What prin
ciple of division of profits has been use
which enables the manufacturers TO look o
the condition of things with composure Will
the men who work are wandering, houseess
hopeless, without food and without any secuI
ity of shelter.