The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-11
WASHINGTON, July 10.
7PHE senate spent three hours today
in debate upon the resolution
offared bv Sanatnr paffar Of

6PHE senate spent three hours today
in debate upon the resolution
offered by Senator PETER, Of
U Kansas, looking to government
control of interstate railroads. the reg
ulatlon of their freight and passenger
rates, the fixing Of the wages of rail.
road employees. the acquisition and op.
Grafton (either by the federal govern
ment or the state governments) OF all
the coal beda of the country, and to
many other ideas of the Populist party.
The great railroad strike at Chicago
WAS the chief topic in the debate.
In q speech of over an hour and
half, Mr.. PETER stated the case from
the Debs' or strikers point of view. and
laid all the blame for the outbreak on
Mr.. Pullman, whom he characterized
as soulIess, conscienceless and tyranni.
cal. The cause of law aud order and
of the maintenance of free and unob.
structed intercourse by railroad COM
munication was championed by Sena-
tors Davis. OF Minnesota, and Gordon.
of Georgia. both of whom denounced
in eloquent language, the position
taken by the Kansas senator and the
lawless acts of Debs and his followers.
A substitute for the PETER resolution
was offered by Mr.. Daniel, upholding
and commenting the official action of
the president and his cabinet.
In the course of his remarks Mr..
PETER was interrupted by Mr.. Hawley
who asked if he was not aware
that the railroad companies had con-
tracts with the Pullman company by
which they are bound to use the Pull
man cars.
PETER GETS EXCITED.
"The men," was Mr.. PETERS answer,
shave nothing to do with these con-
tracts. The use of Pullman cars in
interstate commerce is mere mat.
ter of personal convenience. l do
not wonder sometimes that there
is growing feeling against the
political condition of thugs in
Washington. l do not wonder that
my friends write to me expressing
the hope that the senate shall be
abolished. I wrote to one of them
the other day saying that l would vote
for it's abolition. and l would go fur
ther and vote for the abolition OF tine
house of representatives Iwould IA
vor the government being confided to
one man from each state. The fewer
governors we have in this country the
better. At any rate, one man can do
no worse than few hundred men have
| done.
Then Mr.. PETER went on to speak
enthusiastically of the grand spectacle
that would he presented when all
workmen of the country stopped work,
when all the life of the communities
would be at an absolute standstill, like
the silence Of Sunday morning, when
nobody would be Mt work. when every
thing would be paralyzed and inert.
And that was, he said, what this thing
meant to the American people.
SENATOR DAVIS CAUsTIC REPLY.
DR.. Davis. Minnesota, replied to Mr..
PETER in turns of severe patriotic in
dignation. He said that he had heard
the speech of the senator from Kansas
with amazemsnt and pain. He had
supposed that by consent the subject
was to be avoided now. But at ;
time when in the second city of the
United States, the fourth or fifty city
of the civilized world, order was sus.
pended, law was powerless. violenc,
was supreme, life was in dan
ger, and property in the very
arms OF destruction, he had been
amazed to hear the trumpet of sedition
blown in the senate chamber to mar
shall the hosts Of misrule and further
destruction. He charged Mr.. PETER
with advocating the dismemberment o
the government by the abolition Of it
legislative and executive departments
That senator, he said, had affected t,
speak for the American people, but he
spoke really for the mob which hat
control of great stragetic point.
Here Mr.. PETER complained of Mr..
Davis misrspresenting him, but Mr.
Davis declined to be interrupted. ant
went on. That senator. he said, had
not word of reproof or reproach fol
the blood that had been shed in Chi
cago, for the millions of property tina
had been destroyed. The red light o
arson against the sky had called from
the senator no word Of disapprobation
That senator would annihilste the leg
islative and executive departments o.
the government, and have the public
affairs administered by 'committet
of public safety" as in the days o.
terror" of the French revolution.
Senator Gordon (Ga.) followed Mr.,
Davis in an equally patriotic speech
and in denuncistion of anarchy and o
those who lend it countenance. II,
declared that men Of all parties woult
be found in this great conflict standing
shoulder to shoulder for the peace of
the country, for the enforcement of Its
laws, for the support of its dignity ant
for the perpetuity of the liberties of IT
people.
In the last two hours Of the session
the postof1ice bill and house bill for tn
admission of Utah as a state wer,
passed, the latter without friction.
The contested election case of Thras
her VS.. Enloe, from the Eighth Tennes
see district was decided in favor of tn
latter upon the unanimous report o.
tha rom mittea on elections that he wa