Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-19
AS TO STEEL RAILS.
Some Sharp Talk on the Subject in
the House.
CHARGES MADE BY Mr.; DALZELL
OF Misstatements Made by Mr..
johnson Of Ohio.
T II E L A TT ER'S REPLY
T H E L ATT ER'S REPLY


At l1:10 the House went into committee
of the whole 20 consiie- the Wilson bill,
with Mr.. Richardson ,Tenn) in the chair.
An agreement was then entered into
whereby three hours, Immediately after the
House goes into committee of the whole
next Monday, will he gwen To debate On the
sugar schedule. ami the vote will then be
taken on any amendments which might
be offered.
Mr.. Dalxell on Johnson.
Mr.. Dalzell Pa.) then took up the line
of attack against Mr.. johnson COhio). on
which he was engaged when the Houss
took recess yesterday evening. He as
serted that Mr.. Johnson had mislead the
committee into the belief that he was a
manufacturer of steel rails in general,
whereas he was a manufacturer of a par
ticular style. and monopolist in that
class.
Mr.. Dalzell summarized his charges
against Mr.. johnson as being:
First. That he had misstated the facts
before the committee
Second That he was anxious to have
steel rails put the free list, while he
was still protected by l02 United States
patents.
Third That he forced his employees into
receiving their wages ir one-third cash
and two-thirds scrip.
Fourth. That he had made a statement
on the floor of the House in regard to the
redemption of those certificates which was
untrue.
Fifth That he privately altered the ste
nographers notes and inserted in the
Record statement he did not make on
the floor which was true and eliminated
statement he did make on the floor which
was untrue.
Again, referring to the question of scrip,
he asserted this scrip was hawked about
the streets of Johnstown, and that II was
bought up by relative of Mr johnson
at discount. The statement of Mr.. john
son that he paid better wages than the
other mills. Mr.. Dalzell characterized
untrue. He had direct evidence from
person, who was in position to know,
that the wages paid at the johnson mill
were not higher than at the other mills.
In sympathy With English Manu-
facturers.
He asserted that Mr.. johnson was in
sympathy with English manufacturers;
that he had at his mill an English engine,
made in Manchester, and imported from
there, together with the workmen to run
1t. And the presiding spirit of the mill was
an Englishman named Moxam, who had
never been naturalized. and who openly
announced his Intention of returning to
England to live. He read an extract from
Pittsburg paper purporting to be an in
terview with Mr.. Moxam, in which he was
made to say that he favored the passage Of
the Wilson bill, even though it did not go
far enough.
so it seems" said Mr.. Dalzell that
while the gentleman CMr. Johnson) is un-
willing to vote money into the pockets of
his stockholders, he has no objection to
voting money out of the pockets of his en-
ployes. Republican laughter and ap-
plause.)
Mr.. johnson had made charges against
trusts, said Mr.. Dalzell, which he would
like to reply to at some length. He was
| nm hla a
there was trust composed of English and
Belgian manufacturers formed for the pur-
pose OF seizing the American market
Mr. Dalzell commented upon Mr.. John
to Mr. Carnegie in particular. and said that
the platform of the free traders was amy
thing to abuse Carnegie" Republican
laughter) And the gentleman from Ohio,
said Mr.. Dalzell, had hurled abuse at the
robber barons and at MIR. Carnegie But
Mr.. Dalzell thought Mr.. Carnegie and Mr..
johnson were very much alike in several
respects; they were both robber barons and
both had got rich in the same way: but
there the resemblance ceased Q.aughter)
The philanthropic robber baron who would
not vote to put money in the pockets of
his stockholders, took ADVANTAGE of the
rigors of winter to drive a dicker with his
employees about wages and had paid them
one-third in cash and two-thirds in sc-ip
(Republican laughter and applause). And
that while Johnstown had scarcely recover
ed from the awful calamity which had re-
Gently overtaken her. Republican ap-
plause).
Mr.. JOhnsOn's Innings,
Mr.. Johnson disclaimed any intention of
posing as a philanthropist, but he had urg-
ed that steel rails should be placed on the
free list, because there was a pool to raise
| the price of steel rails. Democratic ap-
plause) He had notified the champion of
the steel rail trusts Air. DalzelD that he
proposed to offer this amendment putting
rails on the free list, so that he might be
prepared to speak against it: and he (Nr
Dalzelp had come here armed with pins TO
stick into him: but he would have to bring
heavier cannon to bear to make any inn
preston on him. Democratic applause and
laughter) He deprecated the fact that per-
sonal charges had been brought into the
debate, but he would answer them briefly.
In reply TO the charge that he was a
monopolist, Mr.. johnson laughingly plead
ed guilty. AS to the charge that he was
engaged in the manufacture of a class of
steel rails which would not he affected by
putting steel rails on the free list-that he
would still be projected by his patents
Mr.. johnson said that all the patents he
held were not on the manufacture of steel
rails, but many of them were on machn-
cry. he did have twenty thirty patents
On steel rail manufacture, but the remain
irg seventy or eighty were "bluffs''-pa-
tents issued to sustain other patents He
acknowledged that he had tried to monopo-
:,
hut the courts had not sustained them.
As to the Scrip.
On the subject of scrip Mr.. johnson said
1t was question of closing the mills al
together or paying partly in scrip. and he
chose the latter. In his opinion it was
better to do that than to close the mill as
was done at Sparrows Point, and as was
advocated by the steel rail trust. 1t would
be time enough to complain of that issue of
scrip when his company failed to redeem
1t. In regard to his alteration of the
Record he explained that when the subject
was being discussed before he replied to
Mr.. Dalzels question without being pre-
pared, and when he had gone home and
looked up the matter he found that the
scrip had been redeemed that day instead
of a week ago. as he had stated under a
misapprehension. and that IL not re-
deemed at a small premium, as he sup
posed but at par He had then made the
change required in the Record
Mr. Dalzel said: You changed the rec
| crd in that respect without asking the con-
sent of the House. l say now that you did
It candestinely."
Mr. Johnson replied that he had told him
| CIr DalzelD of his intention to correct the
record.
DISTRICT IN CONGRESS-.
Two Bills Referred.
ho