The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-10-03
ASSlS The men !! |! ! !: !: !.
Bryan's Speech in Congress to Compei|
Railroads to Use CoupIers.

Washington, Sept. 30.-The great army
Of railroad employees whom it is PROPOSED
to coerce into voting for Mckinley will
read with genuine interest the speech
made by William Jennings Bryan In the
House Of Representatives on the 21st Of
February, 1888 The bill under discussion
was to compel railroads engaged In inter-
state commerce to use in their cars coup
lers which would protect the lives and
limbs of their employees. MIR. Bryan was
warm champion of the bill. He said in
his speech:
II for one am willing to stay here till
this session ends, because think this bill
should be passed. believe it is dictated
by humanity, and l am not willing, If
can prevent it, that these r1en shall be
killed and manned just because some Of
the railroads insist that they cannot afford
to put these couplers on their cars. The
only objection that I have heard made,
the only real one in that letter of Mr..
Haines, found on our desks this morning,
is that it would cost SIS a car, or S75,000,-
OG0. ,
Some $4,000 persons have been injured.
Those of US who have associated with
these men know that there is scarcely one
of them employed for any length Of time
in railroading who does not have a hand
off, or fingers off, or foot off, or is not
manned in some way, and we have had
produced here proof Of the startling NUM-
Der killed. Now, I ask, Mr.. Speaker, does
1t not appeal to us, who are members OF
the only body which can give this relief,
because the states are powerless--does 1t
not appeal to us and to our humanity to
pass such laws as will give protection to
the lives and limbs of these men?
"The doctrine of noninterference has
vain, to protect the individual from tres
pass upon his rights, and now, in this
latter day, the doctrine Of nOninterference
is invoked when the corporations of this
country seek to trample upon the rights
Of the people and to disregard even the
common duties they owe to humanity. I
insist. Mr. Speaker, that we who are in IA
vor of this bill and in favor ofsgiving to
those people that protection which the
laws of congress alone can give--1 insist
that we shall be as Jealous in behalf OF
this bill as are those ON the other side
who see fit to oppose it. :.
II do not question their motives, but If
we can keep this question in this position,
staying here night and day, the country
will notice it and public opinion will
be brought to bear upon it, and we are
willing to trust to our being sustained by
public opinion. The platforms of both the
great political parties have declared in
favor Of it, and, as has been we'll stated
here today, before the election a bill was
passed here without a division. At that
time we who now favor it had upon our
side many of those who oppose it now, Or
at least their opposition was not made
known. .s
Now. we are supported by the plat
forms of both political parties; supported
by the almost unanimous sentiment of the
press, and supported, as I believe, by the
great sentiment of the people Of this coun-
try, we can afford to stand here and fight
this battle. Upon the one side are the in
terests of these men and their protection,
and upon the other the cost of the rail-
! roads which this reform will impose if it
is carried out
II ask, Mr.. Speaker, how can we meas
ure the value of human life? How can
you say that $4,000, 900 expended in equip
ping cars outweighs 1000 people killed and
22 600 manned? We may talk this way
about the lives Of others; but what if
these people were our sons or our broth
ers? ask of any one of these gentlemen
what price he would set upon the life or
security Of relative? And how dare we
hold at a trfling price the lives and well
fare of those not akin TO us, while we
hold as a priceless boon the lives and
welfare of those to whom we are related
by blood?
~ appeal, Mr.. Speaker, to those who
are in favor of this bill to stand by our
rights here as majority and protect the
lives Of the people who plead to us for
their protection" (Applause.)