The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-22
No Legislation Will Be.Enacted,
Says Speaker Reed,
To a Labor Committee, Until
the Dingley Bill
IS MADE INTO A LAW
Declares Labor Question Will
Be Considered
AS a Secondary Matter to the
Tariff Question.

Washington, April 22.-Speaker Reed
gave an interesting talk upon the pres
ent policy of the house, and incidental
ly declared his views upon labor organ
izations in the course of one of the
conferences which are of daily occur
renee in the speakers room.
A delegation from the American fed
Grafton of labor headed by Samuel
Gompers, the chief officer of the order,
called to request action by the speaker
and the house on matters in which the
federation is interested. They present
ed memorial asking the appointment
of Representative Gardner of New Jer-
sey, to the committee on labor and also
suggested amendments to the eight
hour law. The speech making on the
part of the federation was done by Mr..
Gompers and P. J. Mcguire.
Mr.GOmpers said that there was great
distress throughout the country and
many unemployed, and expressed a
hope that congress would do all in its
power to alleviate the distress lie re
marked that there has not been as
much Legislation in the interest of Ia
Dor by the last congress as the laboring
men wished. They did not want to be
put in the light of making demands
upon congress; they merely desired to
express their wishes. They regretted
that the eight hour law was not more
strictly enforced in its application to
government works. They desired it to
be understood, however, that they were
anIaSOn1SIlc 10 revolutionary leaders
and believed in lawful and orderly ag1ta-
ton, and in the Improvement of exist
ing conditions by legislation.
Speaker Reed, in reply expressed ap-
probation of the moderate and reason
able attitude of the laboring- men. The
labor organization he SAID was a nee
eSsary concordance of the factory sys-
TEN. While in the old days labOrers
had been individually independent, the
growth of the factory system had fore
ed them to organize for the preserVa
ton of their rights and interests. He
believed that the results beneficial to
humanity We're coming from these or
CARNATIONS. While reforms of the
class they spoke of moved slowly, they
did move. Public sentiment was now
much more tolerant of the eight hour
law than it had been ten years ago. He
could remember when every laboring
man was expected to work u hours
Public sentiment had much to do with
the enforcement of the eight hour law,
and he had no doubt that under its i'm
pulse conditions were continually i'm
proving.
Referring to congressional action the
speaker said that he was certain all
would agree that the first thing that
arrive at decision on the pending tar
iff bill, one way or another. He hoped
the delegation would use it's influence
to mould public sentiment to ask for as
speedy action on the tariff bill as could
be obtained. 1t was not thought best
for the house to deal with other mat
ters until the question was out of the
way. The tariff question when dis
posed of there would be opportunity for
consideration of the other interests
asking legislation.
As this special request for the ap-
pointment of Mr.. Gardner, the speaker
said that would be taken under con-
sideration, as all requests for commit
tee assignments were. In response to
the complaint that the last congress
had not done enough for labor, Mr. Reed
said that remOnstrances had been re-
ceived by him complaining that con-
gress had been too much under the
domination of the laborer's associa-
lions.
In conclusion, Mr.. Reed expressed ap-
prevail of the policy adopted by the
fedora ton. A continual and constant
pressure within the law was much
more effective in securing reforms than
violent methods, he said. Violence all
ways brought a reaction, and the re-
forms sought were likely to be lost in
the turmoil of the outbreak.