The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-01
WARNING TO MAJORITY
HEl-RING ON e-HoUR BILL IS
 INTERESTING.
Daniel Davenport Says Trouble Will Follow Attempt of Government to Curtail the Right O. Work
 ing Man to Labor.
Advertiser Bureau,
 Colorado Building.

Aoveruser Bureau, Colorado Building, Washington, March 31. A warning. both earnest and emphatic though couched in temperate language was given the Republican members of the Senate Committees on Education and La Dor Tuesday at a hearing on the eight hour bill to the effect that the enactment Of such a proposed bill at the instance of handful of labor agitators would be bitterly resented by the American peo- pie, so bitterly, indeed. as to endanger the overthrow of the Republican Party The speaker was Daniel Davenport, oi Bridgeport, Conn. Executive Agent of the American Anti-Boycott League. ir whose hands the various organization opposing tho eight hour bill appear tc have connded their interests, to continue the fight against the bill to the end Mir. Davenport's remarks were carefully listened to by those Senators present and the earnestness and feeling with which they were delivered made quite an i'm. pression.
 Riots in France.
 Mir Davenport first directed the atten- tior: of tho Committee to the fact that al the present time here are riots among the workingmen in the north of France who have recently had their hours of labor reduced by law and who are de- manding either that their hours be re- stored or that they shall receive greater pay for the less hours which they are TOW permitted to work. He characteriz- ed the French law as the most unwar- ranted violation of the inherent right oi a man to work. as would bc the proposed eight hour bill. but" he said. "it will no. be necessary for the American work man to take up arms to defend his right Ito work as long as he pieases. as this right is guaranteed him by the Consti- tution."
 sfIe also referred to the case of the New York. New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company and its employees, which com pany reduced the hours of work for its employees in the shops to eight hours per day, and the employees threatened to strike unless they were permitted to work longer. with the result that a nine hour day has just been agreed upon.
 Desire for Overtime.
 The witness briefly described the uni- versal desire of workmen to make over time when possible. and then dealt with the political revolutions which followed the hard times of 1893. The Democratic workmen of the Connecticut industrial
  ccuntable for tho fact that depression iH business had caused reduction in their hours of labor and it had been im- possible to prevent them from manifest ir,g their displeasure by voting the Re- publican ticket, with the result that strong Democratic towns had elected Re- prblican officials at the following eiec- ton.
 In attempting to limit the operations of the bill, said Mir. Davenport, the Chairman of the Committee. Senator Me Comas. had jumped out of the frying pan into the fire." In attempting to im- prove the bill. he had introduced lan- guage which made 1t more uncertain and more ambiguous than before. He then tool; up the word supplies" which are exempted from the operations of the bill and showed the great variety of articles furnished the Government under con- tract which may or may not come with in the meaning of the term supplies" according to the interpretation. placed upon it. After further dealing with the ambiguity of the section, MT. Davenport closed with the warning above referred to
 The Kansas Nebraska Bill.
 "I want to warn you that it is fifty years ago last January" he said, leaning on the table and addressing Senator Me G mas at the other end, since Stephen Douglass arose in a seat in the United States Senate as Chairman of the Com mittee on Territories, and reported tho Ksrsas-Nebraska bill. At that time the Democratic Party was in absolute con- trol of this Government. The anti-slav- cry agitation had substantially subsided; the Whig Party had gone out of exist ence. But in response to the agitation and demand of a few leaders in the South. Mir. Douglass made that report which involved the repeal of the Mis- souri Compromise, and what was the re- suit? It was the destruction of the for tunes of Mir. Douglass; 1t was the de- struction of the fortunes of the Demo- cratic Party. and 1t was the destruction of the institutions which these fire-eat- CTS from>the South. these few agitators. insisted that they were represented. Now, I tell you, gentlemen" said Mir. Daven- port, emphasizing each word with blow upon the Committee table, that from what I know is going on among the peo- pie of this country there is involved in this measure the same kind of dyna- mite.
 'T say that the gentlemen who favor thia measure" he continued, with glance at the labor leaders. "don't re- ally represent the interests they claim to represent. They propose to take the individual interests and the individual liberties away from the people of this country. And the great principle in. veaved Is one in which all the iaborfng interests of this country are vitally in terested, and if this Congress or those who control it's policies shall see fit to commit 1t to policy in violation of these interests--I say that the American people will resent 1t and resent 1t in the same manner as they resented similar invasion of their rights fifty years ago."