The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1904-02-05
SEEeTOR TALIAFERRO
VS.. GOVERNOR JENNINGS.
lCoutinued from sixth mace,

calls FOR the creation OF a Department Of
Labor i'm charge Of a Secretary with a seat
in the Cabinet while you, when the bin
10 create Department or Labor and Com
nerce was under consideration. voted for
an amendment TO strike from the title
the words labor and, thus disregardiug
the platform. and especially the interests
ol the laboring people Of Florida"
MisquOteS The Record Twice.
You have here misqUOted the Record
twice. A bin 10 create q Department of
Labor and Commerce was NOT then under
e0nsideraton. The bill under consideration
was. "a bill TO create the department Of
commerce" The words labor and" did not
appear In its title. and hence there could
properly be- no motion 10 strike from the
t-le words that We're not in il. The motion
vas 20 strike from the body of the bin
the words THE department OF labor and"
Il was made by Senator Pettus i'm accord
auce with the clearly expressed wishes Of
officials Of great and representative labor
EXAMINATIONS. and FOR this motion I cast
my vote aye.-COngreSsional Record Vol
3. page le5l
The words in the body of the bill in this
connection were:
THAT the Department Of Labor and the
office of Commissioner Of Fish and Fish
cries and all that pertains TO the same
b. and the same hereby are placed under
the jurisdiction and made a part OF the
Department Of Commerce
The labor organizations were opposed to
having a then independent department
OF labor placed in and under the
Jurisdiction of the Department OF
Commerce, and Senator Pettus's mo-
tion was 10 see that il would not be
50 subOrdinated. The Department OF Labor.
"a il then existed, was a separate and dis
rinct department Of the Government and
created. upon the requests of the great
labor organizations Of the country which
hoped eventually to see ii equipped with
what il still lacked. viz: The right for
it, Secretary to have place in the Presi-
dents Cabinet in order that the counsel of
labor might be heard upon ''aN great
questions OF law. equity and economies
do which labor has vital interests.
See what Mr.. GOmpers Says.
Honorable Samuel GOmpers, president OF
the American Federation of Labor, writ
ing TO Senator Frye, President pro TEN.
Of the Senate. under the date OF January
- 1907 and referring 70 the then status
or the bill filed this protest:
The creation Of the Department Of Com
MERGE with the provision for the subOrdi-
nation OF the Department Of Labor, Will
minimize the importance Of labOr's inter
ests and minimize the present Department
OF Labor. Against such a procedure, in the
name Of American labor 1 enter my most
solemn protest. It Is therefore ar
gently requested. that in the event that
the honorable Senate should deem it wise
uent OF Labor, as 50 constituted, may
De eliminated from its provisions"
Thus labor, having protested through
Hon. Samuel GOmperS. president of the
American Federation Of Labor. and through
H1n. II. r Fuller, representative of the
brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers, the
brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen. the
order of Railway Conductors, the Brother
hood Of Railway TraInmen, and the
order Of Railroad photographers. and
through others who stood for the interests
OF labor against allowing the words re-
ra4-red to- 20 remain I'm the bill. thereby
subordinating labor TO the jurisdiction u
the Department Of Commerce. Senator Pet
tus. on January -, 1892 Congressional
Record. Vol -. PAGE 1850, moved TO strike
from the body of the bill NOT ITS
TITLE the words Department OF Labor
and"
You viii readily see, therefore, that the
representative OF labor did not wish the
department OF Labor carried into the De
nartmenC OF Commerce, and il must be
quite as plain 10 you that If the words
Department OF Labor and had been elm
mated from the body of the bill, con-
templated by the amendment Of Senator
Pettus. The wishes Of the representatives
Of labor would have been met and the
Bureau OF Labor allowed TO remain in
an independent state.
The yea vote recorded on Senator Pet
fuss amendment was as follows Con
Eressional Record, Vol. %, page lo5l-the |
same you cite): ~ /
Yeas-Bacon. Bate. Berry. Blackburn. |
Clark CAIontana). Cockren. Dubois. Gibson. |
Harris. HawIey, Heitfeld, Jones arkansas, |
McI.aurin mississippi, Mallory, Morgan, /
Pettus Rawlins, IaliaferrO, Tillman.
You will see, therefore. that you have /
aoubIy misquoted the Record as well as /
misrepresented me.
More Evidence still.
IL YOU need any further evidence as TO ,
the wishes Of labor on this subject, you l
can turn 10 Congressional Record, Vol. I
s.. page 10Ol. where you VIII hnd Mr.. 4
Fuller's letter in full l quote therefrOm /
the following:
I earnestly but respectfully protest on /
behalf Of these organizations against that /
part Of the pending bill -. 5tS). which /
nroposes TO place the Department of La
Dor under the Department OF Commerce. ,
Ii is the hope Of the laboTing peo- /
ole Of this country that an independent /
Department OF Labor having a CABINET /
officer as its official head may be created I
This element IF our citizenship, cOmpriS- I
Ing as il does the great majority Of our 4
population, is certainly worthy Of such rec /
ignition. and that too. 10y this Congress.
This letter was dated January -, 1872 /
or an the time the bill was pending IN /
the condition referred 10.
When the majority thus voted down the i
rroposition 10 allow the Department Of La /
Dor 10 remain an independent department /
Of DE Government, the bill was amended /
bv adding TO its title the words and /
labor" and adding 10 the body OF the /
hin those words wherever the words the /
DEPARTMENT OF Commerce appeared. /
There was not a dissenting vote nor sin i
Gle objection to this amendment, and labor /
w. thus given as much dignity and i'm /
variance as possible in the new department /
Of the Government. It Will be seen, there /
fore. that instead Of voting against the
i,t.rasts of labor. as YOU say did. I voted /
"a accordance with labor $ clearly ex-
messed wishes, and endeavored as well |
- airy into effect the policy Of the Dem /
ocratic party.