Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-03-07
Especial washington Letter.


TN HE Democrats Of the house won
a notable victory in the fight
G touching the La Toilette bill re-
stricting the hours Of labor for
railroad employees to sixteen out Of
twenty four When the La Toilette bill
reached the house the Republican ma
jority on the committee on interstate
and foreign commerce cooked up a
substitute which was full of blow
holes. The house Republican machine
tried to force it through under whip
and spur, thinking the Democrats would
be afraid to fight their miserably weak
substitute because it seemed to be a
good measure, having the appearance,
but not the substance. But the DEM
ocrats, to the utter disgust Of the Re-
publican sleight Of hand performers,
lined up solidly against the humbug
and beat it on roll call, thing always
dreaded by towards. AS it required
two-thirds to pass it, we knocked it
high as a kite, taking the sensible po-
sition that no bin on the subject was
better than this make believe bill.
Something happened suddenly. In less
than a week the Republican bigwigs
came down off their high perch and re-
ported to the house substantially every
thing the Democrats clamored for, and,
mirabile dietu. the bill containing what
the Democrats had contended for pass
ed on roll call without even one vote
against it, though two voted present.
Twas famous victory, sure as you
live.
Stranger yet, the Republican machin-
lists became SO alarmed by their effort
to knock out the La Toilette bill in the
first instance that they made haste to
bring In rule to pass what amounted
really to a Democratic substitute for
the La Toilette bill, which substitute is
much stronger than the La Toilette bill,
because the substitute provides that
railroad telegraphers shall not be COM
PEELED or permitted to work more than
nine hours out Of twenty-four, while
the La Toilette bill did not touch the
subject of telegraphers at all. That
provision ought to save thousands Of
lives annually. As Messrs. John Sharp
Williams of Mississippi and David AL
baugh De Almond of Missouri are rival
candidates for the minority leadership
and are now the Democratic members
of the committee ON rules, set forth
their remarks in full for the double
purpose of showing their styles Of
speaking and of demonstrating by their
remarks the fact that we did win
superb victory for right and justice. II
the house Democrats had done no 9TH
err thing in this congress, this one vic
tory vindicates our right to be here
Mr. Williams said:
Mr.. Speaker, was glad to hear the
gentleman from Pennsylvania JUSTIFY the
action OF those of us who voted against
the suspension of the rules and thus
passed this bill the other day without
giving the house any power OF amend
ment The manner in which he justified
US was as broad as could be, though not
IN express words. He showed how much
the bill has been improved from its then
condition in order to reach its present
condition, and that statement Is OF itself
q justification of our conduct. Further
more Mr. Speaker, that conduct was APP
plauded by the men who are chiefly con-
cerned and interested In the pending leg
islation. hold in my hand a telegram
addressed to the gentleman from New
York lMr. Ryan, a member of the COM
rnittee on the minority side, from A. T.
Garrettson. president of the Order OF
Railway Conductors saying that they
objected to the bill as presented in the
house the other day. I hold another tele-
y7z7,-, sd 1aa m
IMr. Ryan, from w s. Stone grand
chief OF the Brotherhood of Locomotive
ENGINEERS, to the same effect and still
another telegram addressed to the same
gentleman Mr.. Ryan, from the head OF
The Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen
to the same effect. I shall insert them
as a part of my remarks.
Shorter Hours For Railway Men.
So much for the past. Mr. Speaker
Now let us come to the present and see
what the bill is as 1t now stands after
the notifications in accord with the de-
mands Of the Democratic minority on
the committee and in the house. Why,
in the first part of the bill, as it was
the other day, in line 3, page & and in
lfne of page T. occurred the word
aknowingly So we were absolutely
about to pass legislation requiring a cor
poration to permit things knowingly
f@AAt% - ltO< a.
ffon without ears, without eyes, without
Individuality and, as it is sometimes said.
without soul. that could not do anything
slSnowinglys except through its author
lied agents II they have knowledge,
that is the only sort Of knowledge the
corporation could have. We were about
to pass a law requiring corporation, in
order to be visited with punishment to
commit an offense knowingly This
bill as now reported and amended strikes
out this word slxnowingly' on pages I
and 5, to which we called attention.
Then, in lines - to II, on page 4, the
Modification strikes out this language:
.Unless Immediately prior to said
twenty-four hour period such employee
had at least eight consecutive hours off
duty and during said period Of twenty
four hours following had at least six
consecutive hours off duty
This language constituted an extension
Of the period of employment, and it
seemed 10 US that IT was unjust and that
+t,<s,,o xsfa q IN If what Is Drdjnarifv caIi4d