The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-03-03
WILL WELCOME
INVESTIGATION
South Slandered by Stories of
Peonage and Misuse
of LaborerS.
HOUSE TAKES MATTER UP
REPRESENTATIVE CLARKE OF
FLORIDA MAKES SPEECH.

FLORIDA MAKES SPEECH.
Washington, March Am investiga-
ton by the immigration committee on
labor conditions in the turpentine
camps. plantations and other industries
or the south, especially the existence
of peonage, is provided for in a resolu-
ton taken up by the house today I'M
der suspension of the rules. Mr.. Will
Hams of Mississippi said the circula-
ton abroad of stories regarding peon-
age had done harm 10 the south, and
ne desired an Investigation. He said
he believed the stories had been put
out by labor agents in New York in
order TO divert immigrants to other
sections Of the country
Vehement Speech Of MIR. Clarke.
In bitter criticism of a department
of the government and some of the
officials. Mr.. Clarke of Florida de-
clared that the state OF Florida was
prepared TO answer the accusations of
peonage, slavery, involuntary servi-
tude, brutal and inhuman treatment of
iaborers' and other publications which
smell Of the slums. and in some of the
from the department of justice of the
United States, which he charged were
absolutely false in all essential particu-
lars. The people of Florida. he as
serted, courted the fullest investigation
OF matter which had done so much
injury TO the fair name of their state.
He predicted that these people will
come through the ordeal of investiga-
ton without the smell OF fire upon
ear nd in er,ata ~ I he he+ =
teries of Islander which for the past year
has been belching their Infamous SUM
begotten fabrica tions"
Bitter on 6onaparte.
The department of justice. Mr. Clarke
charged. had never been especially
distinguished for the legal knowledge of
the alleged lawyers who are generally
supposed TO be housed therein but
he said that usually something OF a
lawyer" had been at its head. He
feared that the country had fallen into
evil times" with reference to the
big chief" of the department. What
ever may be the qualifications of At
tOrney General BonapaTte, he said, that
official had been unfortunate in the
selection OF some of his interiors. to
whom had been committed peonage
prosecutions I'm Florida and other
states. He referred to Attorney Gen
eral Bonaparte as the transplanted
bu1 of alleged French nobility" who
had become acquainted with lady
bearing the euphOniOus cOgnOmen of
Mrs. Mary Grace Quackenbos, whose
field of labor previous TO her acQuaint-
ance with the great Baltimore lawyer,
was in the slums of the East side of
dear old Manhattan isle"
He presumed, therefore, that Mr..
Bonaparte considered this great SUM
worker very proper person TO send
10 Florida TO regulate conditions in
the south.
Rampant on Russell.
Mr.. Clarke next turned his attention
TO Assistant Attorney General Charles
W. Russell. who was given charge of
the investigation and who. he said, call
ed TO his aid Mrs. Quackenbos. MY
God" he exclaimed, what a cOmbin-
alton. In normal times it would be an
affliction upon any people To send into
their midst Charles w. Russell, a
southern man and a southern Democrat,
and Mary Grace Quackenbos, in COM
bination or separately"
Referring 10 certain prosecutions in
Florida, Mr.. Clarke said that 1.-The ca
pers cut by these people in the federal
courts in my state take the palm"
He could not, he said, at the present
time. discuss either the merits Of the
cases "or the conduct of these peo-
pie as he would like to. but as re-
garding Russell, he said his presence
forbids my characterizing him as he
ought to be characterized as he de-
serves 10 be designated. as l would des-
ignate him if I could do so, without
offending the propTeties OF this pres
ence. 1T is a dirty bird that befouls
its own nest"