The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1912-06-07
HEPBURN HAS
ANOTHER SPASM
DURING DISCUSSION IN CON-
GRESS ON THE EIGHT-HOUR
BILL THE IDAHO FIRE EAT
Err GETS SOME ANTI.LABoR
VIRUS OUT OF HIS SYSTEM.

Washington, June 6.-Senator Hey
burn of Idaho, than whom labor has no
more uncompromising enemy than he,
was presented an occasion during the
discussion of the eight hour bill in the
senate, to air his discounted views on
labor's rights. The senator has an in
eXhaustible supply of vitriolic language
ready for instant use when the interests
of labor are under discussion. During
the debate on the eight-hour bill Sena
tor Hepburn, made use of the following
language: There is no crying need for
it, If there We're | would be more
patient with the effort, the superhuman
effort, to legislate on u subject that
needs no legislation. There is no demand
for it except from the paid representa-
tives of the real workingmen, and it is
the sinap of a whip. l do not recognize
the right of any man or the representa-
tive of organized men to snap whip at
the congress of the United States, and
it will be a sad day for the government
when it shall be done. l will treat them
as fairly and as literally as / would
the representatives of the biggest mo-
nopolies in the country, and | will not
deal with them any more literally or
fairly. | will protect them against op-
preston, but l will not allow them,
merely because they think they have the
power, to sit above our heads and say,
We want this legislation, and we are
going to have it, or we will see to it
that you are defeated at the polls at
the next election" Further along in
the debate the senator gave utterance to
the following: 1--WE have now prohib
tied the sturdy, robust young men of
II and l3 and ii years of age from par
ticpating in the support of the families
of which they are members. Why? For
the benefit of those young men? No
man will dare to claim that, but in or
der to lessen the supply of labor in the
interest of the agitators. That is why
we did it, and have not to carry on my
shoulders the sin of participating in that
kind of legislation merely because there
was hue and cry for it. There was no
demand from the widows and the dis
abled people of the country who depend
upon their children under the age which
we fixed in that legislation, that we for
bid by law those robust and capable
supporters from performing their duty.
There came to the senate no petition
from those mothers and dependent rela-
tives and old people asking for that leg
islation. There were no petitions from
them, and there are no petitions from
that generation represented by the young
men between II and Is years asking
that they be relieved from the perform
ance of their share in support of the
family. Did it ever occur to senators
that We should have heard through some
means from that class of people? No.
We were hearing from the class of peo-
pie who limit the apprentices in the
fields of industry through a selfish pur-
pose of enabling them more easily to
control the field of labor within their
own limits, 1t came from the same
source Labor will remain on the Job"
in spite of misrepresentation of the
Senator Hepburn stripe,