United labor bulletin., 1914-05-30
HENRY PREDICTS
LABOR'S SUCCESS
Says Labor Amendments viii
Be Adopted
Warns Opponents Of Labor That Just
legislation Is Expected by People;
Corporation Rule Must Cease

Declaring squarely for labor's amend
meI1ts to the Clayton antitrust bill, and
| predicting the passage of these amend
ments by both Houses, Congressman
Henry OF the House Rules Committee, in
. speeeh before the House of Represent
atives, said in part:
.The gentleman from Massachusetts
says, too, that we have taken bill from
the House calendar and put it upon the
Union calendar, and that We have done
it in order to prevent a record vote on
certain amendments. Let me warn the
gentleman that until he becomes more
friendly TO the labor organizations OF
this country We cannot profit by any
advice from him. Now, Mr.. Speaker, let
me serve notice on him that when the
antitrust bill bearing the name of the
distinguished gentleman from Alabama
is up t0r consideration under the five
minute rule it will be in order to offer
Amendments without limit and to freely
debate them And let me further advise
him that there will be an amendment in
plain and elear-cut English language ex-
/ empting directly and specifically labor
organIZations and farmers organizations
from the provisions of the antitrust law.
We have the votes to put it on in the
committee OF the whole and in the House
not be alarmed.
He need not be distressed about this
matte. Every members vote will be
understood in the committee OF the
whole and in the House after the bill is
reported there, and he will find that
there viii be no friend of labor tagging
on this side of the House, and we will
again write into the law, as we have
done several times heretofore, a provi-
sion eEempting those organizations from
the provisions of the antitrust law, a
intentsl when it was passed in 1890.
III you are so solicitous about this
you ought to get on the side OF these
gentlemen and help them put the
amendment on. You need not presup-
pose the Democrats are towards on this
question. And 1 do not suppose the
members on that side are towards, be-
eause ] expect most of them to vote
against labor, as you have done here
toforc. For more than 20 years the labor
orgauzations of this country stood be-
fore the door of this House and before
the speaker's room and urged the pass
age OF such legislation as contained in
the Clayton antitrust measure. You and
your party spurned their request. You
denied them the right to be heard on
tnt lluor OF TINS house But no sooner
had the Democrats gone into power in
tho House of Representatives than We
passed those bills which had been sup
pressed by the distinguished former
speaker, Mr.. Cannon, and his official
regime that advised and eo-operated
with him on these matters. They are in
this bill. and they are going TO remain
there; and We are going to vote for
them, and intend to give to the labor
Organizations and the people of this
country the laws they have been clam
oring for during nearly a quarter of
Gentry And the program is going
through the Senate. and the bills will
60 TO the President. and the executive
that the Democratic voters of this coun-
try put in power will give relief TO the
people,
Mr.. Speaker, this is an important oc-
easion. Today we are taking up for con-
sideration the most significant political
problems pending before this country
These three bills contain some things
that will bring greater relief to the peo-
pie OF this country than any measure
that has been considered since / have
been member of this body. 1t means
that hereafter we shall not negotiate
with big business violating the law"