Year: 1878

The Joint resolution reported from the
Committee on Education and Labor for
the enforcement Of the eight hour Law
in all the departments OF the govern
ment gave rise to lively discussion,
IN the course Of which Mr.. Banks de-
nounced the disregard of the law by the
government as scandalous and infamous,
and MIR. Butler, Of Massachusetts, sdVo-
Gated penalty for its disregard and said
there was more powder and ball wanted
in the administration of laws The Joint
resolution was passed.


The House went into Committee OF
the Whole, Mr.. Saylor in chair, on the
tariff bill, and Mr.. Kelly member of
the Committee on Ways and Means
spoke in opposition thereto.


Mr.. Kelley said: The remarkable part
OF the speech of the gentleman from
New York [ Wood was where he de
clined to state in detail the provisions Of
the bill. No part of the people asked
Congress to revise the tariff; from neither
town or county had there came such q
proposition. The loom and spindle were
standing still; the mine unwroughti the
fires out IN the furnaces; the captains OF
industry by thousands were passing into
bankruptcy, and laboring people by mil
lions into want, ii not INTO psuporism.
They were not permitted to endure the
primeval curse and earn their bread by
the sweat OF their brows. They appealed
TO Congress to relieve them, but not one
OF them suggested that it could be done
by a revision OF the tariff in the interest
OF foreign producers who are supplantlng
American merchants IN New York and
elsewhere. He spoke OF these specific
free lists in the bill as fatal defect. If
the Committee on Ways and Means had
listened TO the statements Of men who
understood the tariff, the list would have
been inserted, and the Committee would
have been saved the shame OF having re-
ported so ridiculous an abortion. The
Committee had no particular malice
against anybody, hut the general malice
against the industries there was an ugly
habit IN some countries of running q
muck" When man Intoxicated with
arrsck or haspeeses armed him
self with sharp knife and
hacked and Asyed whoever he
might meet, be had no malice against
anybody in particular, but ran muck
against all mankind. He kelley
though he could show that the commit
tee, inspired by wonderful writings of
British free trade dreamers, had deter
mined TO run q muck among American
manufacturers. To borrow a simlIe from
the Senator from Oregon (Nesmith), he
could only compare the bill TO a
mule with no pride of ancestry,
nothing like it having gone
before, and there was no hope OF poster
itv because it was not possible that any
deliberative body would accept 1t as
model for future laws. He denied
Mr.. Woods statement that the bill had
received the assent of those engaged IN
the iron and steel trade, and said that
those gentlemen had been invited to
Wsshin gton, and mad been assured that
the bill would inevitably pass, and had
been told by the highest authority in the
House that the only chance was to make
concessions, and state the lowest
terms under which they could live,
but they refused ss BODY to make terms,
and said, LET US 90 down if be the judg-
ment of the country that the iron aud
steel industry must be prostrsted." The
bill as q whole was disturbing industry.
The wool grower of the West could get
no price for his wool, because the wool
manufacturers of the East did not know
what the tariff was to be, and knew
that if this tariff bill was to
prevail his mill must go with the
millions of idle men unemployed, with
forges. furnaces and factories entirely
closed. How would the people be fed,
and Whist army would keep them in order
he repe a.ed that il was revolutionary
measure. 1t was the very msdnes; OF the
ory to assert that the tariff which stimu-
lated the production, and which added to
the worlds supplies enhanced prices.
In view of the fact that the prices OF
goods are lower than they ever were,
no one could tell whether the pending
bill would most promote free trade,
or protection. If 1t was free trade
bill it was against the tendency and drift
of the age. Even ECgland was begin
ming to realize the ssd mistake she made
when she did confer the freedom of trade
to materials. He quoted Wood as say ing
that the last quarter Of the century had
been distinguished b war, but Mr.. Kelly
thought its crowning glory was the
triumph OF peace a1d the testimony OF
which had been given to the world in
the Centennial Exposition.


Mr. Harris, of Georgia. another men,
ber Of the Committee on WAYS and
Means made speech in favor Of the bill,
as one that would effect the desirable
changes in the EXISTING system.


The committee rose and the House sd-
journed.


Fenian Movement.