Newspaper Page Text
section 49. Section 50 provides as
follows :
Salaries allowed under the preceding
section shall be computed and paid,
in all cases, for a period of not less than
three months from the commencement
of the Congress.
It may be well questioned, Mr.
Speaker, whether there is any au
thority for the passage of such an act,
but surely there is no authority for
extending payment beyond the three
months which by this act is guaran
teed to the member elect at the com
mencement of his term.
Again, section 51 provides:
Whenever a vacancy occurs in either
House of Congress, by death or other
wise, of any Member or Delegate elec
ted or appointed thereto after the com
mencement of the Congress to which
he has been elected or appointed, the
person elected or appointed to fill it
shall be compensated and paid from the
time that the compensation of his pre
decessor ceased.
So I submit to the House that the
proposition the gentleman from lowa
has presented is not founded on good
law or sound reason. It is not just
to the taxpayers of the country ; it is
not just to ourselves as the adminis
trators of a trust fund. And I sub
mit further, sir, that it is a sound prin
ciple of law and justice which no man
will deny or question that an officer
shall not be paid when he is render
ing no service, any more than that
there shall be two salaries paid at the
same time out of the public Treasury
for the same work.
The resolution which has been
read, and which I shall submit at the
proper time, is for the purpose of en
grafting upon this bill a declaration
of what we ought to do, and all that
we can properly do under the law.
It allows the payment of every dol
lar that the law permits, and beyond
that we have no right to go unless
we want to go before the country with
the | itiable record of being brave
enough to refuse this compensation
to (ne of our subordinates, and timid!
enough—mean enough, you may say
—not to apply the same rule when
we come t j deal with one of our col
leagues on this floor, or his represen
tatives.
Mr. Sayers. Will the gentleman
allow me to ask him a question ?
Mr. Watson. Certainly.
Mr. Sayers. Are we to understand
the gentleman from Georgia to give
his opinion that the law now author
izes the payment of three months’
sa'ary to deceased members ?
Mr. Watson. No, sir. If the de
ceased member served less than three
months, that is to say, if he held the
place less than three months after his
term commenced, the law allows his
legal representatives three months’
pay. lu other words, he shall be
guaranteed as much as three months’
salary from His term. But if he shall
have received as much as three
months’ pay before his death, noth
ing more shall be paid upon his death.
The compensation of his successor is
supposed to commence at that time.
I very much doubt whether Congress
had the right to pass such an act, but
if that act does not authorize the
continuing pay to the extent of till
ing out the three months’ salary, then
there is not a line of law anywhere
authorizing the payment of a dollar
beyond the time that the member has
actually served.
I now yield three minutes to the
gentleman fromTennesse [Mr. Snod
grass].
The amendment passed, 100 to 93,
and the money will doubtless be ap
priated when the conference is con
cluded.
The True Inwardness of the Carnegie
Lockout at Homestead.
The testimony of Mr. McLuckie,
mayor of Homestead, before the Con
gressional committee, turns the cal
cium light on the Homestead trouble
and shows up Carnegie in his proper
colors.
Mr. McLuckie being sworn testifies
. as follows:
I believe there are three points in
it (the new scale) that differ from the
old scale. The first is a change in
the minimum, the second is the
change in time of expiration of the
scale, and the third a reduction of
wages. The converting department
shut down June 29 on account of a
disagreement bet ween the company
and its employes. I have heard there
vas some trouble at the mill occas
i< ned by the attempt to land Pmker
t« n men, but did not witness the
battle. On invitation of the commit
t< e to make any statement I desire, I
wish to be put on record to this
effect: I think it a most gigantic
conspiracy on the part of this com
pany and its representatives, aided
and abetted by vicious legislation,
created with a view of depriving the
workingmen of this country of their
most sacred rights under the consti
tution, of life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness. I think that the fact
has been pretty clearly demon
strated, and if an opportunity were
afforded, I think we would have no
difficulty in establishing the truth.
That opinion is based on obser
vation and the preparations, building
> of fences and bringing in of Pinker-
ton guards, and the consequential
management of that mill. Three
years ago at this same mill we had
trouble of a similar character. After
considerable trouble the firm finally
signed the scale. The capacities of
the mill were at that time quite
limited.
Then came the McKinley tariff
bill, reducing the tariff on the very
identical article on which our wages
were based, viz, steel billets, and
raising the tariff on all other articles
of production. It was a gigantic
conspiracy to rob the laboring man
of a fair day’s wages for a fair
day’s work.
The Carnegie company hold the
mortgages on their employes property
to a considerable extent. There are
employes who have bank deposits; to
what extent I don’t know. Our
people, as a general thing, believing
the Pinkertons to be a horde of cut
throats, thugs and lawless invaders,
employed in the submission of hon
est labor into accepting the demands
of capitalists, accounts for their dis
like of the Pinkertons. There would
have been no resistance to a law
fully constituted authority of the
state. There has been, however,
in the coke region, and in many
other parts of the country.
Judge Taylor, here interposed an
objection to any such “sweeping
declarations,” as he termed them.
Mr. Oates—Your idea, then, is that
the company, after having obtained
a scale of wages based on the market
value of the the steel billets, caused
the duty on steel billets to be re
duced.
Mr. McLuckie Yes, sir. They
shortly converted the Duquense works
into a billet plant, increased the pro
duction, flooded the country so that
prices may be reduced, and thus
affect our wages. The Duquense
produces large amounts of billets.
Judge Taylor—l understand you
to give it as your opinion as to the
reduction on billets. The reduction
of the duties thereon and the in
creased production by this company.
Mr. McLuckie—That is the idea
exactly, sir.
Question —How could this com
pany make more money by selling
their billets cheaper?
Answer—Simply because it is a
very small item in the productive
capacity of their mills.
Question —Why should the firm
want this reduction when they cer
tainly lose by it ?
Answer—Because every article
produced is based on that particular
item of steel billets. They can do it
without the tariff, if they had our
scale signed and the wages based on
the prices of these billets ; they could
have done much better than they
have done. If they could get the
minimum basis low enough it would
pay them to take ail the tariff off.
Question —Do you know the dif
ference between here and England in
the price of billets?
Answer —I understand $7 differ
ence. There was a conspiracy by
this company to do by legislation
what they did not succeed in doing
with the deputies three years ago.
Judge Taylor—You think this
conspiracy consisted of who?
Mr. McLuckie—l think the Pacific
railroad people were connected.
Question —And who else?
Answer—H. C. Frick and the
Carnegie interests. I think there
was a large circle if you care to
gather them up.
Question —Any members of Con
gress?
Answer—The bill was passed.
Question —Then a majority of
congress must have been in it?
o
Answer—l did not say so. lam
not here for the purpose of insulting
this committee.
From the testimony of Mr. Mc-
Luckie it appears that Mr. Carnegie
having first persuaded the workman
to agree to a sliding scale of wages
based upon a single product (steel
billets) he next persuaded a corrupt
and venal congress to reduce the
tariff on billets while increasing it on
other numerous products of his ex
tensive mills. Not content with this
immense advantage over labor he
further proceeds to rapidly increase
the output of steel billets for the
deliberate purpose of reducing the
price and thereby reduce the wages
of every laborer in his mills. If Mr.
McLuckie is a creditable witness,
Andrew Carnegie is a thief and a
robber and should be today inside
the walls of a Penitentiary, with his
henchman Frick for company.
Have Democrats Had a Chance.
In looking over the record of Con
gress and the administration of
Grover Cleveland we unhesitatingly
answer they have had a chance to
aid monopoly at every turn. They
say that the Republicans did it all.
But by some hap or mishap, or good
fortune, the people found they had
lied to them in some instances and
they began an investigation for
themselves and going to the records
find the truth.
They had a chance to build a rail-
road from the Mississippi valley to
the Pacific coast and give it to some
millionaire pets, ’the gift being so
insignificant that they must wrap it
up in millions of the finest lands of
the west to induce them to take it.
Democrats and Republicans did it.
They had a chance to take the
currency of millions of people and
consign it to the fire and forge upon
them an indebtedness of a billion
dollars, upon which to pay interest,
thereby, in practice, double private
debts and reduce the means of pay
ing them one half, wffiich was placing
a fourfold burden on the masses of
these United States.
They showed such imbecility in
these cases that even the honest
English banker was tempted, and
came here and persuaded or hired
them to demonetize silver, so they
could go into speculation and reduce
the happy American farmer to the
level of her Indian pauper subjects,
besides being compelled to go to the
English bankers to borrow their gold.
This has given old “John Bull” a
little hire which he could not win by
the sword. Many more honest men
than that Congress have lost their
heads at the guillotine or have been
degraded by the criminals’ chaiqs.
With one hundred and thirty
democrats and fifteen republicans,
Cleveland for president, had a chance
to loan the whisky rings millions of
dollars upon their death dealing
product, while the producers of
bread were paying the taxes and
monopoly confiscating their homes.
The democrats had a chance to
kill an educational bill while millions
of their constituents could not read
the guide boards pointing to the
next town.
They had a chance to vote millions
for the construction of interior
custom houses to accommodate a few
merchant princes while the poor
mechanic and factory girls paid the
bill.
They could send tons of bread to
foreign lands free, while hungry
babes saw it leave ; vote fortunes to
a fair while ragged hungry and un
cared for poor witnessed the
grandeur.
They w’ere chosen to protect the
weak, but have aided the mighty.
They weep with us in our humble
homes and dance upon our graves.
They proclaim to the world pros
perity and put darkness upon our
nakedness.
They yell negro supremacy that
they may bind the white slaves.
They were so enraged at the free
dom of their ethiopian servants that
they bind those who fought their
battles and yell, liberty !
Georgia Boy.
From Gwinnett County.
July 19th was the day set apart
for a rally by the People’s Party at
Luxomni.
The speaking occurred in a beau
tiful grove near the railroad. W. L.
McDaniel was made chairman
The ciowd was rapped to order
and the programme of the day an
nounced.
P. B. McCurdy, of DeKalb, was
introduced. A fair-sized audience
greeted the speaker, who asked per
mission of his heai ers to lay off his
coat, as the day was very warm.
Brother McCurdy then dived into
his argument, showing the iniquity
and rottenness of the two old par
ties for the last quarter of a century.
For two hours the speaker rolled the
truth home to the hearts of the peo
ple, completely spiking the guns of
the enemy. The speaker was loudly
applauded many times during his
speech. At the conclusion dinner
was announced.
The honored mothers and fair
daughters of old Gwinnett spread
the table. Great trunks full of good
things for the inner man w’ere
brought forth and dispensed with a
lavishness that did credit to these
noble ladies.
The boys then loaded their guns,
picke 1 their flints and marched down
to the stand to hear from the boys
that hold the plow-handles.
Mr. Giles Kelly was introduced.
After making some apology for em
barrassment, he launched out and
and soon caught the audience. For
one Lour he had things his own way,
making a brave, manly and patriotic
speech, which elicited loud applause
from the crowd.
The chairman was then called for,
and responded in a well timed speech
of forty minutes, in which his points
were well taken.
This being the end of the pro
gramme, W. P. Langford mounted
the rostrum to call the attention ot
the people to the fact that there was
at this time a dangerous animal
roaming the forests of the South.
This animal was described as having
seven heads and ten horns, with eyes
like balls of fire; it was conceived
and brought forth in the city of
Washington in 1891, and is of Demo-
Republican progeny; the mission of
this tenible monster in the South is
to keep up sectional hatred, by de
vouring his thousands of victims.
The boys "were warned to keep their
! Winchesters well charged and near
lat hand, for this monster was likely
to turn up at any time. The moth
ers were warned to close their doors
at sun-down and not to open them
till sun-up, for if this beast of prey
should every Jay his unholy paw on
one of their children they would
hear that child squeal but one?.
This animal has a bra«s collar
around his neck labeled ‘‘Force Bid
Tiger.” For further information of
this beast the crowd was referred to
Bill Simmons, of Lawrenceville.
After a big cheer for Weaver's
brigade and adopting the action of
the Omaha convention the crowd
dispersed.
Luxomni is a plucky little town
and is People’s Party to the core.
Third District Etchings.
Frank Holt, a prominent Democrat
aud well-to-do former ex-merchant
and county commissioner of Macon
county, says he will bring all of his
negroes over to Montezuma on elec
tion day and make them vote his way
or they’ll have to leave his place. ;
Still the Democrats do not want the I
negro votes.
Little three for-a-quarter lawyers
in the small towns of Geergia are
conspicuous advocates of the contin
ued rule of the plutocrats. They
take special delight in “norating”
around about some poor devils not
paying their debts, when some of
these lawyers owe a six months board
bill in the towns where they live and
can’t pay—at least they don’t do it.
If the Democrats in Georgia want
to elect the People’s Party candi
dates straight through, they ought to
engage two of the most brilliant ora
tors in the State to take the field
against the poor, ignorant fools who
have gone into a party run exclusive
ly by designing politicians and office
seekers. I refer to Col. Billie Wynne,
the gin drummer, and Gen. McCon
nell, McGuzlelam or some such name
as tha% from Fort Valley. Geo. Mc-
Ginty, who went down to interview
mermaids of the sea, is away up in
Gon political economy if he does
push a jack plane for his bread win
ning necessities. As a carpenter he
is a success, as an orator, he is away
down below zero. Perk Griffith,
Mannie Aultman and several other
statesmen around Reynolds don’t
want to see him again soon. Sensi
ble.
August the 2d, the People’s Party
of the third congressional dis rct
will assemble in Americus to select a
candidate for Congress to beat Judge
Crisp, the well-known tie breaker
and cloture rule opposer. No can
didates have yet openly avowed their
determination to enter the race. The
convention is called, the people will
do the rest.
In about two weeks, date not yet
decided on, the People’s Party will
have a big rally at Miona Springs in
this county, nine miles from Monte
zuma. Cols. Peek and Post will be '
inxi’ed to addre-s the people. Ba-ket •
dinner and big lime generally. Look
out for the announcement.
The Montezuma Blowhard, better
known as the Record, is not killing
the People’s Party in this section as
often as it use i to do. Their sub
scription list tells the tale of how
numerous the People’s Party boys
are in this section. Lots of folks
have more sense now than they had
one month ago. New accessions to
our party every day. After awhile
you will have to get a search war
rant to find a Democrat outside of
the towns.
It was an awful thing for the Peo
ple’s Party to intimate that the ne
groes would vote with them. Now
these self-same Democrats are brag
ging that they will turn the negroes
off of their places if they do not vote
the Democratic ticket. That is the
pluto style of doing things.
At the joint discussion at Reynolds
la t Friday the People’s Party routed
the Democrats b?-g and baggage.
Taylor county is a strong reio.rn
county, over 70 per cent of the w hite
vote is o. k.
Good speakers ought to sent down
in south and southw T est Georgia coun
ties ; middle and north Georgia is in
good shape. Come down and help
us Walker, Chupp, Sibley, Pottle and
all those good talkers are needed.
Houston county needs waking up.
Don’t fail to send large delega
tions to Americas on the 2d of Au
gust. Let’s show the people in Crisp’s
own town that we mean business.
The People’s Party in this county
want to have a grand rally at Miona
Springs about the 12th of August.
We w’ant Col. Peek, the next Gov
ernor of Georgia to be w r ith us. Col.
C. C. Post is expected. Position,
date and names of the speakers
will be given soon.
The republic is in peril, and all pa
triotic men should fight for its per
petuation.
Don't let it be said that you w’ere
too cowardly to vote for the interests
of your children. This is a fight for
babies not jet born. Think about it,
my fellow-countrymen.
W. T. Christopher.
•Isa Vote for Weaver a Vote Thrown
Away I
The New Nation.
We see in the East that the old
party organs are advising voters to
avoid throwing their vote away on
; any new party. This hoary-headed
I weapon of monopolistic partizanship
was never so sluffed with sophistry
i as this year.
This is a great year to vote for
principle. We will not here discuss
the soon Iness and breadth of the
People’s Party platform, but if any
vo er is convinced that the new party
has trained its guns four-square to
the solution of the question of private
monopolies, and still withholds his,
vote, let him make a careful survey !
of the situation. The currency and
corporation monopolies of this coun
try have a grip upon both the Re
publican and Democratic parties.
President Harrison seems to be mak
ing the tour of railroad and trust at
torneys for a man to run his cam
paign. The Democrats are in a fair
way to elect a Standard Oil man to
general the Cleveland forces. In
half a d zen northwestern States the
result will be determined by the pur
chasable vote. It is a cola question
of money. Take Indiana as an ex
ample. Four years ago a private
canvass showed that there were 34,-
000 purchasable votes, and that the
Republicans required 29,000 of them
to carry the election. As the event
showed, it took $250,000 to swing
these 29,000 into the Republican
column. If the Democrats had been
able to raise $300,000, the Republi
cans would have lost the State.
If an elector believes that this
country should be run by the people
rather than by the corporations, tbe
most effective method of throwing
away his vote is to cast his ballot for
either Republican or Democratic
electors. To a reformer there can be
no significance in the success of either
of the old parties. They both stand
for special privileges of a few and
against the interests of many. They
work together whenever there is any
danger that a new party will unhorse
them both. In Roger Q. Mills’s dis
trict a few weeks ago, it became
evident that the People’s Party w r as
about to carry the election, and in
order to prevent this, Republican
bankers contributed money to elect a
Democratic candidate to Congress.
Judge Antony, democrat, was, in
consequence, elected by a small ma
jority, by the purchase of the negro
vote with republican money in two
republican counties. Democratic
bankers and railroad attorneys in
Kansas have been giving aid and
comfort to the Kansas republicans.
And so it goes, especially through
the West and South. As the combat,
deepens, it will appear that there are
but tw’o parties in this great republic,
the party of monopoly and the party
of the people. The November elec
tion is not a horse race nor a game
of chance. It is the dutv of every
citizen to vote his convic ims. We
art upon the eve of a revival of
principle, honor and equal justice.
And again, looking at the contest
from a tactical point of view, no
man throws away his vote this year
if he suppoits the People’s Party.
A very conservative estimate of the
outcome in Noveml er is that two
Southern tnd four Western States—
two democratic and four repub
lican—will enter the electoral col
lege for the People’s Party. There
will in consequence be no election
and the choice of president wil be
thrown into lhe House and the
choice of vice-president into the
Senate. If you take the Southern
States which will not vote for Cleve
land, the Farmers Alliance States
and the silver States; the unit rule
prevailing according to the terms of
the constitution, it will be readily
seen that it would not take very
much of a tidal wave to land Gen.
James B. Weaver in the presidential
chair. The Home cannot vote for
any name that did not figure in the
el- ctoral college. Thus it wi Ibe a
choice between Harrison, Cleveland
and Weaver. It is needless under
the circumstances to remind any re
former that his duty is to vet? for
the party of reform this year unless
he really wishes to throw his vote
away.
Henry County in Line.
Friday, July 22d, on the call of
; Wm. M. Combs, chairman of the
I county executive committee of the
i People’s Party of Henry County, the
people assembled at the court house
• in McDonough about 350 strong, 300
jof w 7 hora were P» opL’s Party men.
Dan Ward was made chairman and
| Geo. Wise secretary.
Delegates to the Forsyth Congres
sional Conven ion, which meets the
first Tuesday in August were selected
as follows: Wm. M. Combs and
Dr. I. L. Gunter.
Delegates to the Stone Mountain
Senatorial Convention w’ere named
as follows: Wm. Hooten and
Geo ge W 7 ise.
After business w r as finished the
j people heard frem Hon. C. F. Turner,
of Monroe, chairman of the Sixth
Congressional District Executive
Committee, and who is also a candi
date for the nomination from his
district for Congress. His speech
was an able argument for the princi
ples of the reform party, and was
enthusiastically received by the audi
ence in applause and cheers.
He was followed by Mr. Wm. 0..
Butler, of Atlanta, the Fifth District
Elector on the Presidential ticket of
the People’s Party.
In the afternoon, in a neat speech
Dr. I. D. [Gunter, of McDonough,
gave his reasons for his severance
from the Democratic ranks. After
long and strong solicitation, Dr.
Gunter has consented to run for the
legislature on the People’s Party
ticket.
Henry is a People’s Party county.
Visitor.
The Democrats and the Pinkertons.
National Watchman.
In January, 1892, almost as soon
as tbe house was organized, Mr.
Watson introduced a resolution to
investigate the Pinkerton detective
agency with a view of destroying it.
The judiciary committee showed no
inclination to act upon it, and Mr.
Watson, some time in February r
asked consent to withdraw the reso
lution from the judiciary and con
sider it in the House. Mr. Oates, of
the committee, •bjected. He stated
to the House that his committee bad
it under consideration and would
soon report. So the matter rested
for three months. Then Mr.
Watson tried to obtain recognition
from Mr. Crisp to have the House
instruct the committee to act. Mr.
Crisp declined to recognize him, and
Mr. Watson then turned the
matter over to Mr. Simpson, who,
two days after, got the floor and the
House took the desired action. '1 he
committee then had to act. They
gave Mr. Watson fifteen minutes on
two mornings to discuss ihe matter.
He did so. He cited the record of
the Southwestern strike, the Pensyl
ania strike, and the New York Cen
tral strike. He dad done much
tedious work in getting up the records
and posting himself on the facts and
the law. His argument product dno
effect whatever. He was drenched
with cold water by every member of
the committee excepting Stockdale,
of Mississippi; Broderick, of Kansas,
and Buchanan, of New Jersey. The
latter gentleman had served upon
the Southwestern strike investigation
and agreed fully with Air. Watson
on the law and on the facts.
The sub-committee decided to re
port the resolution adversely. Mr.
Watson was informed of this and
was asked by one of the members
who agreed with him to prepare a
minority report. He did so, and he
made it as strong as words could be
formed. It was read to the sub com
mittee and they backed down before
it. They did not dare to have that
minority presentation to go to
country.
They asked leave to reconsider.
They did reconsider, and they finally
decided to mangle Mr. Watson’s res
olution and report part of it and
leave the other unreported. IK had
to ji ld. The amended resvlu ion
passed the House. The committee
still failed to act. Mr. Watson fur
nished them a list of witnesses. They
were not subpoenaed and no attempt
was made to subpoena them. So it
rested till the morning wr*en it was
wh spered in ihe halls of the House
that the Pinkertons w<re filing upon
the lab »nrs at Homestead.
Then M r . Oates went over to Mr.
Wat-on’s desk and told him tbe in
vestigation would begin “next Friday
morning.” During the same day,
Mr. Williams, of Mass., introduced a
resolution of inquiry, substantially
the same as Mr. Watson’s original
measure. The committee demanded
evidence from him and no argu
ments. They at once adopted, at his
instance, what they had refused at
Mr. Watson’s.
The reason is plain. They wanted
Democratic campaign material. They
mean to do i othing. Mr. Watson,
ii February last, intioduced a bill
which would have cut up the Pinker
ton system root and branch. It was
referred io the same committee. They
have never noticed it at all.
This is a plain statement of the
case.
Notice.
There will be a mass meeting of
the People’s Party of Monroe county
at Forsyth, July 30- The Hon. John
A. Sibley and the Hon Joseph E.
Pottle will address the assembly.
We most cordially invite all People’s
Party men from our adjoieing sister
counties and all people who are seek
ing the light and truth t<> join with
us on that occasion.
L. A. Ponder, Chairman.
NOTICE.
The Finance Committee of the
Farmers’ Alliance Exchange •will
meet at the Exchange office on Tues
day, August 2d, at 10 o’clock.
The Board of Directors will meet
at the Exchange office on Wednes
day, August 3rd, at 10 o’clock.
The County Trustee Stockholders
of the Farmers Alliance Exchange
will meet at the Exchange office Au
gust Ith at 10 o’clock.
W. L. Peek, Pres. & Mgr.
Farmers Alliance Exchange of Ga.