Congress has gathered to cast their votes on House Bill 5680. After studying the documents, you must decide if you will vote for or against the Bill.

Timeline Leading up to the vote on the Civil Rights Bill

1850- Allan Pinkerton opens the Pinkerton National Detective Agency

1855- Henry Bessemer creates process for turning iron into steel on large scale.

1861-1865- Pinkerton runs the Union Intelligence Service (first Secret Service)

1866- The Pinkertons are used to break a coal mine strike in Illinois

1875 – Andrew Carnegie opens his first steel mill in Braddock, Pennsylvania

1876- Amalgamated Association, union for iron and steel workers forms

1881- Carnegie put Henry Clay Frick in charge of his company’s operations.

1882 Amalgamated Association strike at Homestead protesting a contract allowing non-union workers to work at the plant (yellow-dog contract)

1883 – Andrew Carnegie purchases Homestead steel mill.

1889- The Amalgamated Union went on strike at Homestead. The workers win a strong contract recognizing their right to form a union.

1889- Carnegie publishes “Gospel of wealth”, advocating “philanthropy”

Jan 1892- Tom Watson (P)Georgia creates resolution to investigate Pinkertons

February 1892: Union asks for a wage increase, Frick decreases their wages.

June 29, 1892: The old contract ends without the two sides reaching an agreement. Frick locks the workers out of the plant with a barb wire fence.

June 30, 1892: Workers strike and surrounded the plant to stop strikebreakers

July 6, 1892: When the local sheriff was unable to control the strikers, Frick hired 300 Pinkertons to secure the factory so that strikebreakers could enter.

The Pinkertons arrived by boat in the middle of the night.

The Strikers knew they were coming. Shots were fired and people were killed on both sides.

July 6, 1892 Kansas Senator Mr. Peffer, introduces a Senate Resolution to investigate the Pinkertons.

House Bill 5680 is introduced

House Bill 5680. “A BILL to regulate the employment of certain persons to do the work of guards, and so forth, and for other purposes.” (modified/link to original)

People employed to guard property of any kind, must be residents of the State where the property to be guarded is located. The one who employees these people will be legally responsible for the actions of those people they employed.

SEC. 2. No private person shall employ any private citizen, or arm anyone already employed, to make arrests without warrants, to disperse mobs or stop disturbances, to establish martial law, to force the operating of engines, cars, or boats, by force of arms. They may not do any of acts that are the legal duties of the militia, the police, or other authorities.

SEC. 3. That no person shall organize, or maintain any force of employees, or agents for the purpose of making arrests without warrant, to disperse mobs or stop public disturbance, to make forcible evictions, to establish or enforce martial law. They are not to do any of acts that are the legal duties of the militia, the police, or other authorities.

SEC. 4. Any person violating this shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be punished by fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than ten thousand dollars, and by imprisonment for not less than three nor more than twelve months.

William Peffer (Populist)Kansas, Senate Resolution on Pinkertons, July 6, 1892. (modified/link to original)

Peffer's biography

At many times and places within the United States in recent years the public peace has been disturbed and life and property endangered by the private employment of armed men, commonly known as "Pinkerton men" and " Pinkerton detectives''.

It is currently reported that a bloody conflict occurred on the sixth day of the present month at or near Homestead, a village near the city of Pittsburg, in the State of Pennsylvania, between a body of Pinkerton men and the citizens of Homestead.

The existence and employment of such a body of men without authority of law is contrary to the genius of American institutions and subversive of liberty:

Resolved, A select committee of the Senate should investigate the facts about the existence and employment of the "Pinkerton men" or "Pinkerton detectives".

The committee will report its conclusions to the Senate and make suggestions on any legislation necessary to prevent further unlawful use or employment of Pinkerton men or other similar bodies of armed men for private purposes.

The expenses of said committee shall be paid out of the contingent fund of the Senate.

William Stewart, (R)Nevada, Speech to Senate on Pinkertons, 1892 (modified/link to original)

Stewart's biography

This matter should be inquired into very carefully and very speedily. I regard the employment of armed bands of men outside of the law as very dangerous to the peace of the country. So far as the public press have given us the facts in this case, it seems beyond controversy that the managers of the Carnegie works did employ this murderous gang.

Whatever the laboring men may have done, it is not ok to use an armed band of assassins. All must admit this is a serious blow to law and order. It endangers the life and property of every citizen in the country. If any set of men, however powerful they may be, are allowed to organize a military force in this country for private purposes, anarchy will follow.

This is the most outrageous event in many years. Three hundred armed men, brought from a distance prepared for war, brought in the night to make war upon laborers in this country, will certainly attract the attention of the whole nation. This can not be condemned in language too strong, because if anarchy begins in this way, if it is started by men of wealth and power and influence, it will not stop with this massacre.

This question should be speedily examined. The Senate should aid in ending this practice in order to secure and preserve the public peace.

John M. Palmer (D)Illinois, Speech to Senate on Pinkertons, 1892 (modified/link to original)

Palmer's biography

We are confronted now with this problem in its most impressive form. The Carnegie Company has, in the exercise of what they claim to be their right, attempted to bring a large military force to their establishment. The Pinkerton army is as well known as the regular Army of the United States. It is not a new thing. I am astonished to find that it excites surprise now. For years that force has existed. The commander-in-chief of this army, like the barons of the Middle Ages, has a force to be used by anyone who pays him. They have been employed in many places, in many of the States of the Union. They have been employed in New York, and have shed the blood of citizens of that State. They have been employed in Illinois, and have shed the blood of citizens of Illinois.

This company claims not only the right to regulate their own business in their own way, but they claim the right to fortify their position and the right to use an armed force of mercenaries.

It does not matter who fired the first shot. These men were taken there for the purpose of battle, for the purpose of shedding the blood of these people if they stood in their way.

Thomas Nast, The old "homesteads" lesson to bread winners, 1892

Library of Congress summary

The labor troubles at Homestead, Pa. - Attack of the strikers and their sympathizers on the surrendered Pinkerton men / drawn by Miss G.A. Davis, from a sketch by C. Upham, 1892

source: Library of Congress

Kurz & Allison. Great Battle of Homestead. , 1892

source: Library of Congress

An Awful Battle At Homestead, National Police Gazette, 1892

summary

George N. McCain, interview of Mr. H. C. Frick, July 8, 1892 (modified/link to original)

McCain was a reporter from the Philadelphia Press, and Frick was the chairman of the Carnegie Steel Company (he is pictured below)

McCain: Why did the Carnegie Company call upon the Pinkertons for watchmen to protect their property?

Frick: We did not see how else we would have protection. We only wanted them for watchmen to protect our property and make sure our workers would be able to get into Homestead.

McCain: Did you doubt the sheriff could protect your property?

Frick: Yes, sir. From past experience we have found that sheriffs have been unable to give us with enough deputies to guard our property and protect the men who wanted to work. As the Amalgamated men had surrounded our works, and placed guards at all the entrances, we felt that for the safety of our property, and in order to protect our workmen, it was necessary for us to hire our own watchmen from Pinkerton to assist the sheriff.

We brought the watchmen here as quietly as possible; at an hour of the night when we hoped they could enter our works without meeting anybody. All our efforts were to prevent the possibilities of a collision between our former workmen and our watchmen. We are to-day barred out of our property at Homestead. The mills are a silent mass of machinery with nobody to look after them.