Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-04-24
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE ON ARBI-
TRATIoN.

The Presidents message to Congress on
the labor troubles and strikes is neither
broadly statesmanlike nor greatly helpful.
He suggests only that which Congress has
already undertaken to do-to provide
National Board before which EMPLOYERS
and employees may, if they agree so to do,
arbitrate the issues between them. The
suggestion that this Board be given
broader regalia of official character bv
being related to the Bureau of Labor, is
the only original idea in the paper, and
relates to q matter of detail. This State
paper, however, confesses that there can
be no such thing as enforced arbitration,
an absurdity upon which some have
wrung weak changes. So far as it gives
executive sanction the effort of Congress to
induce" arbitration and thus mold pub
lie sympathy and opinion, the document
has force. But it is to be noted that
this effort was in full vitality before the
President opened his mouth on the ques-
ton. He appears to have been brought up
as sort of reserve guard. The DISPOSE
tion to resort to legislation as the clire-all
of social ills is strong enough at best
among our people ii begets trust that is
most generally disappointed, and brings
the law-making power very often into con-
tempt. With "whereases" and resolves
and Acts the American public is forever
dosing itself, and the result is very much
like that upon the physical system There
can be no objection to Congress advising
employers and employees to arbitrate
their difficulties; to giving that advice
emphasis by providing ready means for
such adjudication by consent. Rnt =
public shasiI '"s
,..a not be led into reposing i'm
plicit trust in the method All that can been
tertained of it is hope. To rely upon it viii
but make disappointment the more keen.
for ii is not likely that the proposed
scheme will be much availed Of The diff
fculty of filling Board such as is eontem-
plated with men in whom employing car
riers and their employees throughout the
whole country viii have perfect confidence,
is almost immeasurable. To ftly fill such
Offices there must be engaged the Hottest
character and the broadest ability; men,
against whose standing no shadow of re-
proach exists. and whose ability is coequal
with that of the profoundest iurists; whose
philanthropy is unbounded; whose courage
is immeasurable whose knowledge of the
forces, conditions and needs of labor and
capital are unequaled who are proof
against political ambition, and free from
all prejudice and bias regarding the differ
ing theories of the relations of capital and
labor-in other words, men of such perfect
intellectual and moral poise that their at
titude shall be judicial in the broadest,
highest and best acceptation Of that term.
Men can be found with these rare combi-
nations, but they are few, and we find
nothing in the bill in question inviting
such to the tasks the Act prescribes. We
have not, therefore, much faith in the ulti-
mate success of national Board of Arbi-
tration, which of necessity cannot enforce
its DEGREES, For, after they have adj
Judged that the employer shall do this,
that or the other thing, it viii remain his
privilege to retire from business, since no
law can compel him to conduct it; and
after they have adjudged that the worker
shall do this, that, or the other thing, it
will remain his privilege to refuse to work
at all