The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-06-05
,: The mp oyers
iabil Bill
sza.sEoR ELkiNS INSTRUMENT
~ GETTING FAvoRAsLE
REPORT ON IT.

F16F2oH7A s0fS-t -
3 WASHINGTON. d. c. June So
Senator Ellins, as chairman OF the
Senate Committee on interstate Com
merce, was largely instrumental in !
securing favorable report from that
body on the Employers. Liability bill.
which IS now pending before Con-
Tess- For years the courts OF many
States have held that when an en-
p1oye is injured through the careless-i
ness OF another employe while in dis-l
charge of duty. the agSrieved man
could not recover damages from the
employer because the ecploye was a
fellow servant. and under the old
English common law, master was
not responsible for any injury done
a servant by fellow Servant. a mo-
meat OF reflection will convince any
fairrainded man that this doctrine as
applied TO modern methods Of trans
portation is as unsuited TO present
conditions as an oxcart would be If it
Were to take the place of the rail
road train. Indeed. the fellow servant
doctrine is relic of the oxcart era.
and under that doctrine thousands Of
employees have been kept out OF dam
ages to which in all fairness they
We're entitled.
Senator Elkins has proven anew
his real friendship for labor by ad-
vocatins the passage of this measure
<Nf
the big railway employees associa-
tons have extended him the thanks
of the organizations for the assist
ance he has given them. In this he
has again proven how false is the
charge that he is a railroad Senator.
road Senators just let them watch
TIE vote on this proposition, for no
railroad Senator has ever been known
to advocate such = measure Again.
Senator Elkins has proven anew that
he is first OF all a patriotic represent
alive of the people One would nat
ura1ly infer, that being directly and
indirectly a large employer of labor.
he would be against every form OF
extension OF the employers liability.
One could not cenSure him so much
if he did See 1t that way, for self in
Senator Elkins has placed whatever
self interest he might have behind
him, and advocates most heartily this
not long delayed act of justice to the
working men engaged in interstate
commerce.
But this is only one item of a lons
record the senior West Virginia Sen
ator has as friend of labor. a record
which began long years before he
came to the United States Senate.
In all the years that he has been one
of the largest employers of men in
the State of West Virginia he has new
er had any labor troubles among his
men In his railroad and his inter
eStS he has dealt SO justly and so fair
~ with them that they have never
even threatened a strike. That is a
characteristic Of Senator ElkinS- he
believes in Justice to all men in pri-
vate as well as in public life. He
has lived out in his private relations
what he has advocated as a Senator.
He has practiced what he preached
From the day Senator Elkins enter
ed the United States Senate he has
supported every measure that has
been for the real bettermenr of the
wage earners of the country. He has
lent his vote and his support to ev-
cry measure that has passed Congress
for their proteStation- The leSiSla-
ton which has passed Congress since
he has been there requiring railroads
10 provide safety appliances for the
protection of their employees has re
cei-ed his support. The bill giving
the employees of the navy yards of
the country leave with pay. so as to
put them on 4 fair footing with clerks
who do less work and get more pay
was supported by him And to-day
he is pressing the passage of a bill
which VIII protect employees on pub
lie works OF the government who are
injured in the line OF. duty. He be-
lieves that they are just as much en-
titled to redress for injuries received
in the line of duty as any other class
are
1t has been said by those who arc
familiar with the record of the West
Virginia Senator that You can go