Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-06-11

oHu iildue1llate remedy OF suit Tor
negligence would then gradually dis
appear,
Such n policy would mean that with
Increased responsibility of the EN-.
ploycr would come Increased care.
and accidents would he reduced I'M
number. The temporary burden In.
Volved will not hamper our indus.
tries. Long experience of compcnsa.
tfon laws in other countries has dem.
onstrated their benefit. What we adj
Yocate is only n simple measure OF
Justice. only one step toward the goal
OF securing, so TAR us human wisdom
can secure. fair and equitable treat.
ment for each and every one of our
people.
AS corollary to the above let me
point out the extreme unwisdom of
the railway companies in fighting the
constitntionality Of the national en-.
ployers' liability law. No law Is more
cmphatically needed, and 1t must he
kept on tho statute books in drastic
and acknowledging form. The rail.
roads are prompt to demand the in
reference and TO claim the protec-
ton of the Federal courts in times
of riot and disorder; and in turn the
tN'>'"i boNNihHiNhl oupuIu Sct W IL
that they are not permitted success.
fully to plead that they are under
the Federal law when thereby their
own rights can be protected, but out.
side OF 1t when 1t is invoked against
them in behalf of the rights of 9th.
crs. If 1t is proper for tho Federal
courts to issue iniunctions In bohalr
of railroads, it is proper that rail.
roads, should be held to strict lila.
bility for accidents occurring to their
employees. There should be the
plalnest and most mequivocable ad.
ditional statement. by enactment of
Congress, to the effect that railroad
employees are entitled TO receive
damages for any accident that comes
to them as an incident of tho per.
Torrance of their duties. and the law
should be such that 1t will be i'm.
possible for the railroads successful.
Nv to tight It without thereby forfeit.
Ing all right to the protection of the
Federal Government under any cir
cumstanccs. In the same way there
should be rigid Federal Legislation to
minimize all railway accidents.
Navy Guarantee of Peace.
In closing, friends and fellow citl-
zenS OF Georgia, let me say one word
suggested by the recent ceremonies,
in which You have just taken part,
in connection with your gift to the
noble hattleship named after your
State. Our battleships and great ar.
| mored cruisers, our fighting craft, are
| named after the States of our Union,
and this synlbolizes the fact that the
Navy is common possession of all
OF us, and that its honor and it's tri-
| umphs arc as dear to the heart of a
true American who dwells anywhere
inland as to true American who
dwells anywhere on the seacoast The
Navy Is our surest guaranty for
peace, and IL war should ever como
| 1t Will be the greatest safeguard for
our honor and our interest. AS Is
| likewise true of our Army. 1t Is man.
ned by volunteer force; for 1t must
never lie forgotten that all our sol
diers and sailors, whether regular or
not, are volunteers. Every encour-
agement should be given to our Navy
| and no public servant should be par.
doned for failing to do everything
in him to- see that we have the hest
type of ships and of guns, and that
the officers and enlisted men are held
to the strictest accountability for so
| practicing with the ships and guns
that no navy afloat snail, ship fol
SHIP squadron for squadron, be our
| superior. If the officers and enlisted
men do tlieir duty-and l am thank
full to say that In our Navy the cases
where they do not do their duty are
relatively few in number-they put
us all under deep obligation to
them, and we should give them all
the reward and encouragement In our
power. The higher man is in the
service, the greater should be our in
sistence upon having the best kind
of man. We should have system
of promotion either by elimination or
by selection, so that mediocre off.
cors could not come to the top. The
officers in responsible positions
should be watched with peculiar care
Each captain of ship must do his
duty just as emphatically as the en-.
listed men must do their duty and
the way they do their duty will large.
ly depend upon the way he does his
He must keep his officers and men
in good order, and he must remcmI,er
that 1t is ordinarily his fault il they
go down hill, IL they deteriorate in
discipline or become disconnected.
Modern wars are in reality decided
long before they are fought. ear
nestly hope that we shall never have
another war; but if we do. its result
| will have been determined in adj
vance; for its outcome will mainly
} depend upon the preparation when
has been made to meet 1t in time
| of peace.
This lesson OF preparedness does
| not relate, merely to war: 1t is just as
| true of oilr ordinary civic affairs. 1t
is as true OF the nation as of the In
| diyidual. Each OF us does any giycn