The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-02-01

Washington, January 31.-The special
message of the President to Congress
on the subject of the en- evers' LA
bility act and injunctions to labor cases
was presented in the Senate a few min
utes after L o'clock today. then Mr..
Latta, assistant secretary to the Presi-
dent, entered the chamber there was
hut a handful of senators present. The
Vice President at once tore open the big
envelope containing the message and
handed il to the assistant secretary, who
Immediately began reading 1t.
Upon the conclusion of the reading OF
the message, Senator Davis of Arkansas
was promptly upon his feet and moved
that 10000 copies of the message be print
ed as a public document
at is the best democratic doctrine that
I have ever heard emanating from re-
publican source" said Mr. Davis
The motion was agreed to and with
out further comment the message was
referred to the committee on interstate
commerce.
AS the reading of the message pro-
gressed in the House, numerous members
were heard audibly to exclaim, most
unusual" this is red hot" and so FORTH
The Presidents vigorous denunciation OF
wrong-doers was greeted with loud ap-
plause, as was his defense of federal
Judges who punish offenders for viola
tions of law.
The climax came when the reading was
concluded. without regard to party, the
members loudly applauded, cheered,
| thumped their desks and gave other evi-
dences of their approval of the docu-
ment After momentary silence, the
applause broke out again, several MEM
bers including, many democrats, rising
from their seats and clapping their hands.
The message then on motion of Mr..
PAYNE of New York, was referred to the
committee on the state of the union.
Ollie James of Kentucky produced
laughter and democratic applause when
he tauntingly inquired of Mr.. Payne:
How many additional thousand copies
do you desire for circulatlon?'
Mr.. Payne replied laughingly, "Oh the
usual number
To the Senate and House of Representa-
tives:
The recent decision of the supreme court
in regard to the employers liability act,
the experience of the interstate COM
merce commission and of the department
of Justice in enforcing the interstate COM
merce and antitrust laws, and the grave
ly significant attitude toward the law
and its administration recently adopted
by certain heads of great corporations,
render it desirable that there should be
additional legislation as regards certain of
the relations between labor and capital,
and between the great corporations and
the public.
The supreme court has decided the en-
ployers' liability law to be unconstitutional
because its terms apply to employees en-
gagged wholly in intrastate commerce as
we'll as to. employees engaged in interstate
commerce. BY substantial majority the
court holds that the Congress has power
to deal with the question in so far as
Interstate commerce is concerned.
AS regards the employers liability law,
| advocate it's immediate re-enactment,
limiting it's scope so that 1t shall apply
only to the class of cases as to which
the court says 1t can constitutionally ap-
ply. but strengthening it's provisions with
in this scope Interstate employment
being thus covered by an adequate ma
tional law, the field of intrasate employ
ment will be left to the action of the
several states. With this clear definition
of responsibility the states will undoubted-
ly give to the performance OIL lHelT uuly
within their field the consideration the inn
portance of their subject demands.
Compensation To Employees.
| also very urgently advise that a COM
prehensive act be passed providing for
compensation by the government to all
employees injured in the government serv-
ice. Under the present law an injured
workman In the employment of the gov
ernment has no remedy, and the entire
burden of the accident falls on the help
less man, his wife, and his young chill
dren This is an outrage. 1t is mat
ter of humiliation to the nation that there
should not be on our statute books pro-
vision to meet and partially to atone
for cruel misfortune when 1t comes upon
a man through no fault of his own while
faithfully serving the public. In no other
prominent Industrial country in the world
could such gross injustice occur; for al
most all civilized nations have enacted