The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1914-01-16
WASHINGTON GOSSIP
HOW THE COMPENSATION
BILL WENT TO IT'S DEATH
Twas the Night Before the Maugu-
ration of Wilson When the
Long Fight Came to a
Dramatic End.


to create the impression that Senator
Hoke Smith did not represent the
wishes of the employees OF railroads
when he opposed the Workmen s
Compensation bill. The Banner is
greatly mistaken if it thinks SEN
ator Smith can be embarrassed by
the statement that he caused the de-
feat of the bill. He has already, on
the floor of the Senate, in so many
words, accepted the full RESPONSE
bility for that result. Nothing that
Hoke Smith has done in Washington
has so shown his power as it was
demonstrated in the fight which he
made on the measure referred to,
and the signatures of tens of thou
sands of railroad men attest the fact
that they understand and appreciate
his course
There was an element of the dra-
matte in the way the bill went to
its death in the Senate the night be-
fore Wilson was inaugurated. 70 APP
preciate the full significance, il
should be understood that the mea-
sure was planned by the railroad
claim agents, as shown by their min
utes, and that some of the leaders
of the labor men were won to it's
support, while hundreds of thou
sands of wOrkingmen knew nothing
of the details. An expensive com
mission had taken two years to in
vestigate the subject, an elaborate
report had been made, the bill had
been shaped to suit the railroads, the
House and Senate had been commit
ted to the measure, and it was on
the skids for easy passage.
That was the shape it was in when
the rank and file of the railroad men
began to call Senator Smiths atten-
ton to the bills inequalities. 1t was
an exclusive remedy. 1t closed all
N'AANA NCOAb W lllC III Jul GU Clll Dlpl6p.
II nullified the Employers Liability
act. 1t arbitrarily fixed low amounts
TO be recovered for injuries or death.
AS illustrating the heartlessness of
some of its provisions, it can be
stated that an engineers daughter.
sixteen years old, dependent entirely
on her father for education and sup
port, could not, in the event he was
killed, even through the fault of the
railroad, recover a cent. She would
be left to shift for herself, though
still a minor.
The bill was introduced in the
House and Senate at the same time,
but came up first in the Senate. and
Senator Smith started the fight al
most single-handed But he was
thoroughly familiar with the sub
ject. He knew that under the En-
ployers' Liability Act workingmen
had gained much. He knew that the
Supreme Court of the United States
had but a short time before sustain
ed this act for the protection of those
who take great risk for the public
convenience and welfare He was
aware that the so-called Compensa
ton Act would by its terms become
an exclusive remedy for the injured
and for the dependent ones OF tbs
killed.
He was willing to take the measure
as supplemental to the existing law
30 that man could have the option
Of accepting 1t or of appealing to tn:
courts for justice. He was not will
ing to close the court houses to ali
railway employees, and he fought ev
cry inch of the ground, although the
passage of the bill through boz
House and Senate was assured at thu
time and President Taft was com.
nitted to sign it.
For four days he held the Senate