New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-13
One Form of Glass Legislation when
Mr. Wilson Cannot "Side-Step.

49,. .ho most accomplished "side-stepper '"n
- -, ..s,de stepping" indefinitely. I-e wiz
oor,o nm sooner or later headon against Si'U0'
rvb,ch will not allow itself to be 80,
Then at last that plain word must De spoA.H
which the gifted phrasemaker hopeo 10 ''inh
president Wilson is about to be put IN 'ne un'-
~..,.,ou % a nhrssemaker brought to DOCK
He has undoubtedly been congra'uia'ins -
on having gotten through the Fouse Oh nepi
tives the famous now-you-s OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
sea-them farmers and union labor e&elip
tho CLAYTON antitrust bill He has been tahlns p'iUI
IN the neatness Of a job in phrasemaKlng "lh0n "
not only allow Mr. Gompers TO say that ullon i"'0-
and farmers organizations are exempted Iroln
cution under the Sherman antitrust la"' ou'
also allow the President to say that the sherman ID"
has not been altered a particle ana tn"'
Of its provisions against combipatlons III
:. 4-odo will he prosecuted without any reg"Iu
whatever TO class or vocational dlstihcliono
great is the merit of a little verbal MANI
lit oorr+onances two contradictory interpreta-
lions and leaves the clash between them 10 De 9e'
tied by the courts!
Tho President has established friendly enough re-
lations with the Clayton gold brick exemptions
But in engaging to join in the pleasant process
of housekeeping" the meaning OF the Clayton Oi
concessions to labor" he seems to nave iolso''en
N o,o,+ +bo rlain acknowledgment of class legisla-
tion embodied in the rider put on the suiiui!
appropriation law last year, the prlhcipie
which he denounced although he approved lne Oii'
To his astonishment and embarrassment congress
4 -o,ro 70 reincorporate that rider In this year,
.rrdrv civil eppropriation bill. Why shouldn't IT,
since everybody nowadays is tying 10 make 'iiNe'
90 pleasant as possible for Mr.. Gompers? Congress
is going to say again that no part OF the
tion made in the sundry civil bill Tor Ine ehioie0
roDA ~ tho autI-trust laws shall be used for the
prosecution Of labor organizations combining W III
crease wages to shorten hours, or to secure DEUEL.
oond,tions of labor. or for prosecuting farm pro-
,ucers combining to put up the prices OF lheH
products. ,
Mr. Wilson was not as expert sioe-stepper
last wear as he is now. He admitted then li"'
Congress was trying to get him to approve a gar
ing niece of class legislation. He was bold enough
70 saw that the limitation put on the use OF 'ne
funds was "unjustifable in character ana prihci-
RI Will he retain enoug- backbone TO repeat
that criticism this year and to veto the DILL as
President Taft vetoed 1t two years ago, 'ecause
II contains "vlcious class legislation" whose evil
character was known in advance to Congress!
The President might be able to approve the Clay
ton gold brick" exemptions II the Dllls cohtalHnS
them should ever reach him. He could say that be
didn't know what they meant and that he was
satisfied TO pass them along TO the courts. But he
can't say that he doesn't know what the sundry
civil appropriation bill exemptions mean. He Is on
record as to what they mean. If he signs another
sundry civil appropriation bill containing those
exemptions he will sign away his character for
courage and straightforwardness. He will sink
even lower than the demagogues in Congress who
have gladly given Mr.. Corners all that he has
asked. They have never professed any great hos
tIlity to class legislation. If the Gompers conces-
sions are class legislation they not against 1t
but for II.
But Mr. Wilson has said that he is against class
legislation He has pledged himself against any
discrimination in the enforcement Of the antitrust
low. He Will soon be in position where he can
iJr side-step" that pledge He will soon reach the
end of the blind alley of equivocation. viii he
redeem his reputation by denouncing the Gompers
''gold brick" compromises as Trey ought TO be
denounced, or will he for the sake Of curryng
favor with labor accept the odium Of refusing to
do what he knows to be Just and right?