The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1916-12-06

! the Republican State Committee. Tn
t ballots which were to have been de
= stroyed tomorrow were ordered pro
served.
+ trative officials as the circumstance.
require for their safe and efficient use
The second ard third Of these rec
concentrations the Congress immod
lately acted on: it established th,
eight-hour day as the legal basis Of
work and wages in train service and Il
authorized the appointment Of com,
mission to observe and report upot
the practical results, deeming these
the measures INST Immediately needed
but 1t postponed action upon The other
suggestions until an opportunity
should be offered for more delber.
ate consideration Of them. The fourth
recommendation / do not deem il
necessary to renew, The power Of
the Interstate Commerce Commission
TO grant an increase of rates on the
ground referred TO is mdisputably
clear and recommendation by the
Congress with regard to such d mat
ter might seem to draw in question
the scope Of the Commissions auth
ority or its inclination to do justice
when there is no reason to doubt eth
or.
The other suggestions,--the in
crease in the Interstate Commerce
Commissions membership and in it's
facilities for performing its manifold
duties, the provision for full public
investigation and assessment of in
dustrial disputes, and the grant to the
Executive Of the power to control and
operate the railways when necessary
in time Of war or other like necessity.
i now very earnestly renew.
The necessity for such legislation
is manifest and pressing. Those who
have entrusted us with the RESPONSE
bllity and duty Of serving and safe
guarding them in such matters would
find it hard, believe, to excuse a
failure to act upon these grave mat
ters or any unnecessary postponement
Of the action upon them.
Not only does the Interstate Com
merce Commission now find it prac-
tIcally impossible, with its present
membership and organization, to per-
form its great functions promptly and
thoroughly but it is notunlikely that
it may presently be found advisable
to add to its duties still others equal
ly heavy and exacting. 1t must first
be perfected as an administration in
strument.
I The country cannot and should not
consent to remain any longer exposed
to profund industrial disturbances for
lack of additional means of arbitration
and conciliation which means the Con-
gress can easily and promptly supply.
And all will agree that there must
be no doubt as to the power of the
Executive to make immediate and un-
interrupted use of the railroads for
the concentration Of the military for
ces of the nation whenever they are
needed and whenever they are needed.
This is program of regulation,
prevention, and administrativeefiieien.
cy which argues its own case in the
mere statement Of it. With regard TO
one Of its items, the increase in the
efficiency of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, the House Of Representa-
tiyes has already acted; its action
needs only the concurrence Of the SEN
ate.
would hesitate TO recommend, and
| dare say the Congress would hesti-
tate to act upon the suggestion should
| make it, that any man in any accu-
patton should be obliged by law to con
tue in an employment which he de-
sired to leave. To pass law which
forbade or prevented the Individual
workman to leave his work before re-
ceiying the approval Of society in do
ing co would be to adopt new prin-
ciple into our jurisprudence which |
take it for granted we are not pre-
pared to introduce. But the proposal
that the operation Of the railroads Of
the country shall not be stopped or
interrupted by the concerted action Of
organized bodies Of men until a public
investigation shall have been institu-
ed which shall make the whole ques-
tion at issue plain for the judgment
Of the opinion of the nation is not to
propose any ouch principle 1t is
based upon the very different princi-
pie that the concerted action Of pow
erful bodies Of men shall not be per-
mitted to stop the industrial processes
of the nation, at any rate before the
nation shall have had an opportunity
to acquaint itself with the merits Of
the case as between employee and
employer, time to form its opinion up
on an impartial statement Of the met
its, and opportunity to consider all
practica! means Of conciliation or ab-
biEstion, ] can ses nothing in that