French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1916-12-14
THE EIGHT HOUR LAW.
To the Editor:

To the Editor:
iEx-President Taft scored union labor
in an address at Providence, R. l., De-
cember 1, 1916 and right now while
the eight hour law is before the Su-
preme court of the United States it
would be well for labor and the people
to draw some parallels as the chief op-
position to this labor law comes from
the Republican elements in politics, let
US see what Lincoln says about the S1f.
preme court of the United States. the
/ supposed father Of the present Repub-
lican party, -
In his first annual address to the
United States Senate Lincoln said:
This rule Of minority as a perma-
| nent argument is wholly inadmissible.
do not forget the position assumed Dy
some that constitutional questions are
to be decided by the Supreme court nor
do deny that such decisions must be
binding in any case upon the parties to
suit as to the object of that suit At
the same time the candid citizen must
Confess that if the policy of the govern
ment upon vital questions affecting the
| whole people is to be irrevocably fixed
l,
the instant they are made in ordinary
litigation between parties in personal
action. the people will have ceased to
be their own rulers having to that ex-
tent practically resigned Their govern
ment to the hands of that eminent tri-
kbunal nor is there in this view any as
sault upon that court Or The judges"
Mr.. Taft said: ''The danger to Amer
lean economic strength through the
tendency of union labor to place itself
above law and order is one big cloud
on our horizon. When we look tc the
days to follow the world conflict. Tne
highest tribunal in the nation has been
notified that unless the Adamson law
i upheld the threatened railroad strike
will be enforced. It is threat to
starVe the nation into submission
The decision resulting may be tie pro-
per one, but the means contemplated
are wholly wrong. If we have rail
road strike. all forces of public opin-
ion and public action must be called
into play to force obedience
Herein Mr.. Taft strays far from what
is the true highest tribunal of the na-
ton. Congress is the highest tribunal
and from failure after failure before
the Supreme court. the Chill Of tie
creation of political brain il Iatzr
years, labors has appealed To Congress
and now capital appeals from that
highest tribunal back to the Supreme
court
Hear what the President that IS said
to have saved the Union said, in MS
nrst annual address TO Cong 'ess. he
eember 3, 1861: In my present posi-
ton, could scarcely be justified were
l 10 omit raising a warning voice
against this approach of returning d7s-
potlsm. It is the effort to place capt.
tai on an equal footing with il nct
ABOVE, labor in the structure Cf the
government. Labor is prior &c ard
independent of capital. Capita, is only
the fruit of Iahor and could n"vA~ have
existed if labor had not first existed.
Labor is superior to capital ana &C.
serves much higher consideration. No
men Living are more worthy to ~
trusted than those who toll up from
poverty: rome les. inclined to take Or
touch ought which they have not hon
estly earned. Let them beware of SUI
rendering political power which thcy
already possess and which if sufsoIl-
dered will surely be used to close tae
door of advancement against such as
| they and to fix new disab litia> ana
burdens upon them until all liberty
shall be lost
The fulfillment of this prophecy by
the Republican party laid the founda-
ton corner stone Of the necessity OF
the organization of labor for its pro-
lection, and politically speaking,
represents 1870 of the voting popula-
ton of the nation.
Mr.. Wilson says his chief ambition
was to close the widening breach be-
tween capital and labor and the classes
and the masses. So the people shoulu
study parallel of ex-President Tatts:
Roosevelt's. Hughes and LincolnS
views.
Respectfully,
s. A. JONES'
1 Wavnesyilla NJ n