The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-09-12
THE ADVERTISERS SEM.wEEKLY
Political Eepediency


i ment by congress of the eight-hour law 70
tranmen employed in interstate commerce, Presi
dent Wilson stated that an eight-hour period j
generally accepted as being the limit of time il
which man can perform work satisfactorily t
himself and his employers. He also advanced tn
principle that who labor at exacting occu
i pations something to society and must hav
a certain amount of leisure at their disposal il
order to fulfill those obligations.
This soclaStic legislation, for by no other tern
can it be properly and accurately labelled, is
step so at variance with the old theories of Jeffer
sOnian democracy that it Is difficult to realize tina
this principle should have been adopted by Part,
that has always stood for individuaIsm within
the state, and for state rights within the nation
This leads to the logical conclusion that this en-
&C mcnt is soely for political expediency to catcI
votes at the approaching presidential election.
The arrogant behavior of the railway labor
leaders, their rejection of arbitration, their threa
of stopping the whole transportation movement
of the country unless thcr demands should b.
forthwith granted, met in way that bode
no good for the future of commerce and industry
in the period of reconstruction which will follow
the war Other threats have been flung at thu
American people by organized labor but neve
before has there been a complete surrender b,
both the executive and legislative branches of the
government without full consideration having
been given to the interests of all affected by suCl
a surrender.
Making their threats in a Presidential wear
when the most reactiohary congress the UniteC
States has ever seen in its congressional halls
was bold stroke on the part of the labor leaders
The advantage is theirs for the time being |
will not remain so. Probably the knowledge o
the union leaders, that the President OF the Unit
ed States would prevent execution of their threat
and that therefore they would not have to 60 tC
the extreme had much to do with their conduct
These threats OF general strike have been made
before, always at time when business prosperity
was at a low ebb. In 1877 there was a genera
railroad strike following the panic and depression
Of 1873 the initial cause of which was that certain
railroads. struggling to sTemain solvent, inaug
urated the practise of using two engines one
train, thus dispensing with the employment O.
train crew The railroad on which the strike
started also reduced wages ten per cent as ar
alternative to disseminating it's service In the
disturbances that followed twenty million dollars
worth of property was destroyed, and there wa:
rioting in every state from Pennsylvania to Texas
In 1886 the Knights of Labor forced a genera
walkout on western railroads because the Missouri
Pacific would not recognize their union. Th,
cause again famed in 1888. The unions declared
and attempted to enforce a boycott, and prac
tically every road west of the Alleghaneys saw
rioting and trouble for nine months, until theil
cause was fought through the courts, and the
"boycott" declared illegal.
In 1894 the American Railway Union made com
mon cause with the unions at Pullman, Illinois
over matter of purely local interest," and a gen
era strike declared against ali railroads thai
used Pullman cars. This strike lasted long time
bitterly fought by the roads and the com
merciaI interests and resulted in much rioting anc
destruction of property When Grover Clevelanc
settled the matter by proClaimng that interstate
mail trains must not be interfered with, and b,
backing up his proclamation with soldiers from
the regular army, traffic began at once to NOV,
again. The baffed Railway Union ordered a gen
cral strike of laborers in all industries. Nobod
paid attention to it the whole demonstration col
! lapscd, and with it the Railway Union
| In every one of the conflicts thus reviewed bot
sides emerged with heavy losses, and with tn
original matter of controversy usually lost sigh
of, in the violence of the struggle.
! President Wilson's breakdown and ready &C
| Ceptance of the righteousness of the cause Of or
gained labor may bring him few votes, but il
the minds Of most. thinking men it inculcates
| doubt whether such weakness in high places bode
well for the future 1t is simply another evi
dence of the spirit of tempOrizing and watchfu
waiting that has characterized his entire tenur
in Office. Woodrow Wilson is not safe man t
have at the head of national affairs.