American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-09-14
BORAH SAYS ADAMsON BILL
GIVES CONGRESS POWER TO
PIX WAGES; WARNS UNIONS
Idaho Senator, in Great Speech Says
Government Is Debauehed and Moth
ing Settled.

ing Settled.
On Friday, September /, Senator
Borah of Idaho made what was adj
mittedly the greatest speech delivered
In the United States during the dis
c~ussion OF the Adamson bill, the pas
sage of which granted the railroad
brotherhoods an eight hour basic day
at present rate Of pay, and thereby
averted a strike and nationwide tie
up.
The Associated Press t~elegraphed
striking excerpts from Senator Borah's
speech To all parts OF the country.
The full text OF his remarks has just
reached Boise, and Is as follows:
Mr.. President, l would make any
reasonable concession to avoid the
calamity which would undoubtedly fol-
low from the strike, which is now
dated for Monday. / would make any
concession except that involving a
principle which / deem fundamental.
There are some things, of course, the
value OF which can not be measured
In money or surrendered because OF
material loss. There are some things
the value Of which no mar would per-
NIT to be measured against the loss of
political friends OF of political power.
Mr.. President, a great deal has been
said in the chamber in regard to or
ganized labor. l presume that every
one who has given consideration to
the subject In these times OF modern
ndustrialism will concede the virtue
OF organized labor, will concede its
those who are actual members of the
organization, but the radiating influ-
nee and beneficences of unionism
throughout the realm OF labor, even
trough it be unorganized.
entertain, along with my collea-
CUES, a profound belief In the virtues
and the beneficent worth of organized
labor. have had my faith in orga-
nized labor pretty sevely tested
several times In my life; but nothwith-
standing these tests and experiences, l
still retain the firm belief that orga-
nized labor is an essential and most
vital element in the lettering of the
conditions OF the working men.
Not Afraid Of Unions.
But, Mr.. President, while | respect
organized labor and believe in 1t, /
am not afraid of 1t. am not afraid
Of II because of my confidence and
my faith In the great body of the
w~orkingmen. In all my experience ]
have never known a proposition fair
and just to be rejected by the mer
who actually perform the labor.
1t has been said that these labor
leaders here wer powrless to with
- draw this strike order; that they were
: not in a position to render ineffectiv,
= the order which had been sent out.
will not here and now dispute tina
7 proposition. | might be In error, an,
| do not want to pass Judgment upol
men 80 highly certified to in charac
ter as the leaders of these ~organiza
tions, although | have my own opin
ion as to that proposition. l will
concede. however, that contention I
be true.
But we seemed to have overlooke
the proposition hat there were thos
who could have rendered nugator
that strike order, and that was tn
great body of men of whom and 70
whom these representatives here ar
merely the agents. The men who ru,
the trains, who do the breaking, VIII
fire the engines, the rank and file @
that noble class of men, could hav
rendered 1t nugatory. Ii was With
their power to relieve their leader:
to put at ease the public, and to hav
done justice to themselves and / hav
never doubted but that they woul
have done so had II been properly pu
up to them.
= Joins No Indictment.
will not Join in an indictmen
against the intelligent and, l believt
loyal men who operate the trains G
this country by saying that they woul
not have terminated this strike a
soon as they we're assured that the eS
e~cutive and congress were entering /
good faith upon the investigation G
this tremendous question.
1t rs my candid opinion. and l spea
Mr.. President. with some experienc
concerning these matters OF organize
labor, that IL congress had passed
resolution at the time the presiden
passed this matter TO congress sta
ing that It was entering upon a CON
~prehensive investigation and consider
alton OF this entire question in goo
faith for the purposes of arriving q
an intelligent conclusion, passin
upon and measuring the rights {
each and all the parties to the col
%troversy, and that 1t proposed to pre-
coed with the consideration until
should be finally worked out to a IA
conclusion for all parties. the me