Omaha daily bee., 1916-09-04

ed doubt as to constitutionality 0
the law, but what steps, if any, ma
be taken to test this has not bee
indicated.
Quick Action Follows.
Quick action by the brotherhood
heads followed the action in the sen
ate. No doubt existed in their mind
that President Wilson would sign tn
bill as soon as it was handed to him
The measure embraces virtually al
OF the presidents original proposal
to the employees and the railroat
heads, although it is only part 0
the Legislative program he took t
congress last Tuesday, when his nego
tiations had failed.
Issuance OF the orders Of cancella
ton followed a meeting OF the fou
brotherhood heads and thirteen re
naming members of their committed
of $40. Some opposition to acting
before the president actually hat
affixed his signature was evidenced
in the meeting, but in the end tn.
seventeen voted unanimously to cal
off the strike Immediately. All til,
code messages had been prepared il
advance and as quickly as the de
cision was announced. clerks rushed
to the telegraph offices with arm
loads Of the messages.
No Two Are Alike.
No two OF the more than 500 dis
patches were alike. One Of then
read: 1T Is reported that big firs
is raging in Toronto" Another said
There is danger of'your house burn
ing down tomorrow" Even the
brotherhood heads did not know what
all the messages contained, the com.
position Of them having been left tc
clerks.
The original plan to wait Until the
president had signed the bill before
calling off the strike was abandoned
in order to facilitate transmission o.
the messages. 1t was thought If the
order were not sent out until tonlor-
row many small telegraph offices
probably would be closed, and the
10000 or more local chairmcn, all
Of whom in turn are to receive mes
sages from the 90 general chairmen,
might not be advised.
The argument also was advanced
that newspaper publicity tomorrow
morning throughout the country
would be OF great assistance In get
ting the word to the employees who
would be affected by the strike.
TO See Wilson Sign Bill.
The four brotherhood heads were
invited tonight to be, present romor-
row morning when President Wilson
signs the bill. The president will
use four pens in affixing his signature
and each Of the labor leaders will
be given one Of them as q souvenir.
Although members Of congress
breathed easier when their task was
done, the relief was not so much a
demonstration Of satisfaction over
the legislation enacted as over the
immediate results II accomplished
II not only stopped the strike, but
served to stay the soaring prices Of
food and accessories OF life which had
been going rapidly upward for several
days. They also were Jubilant that
at last the way looked clear for adj
journmcnt Of congress. but many
members Of both houses were con-
WINGED that with the rcassembling in
December, the question would come
up again and that permanent legisla-
ton to be asked by the president
along the line OF compulsory arbitra-
ton would be pressed. In the mean
time the joint subcommittee recent
" created BY congress will get to
work on problems Of railroad lcgisla-
ton and prepare recommendations
10 be made as soon as possible in
the session to come.
Say Congress coereed.
Republican senators and few Of
the democrats in debate on the bill
declared unhesitatingly that congress
was being coerced, dictated to, driven
under the gun to the passage OF the
bill without any provisions
Of Z permanent character, Senator
Borah asserted that the railroad train
men would not dare to order the
strike II congress should abandon the
bill and adopt resolution merely to
provide for thorough consideration
81 the whole subject.
Senator Underwood declared the
strike would be as dead on Monday
morning II his amendment should be
added to the eight-hour bill as 1t
would be without. Senator New
lands insisted that congress did not
dare to do what President Wilson
had dared to do and enact legislation
that would serve to stand as per-
barrier against such threat
cncd industrial disaster.
Other senator's, chiefly progressive
republicans, among them Cummins,
Kenyon and Norris, said that that
labor was getting a bad bargain, "a
brassy gold brick" "a humbug," and
that they were conceding to congress
the right to legislate on the question
Of wages, a concession which in their
opinion the 100000 trainmen OF the
affected would not ap-
prove Il il should be put to them
for vote.
But champions Of the Adamson
bill said in reply that to amend the
bill would mean that the strike would
not be stopped. They recalled to the
senate the declarations Of the broth
crhood leaders that nothing would
serve to stay the strike except the
passage Of the bill giving them the
eight-hour day and the proposed in
vestigation.
Senator Reed, taking up cudgels for
the brotherhoods. asserted that a
quorum Of the house was not in
Washington; that il therefore would
be impossible 10 pass the hill IL