The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1916-09-08
THE LESSER EVIL.

The LESSER EVIL.
To have a comparatively few men
for their own selfish and sordid pur-
poses hold up" the nation, take con-
1Gress and all the machinery Of gov
-ernment by the throat and compel
legislation in their special interest lest
they bring on a great national calam-
ity, ia assuredly not pleasing spec
tacle. That, however, is just the atti-
tade of the railroad brotherhoods.
They said in effect to congress: Pass
this eight-hour legislation, give us
eight hours work, but pay for ten
hours or we will bring about a strike
that will cause suffering in this nation
that has not been known since the
darkest days of the civil war and
larger proportion Of the people of this
country will feel the devastating ef-
fects of our arrogance than suffered in
that titanic conflict 1t cannot DO
denied that this has been the attitude
Of the brotherhoods. Not long ago
they made fetish of arbitration, now
they spurn it, even the presidents
offer to appoint the mediators being
rejected without even consideration.
There has never been a sadder spec
gtacle in the history of people than
that now presented by the situation in
congress. In order to meet the de-
mands of a comparatively few men
an Of the wheels of government must
Ne put in motion and farreaching, al
most revolutionary legislation rushed
though without any sort Of serious
consideration.
But il has been a. choice Of two
evils. Congress has surrendered its
constitutional powers; it has been
held up But the politicians in and out
uf congress must share with the
selfish labor agitators the responsible
fly. For years almost every politi-
clan in congress has trembled every
time a labor agitator sneeezd Every
demand of the labor unions for years
has been readily acceded to by con-
Eress The antitrust law has been
no amended that it exempts the labor
trust Naturally, the labor agitators
have grown bold and arrogant; they
have 80 long dominated congress that
they feel that they are perfectly safe
in debating any sort Of terms as the
price Of averting national calamity.
They are SO arrogant that in Nashville
they are suggesting to the sworn Off
GERS Of the law that they must be neu.
tral in the protection Of life and prop
erty during the strike.
In this crisis, arrogant and unreas-
enable as the agitators have been The
Herald is persuaded that in view o;
the terrible consequences that would
follow the Inauguration of the strike.
congress has taken the lesser Of the
two evils 1t were better to make a
further surrender to special interest
than that millions of innocent people
all over the land should suffer for the
very necessities OF life; that little
babes should die for want OF milk and
that conditions should ensue that
-wonld inevitably produce civil war. !
Too long have the politicians played
with fire, now they are face to face
wfth the consequences
1t is to be hoped that out of this !
situation the politicians will learn a !,
t1neson and learn It WE'LL that legisla-
stien for the protection Of the country
'asRinst a recurrence Of these deplor-
able conditions will be enacted with
out further delay. Congress should
4cOmpel the labor agitators and every
other special interest to take its hands
on the throat Of government.
President Wilson has done q great,
nm inculculable service to the country,
TO humanity, in forcing a settlement
Of the controversy. It should not be
necessary hereafter to make another
settlement Of this character. !,