Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-09-21
Speech Delivered by Ed S. Johnson
on September 2, 1916.
Congressional Record. Sept. a.. 1916.

pfieiiy State the feelings OF the people generally
with regard to the pending bill before us this
morning. house bill l770O. for the establishment
of an eight hour day for the employees of carriers
engaged in interstate and foreign commerce.
| did not know what line of discussion upon
this subject had been advanced by members of
the senats at yesterdays lengthy session, and
hence | may touch upon the same thoughts in my
remarks that have already been given you for
consideration,
Personally l consider the passage of this bill to
be the most important matter of real benefit to
the people that has come before this body during
this session. The failure to pass this or some
similar measure before next Monday morning
will probably plunge this country into the great
est commercial calamity that has ever befallen it,
and for that reason 1 feel that no time should be
lost.
| understand that President Wilson has urged
us to enact some Legislation of this kind which
will give immediate relief to the people upon a
question that must be met at once. He has not
asked this legislation for himself. but has asked
it for the benefit of 100. 600. 600 people Of this great
republic and they will indorse his demand and
the action of this body in enacting this bill into
law
The question has been raised by newspapers re-
garding the constitutionality of this measure now
before the senate. That is a question that must
be left entirely to the courts. We may not be
able to pass a bill that willmeett the requirements
of the whole country, because We have not the
time: but we must. if we do our duty. enact some
law that will at least give us temporary relief
from the great danger that confronts us as a
people.
Mr.. President. it is a big question. and should
be handled in a big way, but believe this body
is competent to do it and will do it at once.
The question of travel and inconvenience to the
public is the smallest possible question that we
should consider in relation to this subject. Should
a strike come upon the country, it will p~araly2e
every industry; it will stop all manufacturing; it
will stop mining; it will stop the mails. and ii will
put an end, at least for the time being, to all COM
merce: and it will do more than this. it will be
followed by want, by distress. by riots and blood
shed.
Poverty and death will exist where we now have
prosperity and contentment in the land. Every
person in the United States is equally interested
every man, every woman, and every child be
cause it is something which will effect all alike
should it come about.
Certainly we all know what suffering. misery,
and distress follow strikes of this kind. and we
can not help but feel that it is our sacred duty,
as members of this body. to endeavor to prevent
in every possible way such conditions being fore
ed upon the country at this time.
l do not know-I am not in a position to know
whether the demands of the labor leaders are
just on this question or whether the contentious
Of the railroads are right; but | do know that
there is a third party, the great common people
of the United States, and | do know that they
should be protected now and at all times and that
their needs should be looked after. regardless of
the question of right or wrong as concerns the
demands of the railroads, and their employees.
Each have their own needs to look after and we
have our duty to perform.
L have observed in the press that some of these
labor leaders fear that if this bill should be pass
ed and they should recall their orders for the
strike next Monday they will be criticized and
possibly branded as traitors to the cause which
they represent.
| do not believe that, because they are repre-
senting the people for whom they are responsible
in the same way that we are representing the
people of the entire country. | think that the
men they represent are confident that they will
work for their interests, just as | hope the peo-
pie of the United States may have confidence in
us and believe that we will do our duty.
Ihave the honor to have been a lifetime friend
of one of these labor leaders. l have known him
since we were children together. l have never
known him other than an honest, capable, and
fearless man. who would never forsake a cause
or betray a trust. That man is Mr.. A. B. Garrett
son, of Cedar Rapids. Iowa.
Mr.. President, we do not represent our indivi-
dual ideas in this matter. We can not vote. per-
haps, as we would like to vote ii we only consid.
cred our own views: but we are representing our
constituency we are representing all the people
of the United States. Our constituency demands
of US and the people demand of us that we con-
slider in a businesslike way the great and grave
problem that now confronts the country, and
that has been hanging over the country like a
dark cloud for the past few days.
Mr.. President. | have no intention in these few
remarks to defend the labor unions in their con-
situations in this particular demand. because, as 1
have before stated, l am not in a position to
know whether it is just or not. l am a friend of
labor when labor is right. but L believe that its
friends may at times be unjust in their demands.
None OF us are free from mistakes and abuse of
power. Neither do ! undertake. in my feeble
way, 10 upnOiu Cne RAILROADS., Tor the reasons be
fore set out. but my observations have been that
they have at all times been able to get three
meals a day and a resting place at night from
their profits from the people, and l have no fear
that they will not be able to do so in the future.
Mr.. President, / am unable to understand the
position of the Republican members of this body.
| am unable to undertand how they will be able
t. go before the country with a record of having
resisted the enactment of this necessarily import
ant bill into congress. which will relieve. for the
present at least, every citizen of our great coun-
try from a condition that would be appalling were
it brought about. l can only believe that the
position assumed by the majority has been taken
for political reasons, antagonistic to the demo-
cratic party, because this bill will be recognized
as a democratic measure. Certainly they cannot
have the interesto of the people at heart: in taking
such a course, and / regret more than l can ex-
press that such a condition should exist in this
splendid body. Surely. il this is not true, they
prefer stagnation and want to reign within the
country, where now dwells peace and plenty.
thought, Mr.. President, thai the day of politi-
cal secrets had passed, and yet what puzzles me
is the attitude of the minority. What explana-
ton will its members give their constituents for
their oBpositjon tn this hill? What ara tho, ro