The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-12-05

concentration OF the military forces
of the nation wherever they are
needed needed and whenever they are
This Ia a program OF regulation.
prevention, and administrative
efficiency which argues Its own case
In the mere statement OF IL. win
regard To one OF Its items, the IN
crease in the efficiency of the Inter.
state Commerce Commission, the
House OF Representative has al
ready acted; It's action needs only
the concurrence OF the senate.
New Principle.
1 would hesitate TO rec6rnmend.
and 1 dare say the Congress would
hesitate to act Upon the suggestion
should make II, that any man In
any occupation should be Obliged
by law to continue In an employ
ment which he desired to leave. To
pass n law which forbade or pre-
vented the individual workman to
leave his work before receiving the
approval OF society In doing so
would be to adopt n new principle
into our Jurisprudence which j take
Il for granted we are not prepared
to introduce.
But the proposal that the opera.
tion OF the railways OF the country
bHhtl uOt NC ENOppto VI thhtthePs'e
by the concerted action OF organ.
lied bodies OF me until a public IN
vestigation shall have been insti.
tuted which shall make the whole
question at issue plain for the judg'
ment OF the opinion OF the nation
IL not to propose any such principle.
Very Different Principle.
IL IL based upon the very different
principle that the concerted action
OF powerful bodies OF men shall not
be permitted to stop the Industrial
processes OF the nation, at any rate
before the nation shall have had an
opportunity to acquaint itself with
the merits OF the case as between
employe and employer, time to form
Its opinion upon an impartial state
ment OF the merits, and opportunity
to consider all practicable means
OF Cancellation or arbitration. l
can nee nothing In that proposition
but the Justinable safeguarding by
society OF the necessary processes
OF It's very life. There IN nothing
arbitrary or unjust In u unie"
be arbitrarily and unJustly done. ~
can and should be done with a full
and scrupulous regard for the inter
ests and liberties OF all concerned as
well as for the permanent interests
OF society itself.
Three Important Matters
Three matters OF capital Import
ance await the action OF the Sen.
ate which have already been acted
upon by the House OF Representa-
tives: the bill which seeks TO eS.
tend greater freedom OF combina-
ton to those engaged In promoting
the foreign commerce OF the coun'
try than IL now thought by some
TO be legal under the terms OF tho
laws against monopoly: the bill
amending the present organic law
OF Porto Rico: and the bill pro
posing a more thorough and sys'
ture OF money In elections, com.
monty called the Corrupt Practices
Act. need not labor my advice
that these measures be enacted into
law, Their urgency lies In the
manifest circumstance which rem
der their adoption at this time not
only opportune but necessary, Even
delay would seriously leopard the
interests OF the country and OF the
Government.
Tive Years 20 Eiapse.
Immediate passage OF the bill to
regulate the expenditure OF money
In elections may seem TO be less
necessary than the immediate en-.
actment OF the other measures TO
which I refer: because at least two
years will elapse before another
election In which Federal offices are
to be filled; but II would greatly
relieve the public mind IL ,this i'm.
portant matter were dealt with
while the circumstances and the
dangers to the public morals OF the
present method OF obtaining and
spending campaign funds stand clear
under recent observation and the
methods OF expenditure can be frank.
ly studied In the light OF present eS-
perience: and a delay would have
the further very serious disadyant-
age OF postponing action until an,
other election was at hand and
some special object connected with
Il might be thought 10 be In the
mind OF those who urged IL, Action
can be taken now with facts for
guidance and without suspicion OF
partisan purpose.
Magnitude Assumed.
I shall not argue at length the
desirebility OF giving n freer hand
In the matter OF combined and con-
certed effort 10 those who shall un.
dertake the essential enterprise OF
building up our export trade. That
thheip'ioS VIII pftSehtiys VIII iIl-
mediately assume. has indeed al
ready assumed, a magnitude un-
precedented In our experience. We
have not the necessary instrumen-
talities for its prosecution; IL IL
deemed to be doubtful whether
they could be created upon an ade-
quate scale under our present laws.
We should clear away all legal oh
stacles and create a basis of I'M
doubted law for IL which will give
freedom without permitting I'M
regulated license. The thing must
be done now, because the oppor-
tunity is here and may escape us
II We hesitate or delay.
Conclusive Arguments.
The argument for the proposed
amendments OF the organic law OF
Porto Rico is brief and conclusive.
The present laws governing the
island and regulating the rights
and privileges of it's people are not
just. We have created expectations
of extended privilege which we
have not satisfied. There Is un,
easiness among the people of the
island, and even a suspicious doubt
with regard to our intentiona con
corning them which the adoption of
the pending measure would happily
remove. We do not doubt what we