The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1916-09-23
HUGHES DODGES ISSUE
ON EIGHT HOUR LAW
Attacks Wilson's Plan, but Won't
Say What He Would Have Done.
ONLY WAY TO AVERT STRIKE.

Republican Nominee In Asked 20 De-
clare If He Would Have Vetoed the
Bill With the Certain Assurance of
Industrial Disaster 10 the Country.
So busy las been Charles e. Hughes
criticising the deeds of the Wilson ad-
ninistration that he has had little
time to tell or has purposely evaded
telling the public what he would have
done had he been president under SIM
liar circumstances.
Lately Mr.. Hughes has turned his
attacks upon President Wilson's sue
cessful settlement of the crisis In the
railroad world by causing to be passed
by congress the Adamson eight hour
bin Mr.. Hughes has characterized
this action as a surrender TO force"
he Is opposed to being dictated to by
any power on earth before the facts
are known" and he would not act un-
Till he had had "fair investigation and
candid treatment"
Taking issue with the Republican
candidates attitude, the New York
Times In an editorial asks: what
would Mr.. Hughes have done2"
"WeIl, what way would Mr.. Hughes
have taken?" continues the Times.
what would he have done? Here
was Mr.. Wilson's position: The broth
erhoods refused arbitration; the rail-
road presidents would not accept the
settlement Mr.. Wilson proposed, grant
ing the eight hour standard day, with
provision for an impartial inquiry into
it's working. There was no law on
the statute books to enforce arbitra-
ton.
1.-THE president knew, knew with GER
tainty and beyond question, that he
could not get such a law from the
congress now in session. The sure
and inevitable alternative TO his ac-
ceptance of the eight hour standard
day measure was strike, the suspen-
sion of railway service, freight and
passenger, all over the country, begin
ming on the morning of Sept. 4.
Would Hughes Have Done It7
"Mr. Hughes would not surrender
to anybody in the country. Then he
would have surrendered the country to
the disturbance, immeasurabIe loss and
peril of a strike. Would he, in fact,
have done that? Had he been presi-
dent, confronted by that situation,
would Mr.. Hughes have brought on a
strike by refusing to sign the bill
granting a wage increase?
"There was the strike In plain sight,
few hours away, sure to come.
Would Mr.. Hughes have vetoed the
bill? On the contrary, would he not
have done just what Mr.. Wilson did,
sign it?
"The Republican candidate stands
for two things-'frst, for the principle
of fair, impartial, thorough, candid
arbitration, and, second, for legislation
+ on facts according to the necessities
of the case MIR. Wilson stands for
those two things and, much more, has
pledged himself to use all his influence
to secure them.
''What more could Mr.. Hughes do?
Would l. be too much to ask the Re-
publican candidate to put little COM
mon fairness into his speeches? Is he
afraid to tell his audiences what the
: president actually did urge upon con-
gress?
"As a true champion of arbitration
President Wilson recommended that
arbitration judgments be made records
of a court Of law in order that their
Interpretation and enforcement may
not lie with the parties to the dispute,
but with an impartial and authorita-
tive tribunal It was his purpose to
provide against future emergencies to
what he nearly succeeded in doing in
the White House conferences would
put such a face upon the matter that
prevent the recurrence of such dangers
as then confronted him and the coun-
try.
''The people of the United States are
not going to be put off with the mis-
information as to what the president
did to avert a strike and to prevent the
threat of future strikes. We have rea-
son to believe that the full revelation
of what he did, what he tried to do and
Republican efforts to make an Issue of
it would fall entirely fat
Advice to Railroads.
But the people do know, for it was
before them in the presidents address
T to congress, that he proposed, not &
single emergency act but a broad pro-
gram of legislation to meet q public
need AID permanently remove a public
danger. 1t was a program which we
are convinced the railroads would be
/ very. wise to accept in its entirety.
Certainly il seems to US that they
are i'll advised to pray for the election
of Mr.. Hughes. who, if we take him at
his word. would have brought on the
strike, with all its irreparable injuries
to the counHy's business and peril for
/ the c0unty's peace"