The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1916-10-17

doubt that it will be declared void,
as unconstitutional, when it comes
up before the supreme court of the
United States. The President knows
that it is unconstitutional but he
knows also that 1t will not have
hearing and be declared so until
after the election in November,
which he hopes to win with the vote
of the railroads brotherhoods. But
in order to win the election, he and
his spellbinders must hoodwink the
majority OF the people in to believ-
ing that the Adamson bill is really
legitimate legislation-a bill limit
ing the working day of the railroad
man to s hours. Therefore Repub
lican criticism of this bill has never
been answered-dnd never will lie
answered. The bill is absolutely in
cefensible. The Presidents only
chance lies in not attempting to de-
defend it for what 1t is, but in de-
liberately, by implication and casual
remarks, attempting to make the
masses believe it Is something which
it is not and was never intended to
be.
The Adamson bill is undesirable
for the following reasons:
/. 1t does not apply to all rail
road men but only to the four high
est grades, in other words, only to
the men who threatened to strike
If it is good legislation, why should
the men who were loyal enough to
stick to their jobs not> be entitled
to its benefits?
2. 1t does not apply on all rail-
roads, but only on steam roads of
more than 100 miles in length. If
its provision are desirable why then
should the employees on electric
roads and on short steam roads not
benefit by it? Employees on these
roads are usually not members of
the brotherhoods and did not intim- |
idate the nation with threats of a |
strike, therefore they got nothing.
3. It does not shorten the hours
of labor of the railroad men as it
pretends to. but only raises their
pay. Obviously any raise in pay for
any class of men, should be made
only after very thorough investiga-
ton into the merits OF the demands
made. To automatically increase
the pay of 100000 men by 25 per
cent without inquiry or investiga-
ton is certainly most extraordin-
airy procedure-about as sound, &C.
onomically as the free coinage of sill
yer at 10 to /. You can see how
absurd it would be for Congress to
pass law increasing the pay of
all salaried men and wage earners
in the United States by 25 per cent.
But why are the rest OF us not en-
titled Ito it n the 100000 members
of the railroad brotherhoods are 4!
You need 1t, and l need 1t, just as
badly as they do. II 1t is to be CIV
en- on demand. without investigation
why shouldn't we all have it? The
whole thing is too ridiculous to
waste words over.
The bill can be explained only as
surrender Of principle to the de-
mands of 100000 voters on a presi-
dental election year. The presi-
dents brazen trucking to the de-
manads Of these organized voters;
his Jesse James-gun at your head
method OF forcing the bill thru
Congress without elaboration; and
finally his Shameless attempt to
make further political capital out
of the measure by leading the unin-
formed voters to believe 1t a law
limiting the hours Of labor of the
railroad man when in reality 1t only
increases his pay-the entire con-
duct Of the administration In its
handling of the Adamson bill-con-
stitute the most disgraceful chapter
in the history OF the presidential Of
flee. Thoughtful voters will not
fail to remember 1t on November Z.
d. c. Loveland.