Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-09-27
HUGHES DODGES ISSUE
ON EIGHT HOUR LAW
Attacks Wilson's Plan but Won't
Tell Public What He Would
Have Done.
ONLY WAY TO AVERT STRIKE
Republican Nominee 10 Asked TO De.
clare II He Would Have Vetoed the
Bill With Certain Assurance Of
Industrial Disaster.

Industrial Disaster.
So busy has been Charles E..
Hughes criticising the deeds OF the
Wilson Administration that he has
had little time, or has purposely
evaded, telling the public what he
would have done had he been Presi-
dent under similar 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 bill. Mr.. Hughes has char
acterized this action as "surren-
der to force; he Is opposed to being
dictated to by any power on earth
before the facts are known; and he
would not act until 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 DONE!
"Well, what way would Mr.. Hughes
have taken" continues the Times.
"What would he have done? Here
was Mr.. Wilson's position: The
brotherhood refused arbitration, the
railroad presidents would not accept
the settlement Mr.. Wilson proposed,
granting the eight-hour standard day
with provision for an impartial inquiry
into Its working. There was no law
on the statute books to enforce arbl-
tration.
''The President knew, knew with
certainty and beyond question, that
he could not get such law from the
Congress now In session. The cure
and Inevitable alternative 20 hIs &C
eeptanee Of the eIoht.hour standard
day measure was strike, the GUS
pension Of railway service, freight and
passenger, all over the country, bs.
ginning on the morning Of Sept. 4th.
WOULD HUGHES HAVE DONE IT.
"Mr. Hughes would not surrender
to anybody In the country Then he
would have surrendered the country
to the disturbance, Immeasurable loss,
and peril Of 4 strike. Would he, in
fact, have done that? Had he been
President confronted by that situa-
ton, would Mr.. Hughes have brought
on strike by refusing to sign the
bill granting q 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.
1.-THE Republican candidate stands
for two things: First, for the prin-
ciple Of fair. impartial, thorough, can
did, arbitration; and second, for
legislation on facts according to the
necessities Of the case Mr.. Wilson
stands for those two things and, much
more. has pledged himself 70 uss al
hIs influence 20 secure them.
"What more could Mr.. Hughes do7
Would it 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
Congress?
AS true champion OF arbitration,
President Wilson recommended that
arbitration judgments be made rec
ords Of court Of law, in order that
their Interpretation and enforcement
may not lie with the parties to the
dispute, but with an impartial and
authoritative tribunal 1t was his
purpose In this recommendation to
provide against future emergencies,
to prevent the recurrence Of such
dangers as then confronted him and
the country.
ADVICE TO RAILRoADs.
"The people Of the United States
are not going to be put of with the
mislnformation as to what the Presi-
dent did to avert strike and to pre-
vent the threat Of future strikes. We
have reason to believe that the full
revelation Of what he did, what he
tried to do. and what he nearly sue
ceeded In doing tn the White House
conferences would put such face
upon the matter that Republican ef-
forts to make an issue Of Il would
fall entirely fiat.
But the people do know. for 1t was
before them In the Presidents address
to Congress, that he proposed, not a
single emergency act, but a broad
program Of legislation to meet q pub
lie need and permanently remove a
public danger. It was q program
which we are convinced the railroads
would be very wise to accept in its
entirety.
Certainly It seems to Us that they
are Ill advised to pray for the cleo
ton Of Mr.. Hughes, who. II we take
him at his word, would have brought
on the strike, with all its irreparable
injuries to the country's business aud
peril for the cOuntry's Deace."