New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-04
FEARS FOR DEMOCRACY
November Will Tell Whether the Country
Has Been Poisoned by Wisconsin.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: If. because of panic and fear class
legislation can be jammed through Congress
legalizing the robbery Of the many for the
benefit of the few, what is to become o.
Democratic government?
The dictation by the Pretorian Guards 70
the Roman Empire presaged its disintegra.
tion and fall.
Has prosperity softened US TO the point q
supne Indifference at the loss Of our rights
and liberties. so that each ore OF Us is will.
ing to "let George do it" or lapse into a
comfortable Indifferent state of the 81 should
worry" type?
Have We all been inocuated with the Pei.
son of Wisconsin, so that the entire nation
is infected with nfantile paralysis? The
diagnosis can be better determined in No
vember, when the cold weather may have
disastrous effect on germs.
momentous step has been taken when ~
anxious and amebic President stands ready
10 trade principles for votes and calls fran
tically upon Congress for aid TO secure
peace ct any price, that the big chiefs may
be propitiated'
Even the sinking of the Lusitania and the
Strengthening of innocent women and chlldrei
by Germany and the invasion of the United
States, with the resultant numbering and pill
laying Of its citizens by the MeXicans VIE
the Presidents perfumed notes of polite pro-
test, appear to be trivialities compared with
the results of the surrender at Washington.
One can only view with amazement h.
terms laid down by the labor union leaders
TO the President and Congress of the United
States rs the price of staying their hand ard
not declaring war against its people.
People often think of the railroad pre'
dents as though they were absolute owners
of their properties, immensely wealthy, ST.
rogant, domineering, without any sympathy
for their fellow men. occupying exalted post
tons, sinecures, with unlimited power and ID
responsibility, while as a matter Of fact thv
are trustees for the men. women and esI'
dren, savings banks and life insurance coz
panies who have invested in the securirs
of their properties. There is no eightaoI'
day for them. The work il endless and eI'
hausting, and the mortality shows it. .,
Labor must be the first consideration, SAD
the chiefs. II comes before dividends. 10
they for one moment believe that people sH
going to save their money and invest u l@
the benefit of arrogant labor unionites?
capital cannot get its adequate and fair "
turn il will not be invested for the employ
ment Of labor and this is seen in the slmo"
absolute cessation of the building OF rs'
roads in the United States in the last -,
years. Possibly the people Of these Un's'
States do not mean 10 be unfair. u IS 70 "
hoped that they are simply Indifferent ra'h"
than actively antagonstic to railroad enter
prises as has been shown for the last va
years in the national and state legislatures
1t is said that the strike votes are OF
tanned practically by coercion, in nst pI'
vote is public, with the aggressive fadie''
in the saddle. and that the men vote By ISIS
ing their hands, and if they didn't 'aV
would be marked men. -,
The engineers claim, so il is SAID ,n''
their work is nerve racking and resoons''...
Can it be compared in responsibility W.
navigating a ferryboat in New York haiYY
in the fog, the ice, the storm or s"'
along the banks; or the chauffeur ~
driving his car over urguarded roads, ~
and slippery. stony and sandy, with poss'0.i
tiles Of collision at every turn? No se'u..
crossings for him; no guarded ana p
tected rights of way; no signals 10 te. =
the road is clear, with constant snllH"e
gears and the most concentrated ana ~ ~,
sitous attention, every road shock -.
through his arms and legs, keyed up -
most anxious pitch at all times Tor inc
that may be. While the engineer :.
guarded right of way, runs an ihn' 4.
machine that needs very little aiten,'oH "A
it's own track, with the full knowledse r,
assurance that his train is protee'sa -.
every automatic device and signal ana "a,
a fireman beside him-surey his worN - h
so nerve racking as he would like to MAJ. M,
appear, especially on the freigh's' arc o,.;,s
are the ones, believe, that are eomp'|,ss,
Besides that, he has great privileges ~' .;",.
cost and pension and other eompe ,r,A..I
Has any one heard of the three mi' ,.1n;,s.
chaufreurs of the United States eomp'''"I;k ne
On the contrary, don't they seem ,non.
their jobs? CLARENOS ~
Rostan. Mass. Sept. l. l9la