The Washington herald., 1916-08-31
The Problem Congress Faces.

people had little fear of the threatened strike
while the President in conference with rep
resentatves of the roads and employees. 1t seems
that there a very widespread confidence in
the ability of the President to prevent strike.
But this confidence vanished when the President
placed the burden upon the on Capitol Hill.
1t is very evident that the people had more
hdence in the President than they have in Con-
gress.
When the President was in direction of the
negotiations the people accepted him their pro-
tector, believing that voluntarily assuming the
responsibility of preventing strike he had shoul
dered a task he was certain he could accomplish.
But in transferring the problem to Congress, the
President has scattered responsibility among so
many men that the people do not know who to
look to for protection. There is no one man in
Congress- no small group Of men, to whom the
people may look as being responsible. The whole
Congress has been made responsible by the Pres
idents address. Therefore it seems that Con-
gress may adopt the of acting as a unit,
as man, in following the Presidents recon-
mendationS and thus transferring the response
bity back to the President.
If Congress seeks to devise ways and means
other than those outlined by the President there
is likely to be conflict of opinion that may cause
delay Every man at the Capitol probably has
: an IHulNluudl view Ol inc SltudtlOn ana pIODdOly
every there has in mind a different plan of
action. There is little time to throw these opin-
ions into the melting pot of debate and evolve
plan that would represent the unified wisdom of
the entire legislation machine. Most Of the MEM
bers seem to share part Of the panic that has
followed the Presidents statement and to this
must be added the confusion that goes with
call for emergency action.
If Congress enacts the legislation that the
President has asked, Mr.. Wilson alone must
bear the responsibility and abide by the judg-
ment OF the people at the polls in November
The OF the strike will be averted and
there will be ample time for Congress to recon
slider its acts and amend them as its wisdom die
tates after calm, cool and careful reflection.
Congress has not had the Presidents opportu-
nifty for studying the situation, and therefore
probably does not understand it as we'll as the
President.
But in Washington there seems to be
growing impression that Congress will not blind
ly adopt the somewhat radical program from the
White House. 1t is believed that Congress first
will take action designed solely to postpone the
strike. If this action is effective, the situation
may be investigated and the facts ascertained so
that Congress will be better able to judge the
worth of the Presidents recommendations. If
the Presidents recommendations are not fol-
lowed Congress will put itself on record as be-
lieving that the President has made a mistake
failed in an hour of national peril
Many men in Congress are Of the opinion that
even such strike that impending would not
! be as disastrous surrender to the trainmen's
demands and threats. These members OF Con-
gress take the view that a surrender would be
| tantamount to confession that group Of we'll
organized men force their will upon the ma
ton when armed with the strike threat What
will follow such surrender? Who can predict
what economic havoc will result? Where will
the power of the strike threat be stopped?
President Wilson based his surrender to the
| trainmcn's demand for an eight-hour dav on his
belief that the eight-hour day has the sanction
! OF society. But told that the trainmen's
demands for an eight-hour day are in reality
demand for higher salary. Congress may take
the view that society does not sanction increas-
ing the salary of men who already rank among
the highly paid, and if this view is taken the
basis of the Presidents plan will be destroyed
and his whole program may collapse
Congress must respect the principle Of arbi-
traton. 1t is for the sake of this principle that
the railroad heads say they have rejected the
Presidents proposals. If this principle is rele-
gated to the scrap heap how will the battles Of
the future between capital and labor be settled.
Therefore, if Congress decides that society
does not sanction salary increase to the train
men and that the principle of arbitration must
be upheld, the plan to be adopted seems simple
The first step will be action to delay the strike
Then the Presidents plan for granting the wage
increase through the eight-hour day will be re-
jected Finally, arbitration of the issues involved
will be made compulsory
Whether such is feasible is for Con-
| gress to decide. Many hold the view that this
course is impossible. But many others hold that
the plan of the President is impossible
Between the people and disaster is but one
oulwark-Congress. 1t has been given the most
difficult problem that has been presented by this
administration The President has candidly ad-
mitted that he cannot solve the problem
whether Congress can reach the correct solution
no man can say. But Congress may be expected
to perform its duty. This duty is to the people
who elect the members of Congress- In seeking
to perform its duty to the people, Congress must
remember that the people, plainly against their