Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1916-10-05
the conclusion of the great European


Meantime, and without reference
to the future, | believe the principle
upon which the Underwood tariff law
was framed would have justified the
retention of fair tariff rates in aid
of the special and peculiar Industries
of our own state, and believe that
such rates could have been retained
If our representative in the Senate
had been active and Jealous in that
behalf. But instead of that we find
| Senator Poindexter conceding in his
speech that neither lumber nor shin
| giles nor coal needed any protection,
and as to horticultural, dairy and
poultry products, they were too small
matter to engage his attention.
do not agree with Senator Pondex-
ter. cannot reject the testimony of
the many who tell me of the dis
advantages under which our lumber
and shingle industries labor when
brought in competition with the pro-
duct of the virgin forests and the
cheap labor of British Columbia, or
of the effect upon our farmers of the
fruit and dairy and poultry products
coming to us free of duty from all
the countries of Europe and Asia. /
repeat what | have heretofore said,
that all our local Industries ought to
have been taken care of by the Un-
derwood tariff bill, and that 1t will
be my duty as we'll as my pleasure,
If elected to the Senate, to do all that
lies in my power to see that they
are adequately taken care of. Wash
ington is in the northwest corner OF
the nation, but it is not off the map
except in the matter of representa-
ton. If elected to the Senate, it will
by my business to see that it is re-
stored to the map for all purposes
and | believe will have some sue
cess in that direction.
Discusses Railway Strike.
Another matter which has entered
largely into politics. and about which
l would speak, is the recent legisla-
ton in Congress which resulted in
the settlement of the threatened rail-
way strike. The President is &C
cused of having acted in that mat
ter for partisan advantage, and both
he and Congress are assaiIed for per-
hitting the nation to be held up and
coerced by the LABOR organizations.
Neither charge is we'll founded. The
President did not make the contro-
versy, and it had reached the stage
of an impassee between the railways
and the employees before he touched
1t.
4 Neither did the employees make
fanny demand on the President or Con-
gress. Conscious of their own power
they were proceeding to pursue their
own remedy The situation required
"a
ton was not to be drawn into a
labor war of unheard of proportions,
(which would have involved the loss
of hundreds of millions OF dollars In
property and possibly the lives of
many thousands of men, women and
children, in the congested districts OF
our large cities, who would have suf
lfered for want of the common nee
eSsaries of life.
President Showed His Ability.
The President has never shown his
constructive ability more concluslvely
than in the action recommended by
him to Congress in that emergency.
That action accomplished three
things, all of them right and all OF
them of value to the nation. First,
it settled the strike. Second 1t fixed
eight hours as the standard of work
for employees engaged in interstate
TRANSPORTATION. standard generally
accepted by thinking men; and, third,
it afforded a measure of protection to
the travelling public by safeguarding
railway travel from accident super
induced by faculties taxed beyond the
limit fixed by nature for their safe
and efficient exertion. I believe that
the people of the nation approve
and commend that action of the
President and Congress. 1t might
we'll have been taken in the absence
of the emergency that inspired 1t, as
an act of justice to the railway en-
ployees, and as a necessary precau-
ton in favor of the life and limb
Of those engaged in interstate travel.
If that be true, surely the fact
that it answered a present emer-
gency, and saved the nation from
great labor contest that threatened
Immense loss in life and property
cannot be taken as impairing its
value, or detracting from the merit OF
those who inspired it and brought 1t
to successful conclusion. 1t is true
that the action taken answered only
the then present emergency, and that
similar controversies may arise in
the future which will bring the ma
ton to the same verge of national
paralysis.
Nation Has the Power.
That the nation has the right to
say that such situation shall not
arise again, or if 1t does arise, that
the national power shall be adequate
to cope with it, must be apparent to
every thinking man. But the prob
lem is a difficult one. Constitu
tional limitations afford protection