Gunnison news-champion., 1916-10-06
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 Is Asked TO De.
clare ~ He Would Have Vetoed the
Bill With Certain Assurance Of
Industrial Disaster.

So busy has been Charles z
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
eighi-hour bill. Mr.. Hughes has char
acrerized this action as 'surren-
der to force: he is opposed 10 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 MIR. HUGHES
HAVE DONEl
We'll. 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 arbi-
| tratiun.
"The President knew. knew with
certainty and beyond question. that
he couid not get such a law from the
| Congress now in session. The sure
and Inevitable alternative to his ae-
eeptanee Of the eioht.hour standard
day measure was . strike, the sus-
pension Of railway service. freight and
passenger, all over the country. be-
ginning on the morning Of Sept. 4th.
WOULD HUGHES HAVE DONE iT7
''Mr. Hughes would not surrender
TO anybody In the country Then he
would have surrendered the country
to the disturbance, immeasurab'e loss,
and peril Of strike. Would he. In
fact. have done thni? Had he been
President. confronted by that situa-
! tipu. Nouiu MT IluehtS ulNt DTOusuS
on strike by refusing to sign the
bill granting a 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?
"The Republican candidate stands
L fnr Ia II
cipIe of fair. impartial. thorough. cam
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 to use all
| his influence to secure them.
"What more could Mr.. Hughes dor
Would 1t be too much to ask the Re
publican candidate to put a little COM
mon fairness into his speeches? Il
he afraid to tell his audiences what
the President actually did urge upon
Congress?
4As 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 tho
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 Off with the
mIsinformatIon as to what the Presi-
dent did to avert a 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 In the White House
conferences would put such a face
upon the matter that Republican ef-
forts to make an issue Of II would
fall entirely fiat.
But the people do know, for II was
before them In the President's address
to Congress. that he proposed. not =
single emergency act, but q broad
program Of legislation to meet a pub
lie need and permanently remove q
public danger. 1t was program
which we are convinced the railroads
would be very wise to accept In its
entirety.
Certainly 1t seems to US that they
are III advised to pray for the cleo
ton Of Mr.. Hughes. who. IL we take
him at his word. would have brought
on the strike. with all its irreparable
injuries to the country's business and
peril for the country's peace"