Omaha daily bee., 1916-09-30
DENIS ARE TRYING
TO PASS The BUCK"
Hughes Says They Seek to Put
Responsibility for the Adam
son Law on Him.
OPPOSED TO F1LIBUsTERINa

Saratoga springs, N. =, sept ~
Charles E. Hughes last night told the
republican unofficial state convention
here why he had not urged republican
senators to filibuster ito the last
ditch" .gainst the passage OF the
Adamson eight-hour law, passed to
avoid the threatened railroad strike,
The nominee declared he did not be-
lieve in filibustering, for one thing,
( and tina, if the majority in congress
had determined to pass the bill there
was no reason whatever why its
passage should have been delayed by
filibust,ring tactics.
ut (the administrator acted with
swiftness," Mr.. Hughes said, ".and it
cannot now cry that a republican can
: didate thousand miles away should
have saved it from carrying out its
/. fixed determination.
Reads Correspondence.
/ The nominee read to the convention
corr spondence between Chairman
Newianis Of the senate interstate
commerce committee; Harry A..
Wheeler, chairman of the committee
, on railroad situation of the Chamber
! OF Commerce OF the United States,
and President Wilson--none OF the
letters was from the president, but
| he was addressed in the correspond
ence--to uphold his contention that
5000 firms and corporations in the
I country had asked the president to
i take action before the threatened
strike situation became acute. Mr..
! Hughes also quoted an extract from
/ the presidents address to congress on
the subject. to support his claim that
the bill should not have been passed.
/ Acquisition asked by Richard Olney,
! secretary of state uider President
! Cleveland, is to why Mr.. Hughes had
not urged republican senators to I'LL
buster against the bill, was made the
4 occasion for Mr.. Hughes declaration.
Statement Of Hughes.
4 He said.
! "a distinguished democrat, for
mer secretary Of state, ~. Olney,
whom have always admired and re-
1 spected and whose record presents a
singular contrast to that Of the pres
ent administration, springs 70 its de-
4 Tense in its hour Of trial. With. his
ability, assume he did the best
that can be done.
"He says, referring to the recent
railroad situation, that | object not
to the yerted strike, but to the mode
Of its accomplishment, to-wit. By
the threat of a strike within time
too short for due consideration Of
necessary legislation. am not pre-
pared to admit the necessity OF wage
I increase. by Law, but l do Object. in
every fib.r Of my being to legislation
under duress. | object to the sur
render OF the executive to force. That
is the rath OF disaster. II the dis
tinguished ex-secretary OF state de-
sires to take the nation along that
path | will not accompany him.
"He asks why ! did not urp /
d tweuty-eight republican senators to
y filibuter to the last ditch. Well, do
mot believe in filibustering. for one
thing. If congress. through its ma
Ijority, was determined to pass the bill.
there was no reason whatever why its
action should be merely delayed by
fiiibustering. Arguments along this
line really come to this-that In some
way the administration should have
been saved from itself.
~ THE truth is that the executive de-
stroyed the moral strength OF the stu
alton when he threw up his hands,
Welded the principle OF arbitration
and went to congress demanding the
railway wage bill as the price OF
peace,
Congress Ratifies Surrender.
Congress, SO far as. the moral Of
the situation was concerned, ratified
surrender already made. The ad.
ministration chose its ground; i
selected its ground carefully and with
manifest view to partisan expectancy,
In the closing days it acted with
swiftness and it cannot now cry that
a republican candidate a thousand
miles away should have saved 1t from
carrying out its fixed determination
Mr.. Hughes citation from President
Wilson's address to congress was q
brief one. The part quoted followed
the presidents declaration that !
Weld to no man in firm adherence
alike Of conviction and Of purpose Il
the principle Of arbitration in indus
trial disputes, and was part Of the
same sentence, which was as follows
"But matters have come to a sud
den crisis in this particular dispute
and the country has been caught un
provided with any practicable mean'
Of enforcing that conviction in prac
tice, BY whose fault VIC will not nov
stop to inquire"
Extract From Wheeler Letter.
Documents read by Mr.. Hughes in
ciuded an extract from letter writer
BY Mr.. Wheeler, July 20 last, to tn
j president, in which Mr.. Wheeler ex
pressed the hope that the. presiden
would "see fit to start an inquiry OF
behalf Of the administration as TO tn
near approach Of an actual crisis,
and in the following statement at
4 tributed to Senator Newlands o.
August 4:
III was determined to have no hear