The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-09-20
HUGHES OtN0UNCES
STRIKE SETTLEMENT
Declares That President Wilson Play
cd Politics In Averting Great
Labor Crisis.
CRITrCIsEs CHILD LABOR LAW
Says 1t Protects $50. 900 Children and
Leaves 1,s5O.0OO Unprotect e d.
Federal Reserve Law Built On a
Republican Foundation.
BY WILLIAM HOSTER,

f. Hughes opened the Middle West
campaign today with double bar
relied attack on the Wilson admins
ration
AT big meeting in the arnory here
tonight he charged Mr.. Wilson with
playing politics in his prevention Of
the railroad strike. At Peoria, earlier
in the day. he ripped to pieces the
Presidents speech of acceptance to
Of the Republican State Convention,
before which the candidate made his
address.
Between tim es, he visited the tomb
Of Lincoln, Just outside of Spring
field. and addressed a big crowd at
the State Fair Grounds. Hughes
quoted Grover Cleveland as the best
Democrat President prior to Wilson,"
in his charge Of partisanship against
the President.
! Contrast the action OF the admin
istration." he urged. with what was
said by Grover Cleveland in 1886
with respect to labor agitation. Mr..
Cleveland wrote:
should be calmly and deliberately
undertaken, with no purpose OF salts
( fying unreasonable demands or gain
ing partisan advantage"
He denounced the Adamson law as
forced bill" He characterized the
demand by the administration for
such legislation as the price OF peace
as "a humiliating spectacle" and not
only "a serious misuse of official
| power" but a "deplorable abdication
/ Of moral authority"
! A Wage Question.
/ Asserting his belief in the eight
y 4. -
7 lief that under the Adamson act only
made to prohibit the employer from
/ working his employees for a longer
period
The phrase EIGHT hour day" he
said, Is used apparently only "to
tickle the public ear"
Quoting the President as telling
Congress the question had been agitat-
cd for over a year. Hughes demanded
to know then why II had not been IN
vestigated before. why was 1t per-
mitted to arise when the administra-
I ton was forewarned7" he demanded
He staked his judgment on the as
sertion that had the President. in
stead Of demanding the eight-hour
law. asked Congress for Immediate
authority to investigate the problem,
force Of public opinion would have
prevented the strike
At the Peoria meeting, answering
President Wilson In detail. Hughes
said Of Democracy's claim to have
clarified the antitrust law: What
they have done is to legislate vague
phrases, adding uncertainty to the
law"
The shipping bill he denounced as
"a menace to the shipping industry of
the country"
Aiding business by building up on
a Republican foundation" was his
Characterization of the Federal Re
serve law.
THE Wilson child labor law" he
cried, protects about 900 chill
dren in the country, and there remain
100000 children outside of it's pro-
visions still to be cared for
IF our opponents were genuinely
devoted to the interests Of children
they could act in the States under
their control. where the most de-
plorable conditions still exist, and
there would no longer be a problem
of child labor in the United States"
Finally. he struck out on a line
which his audience interpreted as
pledge to call England to account
for interference witf American COM
MERGE.
a slap At England
American lives have been sacri-
feed" he cried, American property
destroyed and American commerce
interrupted. We have not had pro
lection for American rights. We
propose that American rights. with
respect to life, property and com
merce. shall be protected as regards
every nation on earth"
is this the Hughes who spoke in
Chicago at the beginning of the
Western trip" a Republican leader
asked on the platform during the
Peoria meeting
The candidate suddenly woke up
today. Under the goad of the des-
perate night his party faces in the
Middle West, he flashed the form OF
his old campaigning days. His Peoria
speech was model Of definite, con-
crete campaign oratory. His attack
on the Adamson act tonight had
vigor, force and fire.
All three meetings today were good.
The crowds came out, they got into
quick touch with the candidate and
solid cheers were once more heard in
the land
But Hughes has set tremendous
! pace for himself with the DAYS
| achievements. Wisconsin lies ahead
! tomorrow. with a wake-up meeting
( IN milwaukee, tom borrow night, and
after that Indiana
Great interest centers in the Mil
waukee meeting and the candidates
! handling of the hyphenate situation.
/ Globe Trotter Here
Fred Grant, fifty-nine years. a
globe trotter arrived in Richmond
yesterday from san Francisco. He
says he is of Halifax. Nova Scotia. and
that for six years he has been on the
road, having walked twice through
Europe. He carried with him bull
dog and pushes wheelbarrow loaded
with his camping outfit Grant saws
he supports himself by doing fancy