Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-12-08
NECESSITY OF LEGISLATION
MANIFEST AND PRESSING.

OF LEGISLATION
AND PRESSING.
The necessity for such legislation
is manifest and pressing. Those VINO
have entrusted us with the respon-
sibility and duty of serving and safe
guarding them in such matters
would find it hard, L believe, to eN-
cuse a failure to act upon these
grave matters or any unnecessary
postponement of action upon them.
Not only does the interstate COM
merce commission now find 1t prac-
tioally impossible, with it's present
membership and organization, to per-
form it's great functions promptly
and thoroughly but it is not un-
likely that it may presently be
found advisable to add to its duties
still others equally heavy and eX-
acting. 1t must first be perfected as
an administrative instrument.
The country cannot and should not
consent to remain any longer eX-
posed to profound industrial disturb
ances for lack of additional means
of arbitration and Cancellation which
the congress can easily and prompt
ly supply. And all will agree that
there must be no doubt as to the
mediate and uninterrupted use OF
the railroads for the concentration
of the military forces of the nation
wherever they ARE needed and when
ever they are needed.
This is a program of regulation.
prevention and administrative eff
ficiency which argues its own case in
the mere statement of it. With re-
gard to one of it's items, the In
crease in the efficiency of the inter
state commerce commission, the
house of representatives has already
acted: it's action needs only the con-
currence of the senate.
/ would hesitate to recommend,
and / dare say the congress would
hesitate to act upon the suggestion
should I make it, that any man in
any occupation should be obliged by
law 10 continue in an employment
which he desired to leave. To pass
n law which forbade or prevented
the individual workman to leave his
work before receiving the approval
of society in doing so would be to
adopt a new principle into our juris-
prudence which ! take il for granted
we are not prepared to introduce.
But the proposal that the operation
of the railways of the country shall
not be stopped or interrupted by
the concerted action of organized
bodies of men until a public investi-
cation shall have been instituted
which shall make the whole question
at issue plain for the judgment of
the opinion of the nation is not TO
propose any such principle. 1t IS
based 1pon the very different pr!n-
Ill hnN I'D s,F
powerful bodies of men shall not
be permitted to stop the industrial
processes of the nation, at any rate
before the nation shall have had an
opportunity to acquaint itself with
the merits of the case as between
employe and employer. time to form
it's opinion upon an impartial state
ment of the merits, and opportunity
to consider all practicable means OF
Cancellation OF arbitration. l can
see nothing in that proposition but
the jugtihable safeguarding by So
ciety of the necessary processes of
its very life. There is nothing ar
bitrary or unjust In it unless it be
arbitrarily and unjustly done. 1t can
and should be done with full and
scrupulous regard for the interests
and liberties of all concerned as
we'll as for the permanent interests
of society itself.
Three matters of capital impor-
lance await the action of the senate
which have already been acted upon
by the house of representatives: the
bill which seeks TO extend greater
freedom of combination to those en-
gagged in promoting the foreign
commerce of the country than is
now thought by some to be legal
under the terms of the laws against
monopoly; the bill amending the
present organic law of Porto Rico;
and the bill proposing a more thor
Ough and systematic regulation of
the expenditure of money in cleo
tions, commonly called the corrupt
practices act. / need not labor my
advice that these measures be en-
acted into law. Their urgency lies
in the manifest circumstances which
render their adoption at this time
not only opportune but necessary.
Even delay would seriously leopard
the interests of the country and of
he