The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-12-08

Is manifest and pressing. Those whS
have entrusted US with the RESPONSE
bility and duty Of serving and safe
Iguarding them in such matters would
nd 1t hard. believe, to excuse a fail
ure to act upon these grave matters
or any unnecessary postponement OF
action upon them.
mot only does the interstate com.
merce commission now find it prac.
tcally impossible, with it's present
membership and organization, to per-
FORM its great functions PROMPTLY
and thoroughly but it is not unlikely
that 1t may presently be found adj
lVlsable to add to it's duties still 9th
ers equally heavy and exacting. II,
must first be perfected as an admin,
istrative instrument.
The country can not and should
not consent to remain any longer ex-
posed to profound industrial disturb
ances for lack of additional means OF
arbitration and conciliation which
the congress can easily and promptl,
supply. And all will agree that ther.
must be no doubt as to the power o.,
the executive to make Immediate and
uninterrupted use of the railroads for
the concentration of the military
forces Of the nation wherever thew
are needed and whenever they are
needed
1 Argues It's Own Case.
This is a program of regulation,
prevention and administrative eff
cheney which argues it's own case in
the mere statement of it. With re-
gard to one of it's items, the increase
In the efficiency of the interstate
commerce commission, the house of
representatives has already acted =.
Its action needs only the concurrence
lof the senate.
Il would hesitate to recommend.
land | dare say the congress wourd
hesitate to act upon the suggestion
should l make it, that any man in
Iany occupation should be Obliged nv
law to continue in an employment
which he desired to leave. TO mass
a law which forbade or prevented the
Individual Workman to leave his
work before receiving the approva,
10. society in doing so would be IN
adopt new principle into our iuris-
prudence which l take it for grant
lea we are not prepared to introduce.
but the proposal that the operation
Iof the railways OF the country shall
mot be stopped or interrupted by the
concerted action of organized hod-
les of men until public inyestIgo.
ton shall have been instituted which
lshall make the whole question at is
sue plain for the judgment of the
lopinion of the nation is not to pro.
pose any such principle. 1t is based
upon the very different principle thar
the concerted action of powerful
bodies OF men shall not be permit
ted to stop the industrial process of
the nation, at any rate before the ma.
tion shall have had an opportunity
ITO acquaint itself with the merits of
lthe case as between employe and EN-
ployer, time to form its opinion upon
an impartial statement of the merits
and opportunity to consider all prac-
iticable means OF conciliation or ar
lbitration. / can see nothing in tina,
proposition but the justifable safe.
lguarding by society of the necessary
processes of its very life. There i,
nothing arbitrary or unjust in il un-
less it be arbitrarily and unlustly
done. can and should be done
with full and scrupulous regard for
the interests and liberties of all con.
cerned as well as for the permanent
interests Of society itself.
/ Three matters of capital import
ance 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 com
mere. of the country than is now
Thought by some to be legal unde!
the terms of the laws against mon,
Iopoly; the bill amending the present
lorganic law of Puerto Rico: and the
bill proposing more thorough and
systematic regulation of the expen,
lditure of money in election, common
lly called the corrupt practices act
l need not labor my advice that these
measures be enacted into law Then
urgency lies in the manifest circum-