The Washington times., 1916-09-04
Harmful Precedent Is
Seen in 8-HOur Lam

Administration we have ever had at the
head OF the national Government. we
cannot expect wise labor laws under
such conditions.
Congress hrould have retained Its self
and have notified the men OF this new
and unheard OF bandit spirit that II will
not NOT make make laws under any threats OF
take their @hs,eyeT Let the strikers
A thousands times better strike
tnan the surrender OF our national lib
ery. We are under as much obligation
op- 20 resist G this evolutionary attack upon
20 overthrow any Of the people who
nave threatened the integrity OF the
Government and the rights Of the
Act of Cowardice and Folly.
George w. wickersham, formerly At
torney General OF the United States. "I
believe all lovers of free government
must have followed with mingled feel
inss OF scorn and humiliation, the panic
the % eight Um .bour Ga 9au Congress in passing
,nsolent threats of the organization
dent. '"e'i Fresi-
No American Congress ever reoobsd
such depths since that whic.. enscted IN
embargo on American commerce. nj the
INSTANCE of tine first Democratic Presi-
ueht, ,,e thomas Jefferson. in order to keep
US out OF war with England And as
war inevitably followed that act OF COW
ardice and folly, so assuredly n peu
chapter OF industrial warfare has been
opened by President Wilson and his
The constitutionality of the legisla-
uon VIII depend upon whether or not in
any case the new statutory wage would
reauce the eompany's profit below a rea-
ssohaDie return upon the investment in
It's enterprise" '
"A Sad Day for the Country"
E. p. Ripley. president of the Atchisop
Topeka and Sante Fe: II am not a
lawyer ana have no comments to make
except that 1t is sad day for the
country when comparatively small
body OF men can bulidoze the Con9ress :
Of the United States
Threatened to Wreck Society.
| Henry N. Pope. president of the Texas
Farmers Union: THE people OF this
nation have. during the past week.
passed through the most humiliatins
experience this Government has ever en-
dured. A few labor union leaders have
stood at the portals of Congress de-
manding that the Government give
them ransom or they would wreck
society.
This nation, instead of meeting the
situation bravely. has delivered the
goods In fear and trembling. Our
American Congress has stood within the
voted an increase in wages to 100000
! trainmen, who are the highest paid la
borers In the world. and never at any
time mentioned the $4,000 trackmen
VINO are, perhaps, the poorest paid
workmen In the world, and who mus,
subsist almost wholly upon the crumbs
that the trainmen leave upon the table
Recalls Cheap Cotton Crisis.
when cotton was selling for 6 cents
a pound two years ago and poverty
stalked over the Southland, causing q
greater financial loss to the Southern
plowman than the freeing OF the slaves
Congress confessed inability to cop,
with the situation and stepped aside
letting this awful burden fall upon tn,
backs OF the tillers OF the soil.
THE organized plowmen pleaded will
Congress for relief, but we were tolS
that II would not be constitutional fo
the Government to undertake to fix tn,
price OF cotton or to advance none,
on cotton In storage and that Con
gress was a slow moving body an,
could not meet emergencies"
Means Fight in Future.
H. J. Stone. vice president Of the Erie
I'VE were ready for a strike and woul
have preferred to fisht 1t out to n firis
! rather tndn TO nave seen tnlB Dill passed
We shall obey 1t until It 10 set aside b
: the United States Supreme Court, It
a so loose you can drive team Of horse
|, through II.
= 'The law has not settled anythins
ri We shall have to go through the Who'll
, thing again. The general public wi
, have to pay. A year from now, whe
. the railroads have increased thei
freight rates, they may raise the cost Q
A pair of shoes as much as rs cents. @
course. a cent on pair would be enoug
G to cover the Increase In freight rate,
: but dealers WIN use the increased freigf
d rate as an excuse to raise their prices.
"A Disgrace to the Country"
W. H. Truesdals. presidsat Of the De
aware. Lackawanna, and Western: :
Q think the measure Is a disgrace to tn
= country. As a citizen of the Unite
g States | would rather face conhi,
|. than see this Government put itself
i the attitude 1t has assumed The who
i thing Is a shameless surrender. The bi
: will he referred to our legal depa rtmei
% before deciding what course we shs
y pursue."