The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-09-08
THE COOPERATIVE STORE

in the service OF operating the essen
tial agencies of interstate commerce
made their demand for higher pay, re-
fused to have the question submitted
to an impartial tribunal of arbitration,
and threatened to suspend that service
if the demand was not complied with,
with all the direful consequences that
might follow, not only to the railroad
companies, but to the industries and
business of the whole country and the
comfort of its people, they put them
selves conspicuously in the wrong
Whether or not their conduct violated
any technical requirement or restric-
ton of statutory or common law, it
was in defiance of every principle of
reason and justice and humanity, as
much so as the stand and deliver"
command of the highwayman. There
was but one position for the authority
of government and the abiding
sense of the public to take in the face
of such a menace. That position the
head of the government failed to take.
1t does not follow that it will not be
taken by the public on which he must
rely for support.
A Depressing Document.
The appeal which the president has
made to the two houses of congress,
gathered at his request in joint SEES
sion, is a depressing document. The
representatives of the railroad COM
panies, which had so much at stake
for their investors and for the shippers
of merchandise over their lines, felt it
to be their duty to resist the demand
in the face the threat which was
intended to intimidate them into sur
rendering, but they were willing to
submit the question to judicial ex-
animation and the decision of an i'm
partial tribunal President Wilson
yielded to the threatening party on the
ground that the essential demand was
for the eight-hour day in the railroad
service, which he believed should be
accepted while everything else was re-
served for arbitration. In his adj
dress to congress he said that the
whole spirit of the time and the pre-
ponderant evidence of economic ex-
perience spoke for the eight-hour
day." "in the interest of health, eff
cheney, contentment and the general
increase of economic vigor." 1t had
been made perfectly plain that that
was not the issue in this case. There
was no proposal to fix the limit of
service to that daily period of time,
which is impracticable in operating
the railroad trains. The term was
used only as a basis for reckoning the
compensation for whatever time was
occupied each day in that service.
That time was not to be changed, but
changing the time basis of reckoning
wages that was demanded, would, in
volve a large increase in the amount
to be paid That was the real ques-
ton; and, considering the increase in
expenses if the demand was granted
and the consequent loss when income
could not be correspondingly in
creased, it was obviously a question
for judicial inquiry and decision, and
not for surrender to an imperative de-
mand accompanied by threat.
A Misrepresentation.
The presidents appeal is vitiated by
conscious, of the very elements of the
situation. He speaks of his offer of
friendly services of the administra-
ton to see that justice wa done,
which was accepted by the brother
hoods, but declined by the representa-
tives of the railroads. The reason for
that result is plain enough. The offer
was based upon granting at once the
chief demand of the brotherhoods, the
one thing they insisted upon and based
their threat upon, and settling every
thing else afterwards. That would
determine the issue for the time being
in favo of the party making the de-