The sun., 1916-09-30

In the legislative grant to railway
employees Of ten hours pay for eight
hours Of work President Wilson pro-
fesses to behold a Demonstration OF
The power Of Government over the
cuntendins factions az labor and c1pi-
tai. No more grutcsQue reversal or
the common understanding seems pos
siblc. In the p~recipitatc enactment
by Congress of a measure which. III
so far as 1t went. was WHOLLY accept
able 20 the unions. wholly u%nacccpt-
able t. the railroads and generally
condemned by the public u; large, en-
forced as the demand for II was ny
the threat OF u nationwide paralysis
VI usiness. the ordinary observer can
per, Give nothing less portcntouS IMAM
an assertion OF the power Of organized
, coercion owe n thoroughly int!midated
Government.
Recalling NJ. Wilson's exceptional
genius of psychological scii-reNeia-
iion. and crediting him with bcins u
truthful man. We must accept MS
word us to the actually of his peculiar
. vision; VIC must acuuit him, therefore.
! Of political ~cowardice, Of partisan am
hilton and Of deliberate intention OF
trclchery to the supreme interest OF
tho people as u whole. But in rropor-
ton as We attribute to him moral in
togrity We arc compelled 10y TINS en-
trnoriinary expression Of opinion 10
bNlicNc that the faculties of his in
tel.cct arc tottcriug toward c"inpl"i"
reinforcement.
it seems incredible. but apparently
must lie true. tina the visionary mind,
running ~unctuously aluus III" single
: track Of It's idcllistic ohscssions, may
come to bc 80 far removed from the
common perception of fact ana tru'h
that defeat appears a. victory. shame
as glory and the approaching deg
radiation OF "a nation cns!aNcd seems
IA the new freedom of u beatiiic saliva
ton. Mr.. Wilson of course may be
right. aud the un~enliChtcncd masses
of our ordinary citizens ma h" wrong
in their belief that the Government
has surrendered iucontincntly to the
demands OF organized labor, but T. 50
! the general distribution Of rational in
competence among the American pco-
pie SURPRISES the widest estimates Of
cur must pessimis;ic aiicnistS.
Mr.. Wilson finds himself free to adj
NIT that this assumed victory OF tt"
Government oNcr special class inter-
csts Is not a final solution of tn" u,ics-
lions at issue: and in this PERSUASION
those Of US who must regard II az a
surrender most heartily concur. liut
willie the President. IN tn. blissiul up
/ lifting nf his NiNtRn y,FnNplZ,- tH.N
the difiiculties involved ia carrying
To- competition what h. runc".N's to
De an excellent b"gii.n!n-, SO uf IN"
: iiiirsrircd ma!'.:!is AZ" "~"n'r"n'"'
aitlI a far more ,liSncnIt"niU- task.
, that ~ rebuilding from It's foundations
the democratic form and substance OF
representative government which has
fallen IN ruins under the ruic 90 his
Administration ana party.
Il Is not Is though this a 'Jicl'Inp
"t representative democracy were the
first To- lac charged against ia, parts
in power: III" suacklos Of "a hundred
million supposedly free people have
been riv'ted, double r!vctcd, and now
triple r.v,t,d Three years l. cuu-
gr"ss, with tho Presidents approval.
forttla" o.. employment against Labor
ORGANIZATIONS of certain funds dul'ru-
I prIaf"l FOR Tin. enforcement of ia"
Sherman Hntt.trist Law. Two years
ago thoS" ORGANIZATIONS boldly de
nanded compile" exemption from tho
provisions ~ that law. and tn" en-
>uinI rush Of The legislative puppets
uc labor To- DO tll".r bidding afforded
- spcctaci" for til" gods "f uni"ni>m
S..fa.1 truznrl,. l., ff. t4If.t..s - cha.