Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-10-05
HUGHES D0DCES issue
ON EIGHT HOUR Law
Attacks Wilson'S Plan, but Won't
Say What He Would Have Done.
ONLY WAY TO AVERT STRIKE.

Republican Nominee Is Asked to De.
clare if He Would Have Vetoed the
Bill With the Certain Assurance OF
Industrial Disaster to the Country.
SO busy has beer Charles Il. Hughes
riticising the deeds of the Wilson ad
ADMINISTRATION that he has had little
time to tell or has purposely eyaded
telling the pubic what he would have
done had he been president under sim
liar circumstances.
Lately Mr.. Hughes has turned his
attacks upon President Wilson'S sue
cesstul settlement of the crisis in the
laiiroad world by causing to be passed
by congress the Adamson eight hour
bin, Mr.. Hughes has characterized
this action rs a surrender to force"
ae Is opposed to being dictated to by
any power on earth before the facts
are known" and he would not act IN
iii he had had Il fair investigation and
candid treatment
Takiag issue with the Republican
candidates attitude. the New York
Times in an editorial asks: what
would Mr.. Hughes have done2"
We'll, what way would Mr.. Hughes
have taken?' continues the Times.
What would he have done? Here
was Mr.. Wilson'S position: The broth
crhoods refused arbitration; the rail
road presidents would not accept the
settlement Mr.. Wilson proposed, grant
ing the eight hour standard day. With
provision for an impartial inquiry into
its working. There was no law on
the statute books to enforce arbitra-
ton.
THE president knew, knew with GER
tainty and beyond question, that he
could not get such a law from the
congress now In session. The sure
and inevitable alternative to his ac-
ceptance of the eight hour standard
day measare was a strike, the suspen-
sion Of railway service, freight and
passenger, all over the country, begin
ming on the morning Of Sept. a.
Would Hughes Have Done 1t?
MIR. Hughes would not surrender
to anybody in the country. Then he
would have surrendered the country 70
the disturbance, unreasonable loss and
peril of a strike. Would he, in fact.
have done that? Had he been presi-
dent, confronted by that situation.
would Mr.. Hughes have brought on Il
strike by refusing to sign the bill
granting a wage increase?
There was the strike in plain sight,
a few hours away, sure to come
bill? On the contrary, would he not
have done just what Mr.. Wilson did
sign it?
The Republican candidate stands
for two tllings-'first, for the principle
Of fair. impartial, thorough, candid
arbitration, and, second, for Legislation
on facts according to the necessities
Of the case MIR. Wilson. stands FOL
those two things and, much more, ha.
pi dqed himself to use all his influence
to secure them.
What more could Mr.. Hughes do,
would | be too much to ask the Re
! publican candidate to put a little com
/ llOn iuIrIteSS lH.o us SpGcliiSot la IN
afraid to tell his audiences what the
president actually did urge upon con
aress?
las a true champion of arbitration
President Wilson recommended thai
arbitration judgments be made records
OF a court of law In order that theil
Interpretation and enforcement ma.
not lie with the parties to the dispute
but with an impartial and authorita
tive tribunal 1t was his purpose t
provide against future emergencies tt
what he nearly succeeded in doing II
the White House conferences would
put such a face upon the matter tina
prevent the recurrence Of such dangers
a then confronted him and the coun
try.
s1The people OF the United States ar,
not going to be put Off with the mis-
information as to what the presiden
lAdhd to avert q strike and to prevent tn,
fhreatof future strikes. We have req
sos to believe that tic full revelation
u whakhe a., what ~ tsied u - =,
a8i