Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-12-06
| do Justice when there is no reason to

l
sion's membership and in its facilities
for performing its manifold duties. the
! provision for full public investigation
and assessment of industrial disputes
and the grant to the executive Of the
power to control and operate the rail.
ways when necessary in time Of war
or other like public necessity now
very earnestly renew.
The necessity for such Legislation is
manifest and pressing. Those who have
intrusted us with the responsibility
and duty Of serving and safeguarding
them in such matters would find il
hard, / believe, to excuse a failure to
act upon these grave matters or any
unnecessary postpOnement of action
upon them.
Not only does the interstate com
| rnerce commission now find 1t practi-
cally impossible. with its present mem
bership and organization, to perform
its great functions promptly and thor
| oughly, but 1t is not unlikely that II
may presently be found advisable TO
add to its duties still others equally
heavy and exacting 1t must FIRST be
perfected as an administrative instru-
ment
The country cannot aud should not
| consent TO remain any longer exposed
TO profound industrial disturbances for
lack of additional means of arbitra-
| ton and Cancellation which tie con
gress can easily and promptly supply.
/ And all will agree that there must be
no doubt as to the power Of the eXecu-
tive to make immediate and uninter-
rupted use Of the railroads for the con
centration of the military forces of the
nation wherever they are needed AID
whenever they are needed
This Is a program of regulation. pre-
ventiOn and administrative efficiency
which argues its own case in the mere
statement OF it. With regard to one
of its items. the increase in the eff
cheney of the interstate commerce com
mission. the house Of representatives
has already acted it's action needs
only the concurrence of the senate.
For Control and Operation.
| would hesitate to recommend. and
l dare say the congress would hesitate
TO act upon the suggestion should
make 1t, that any man In any occupa-
ton should be obliged by law 10 con
tinue in an employment which he de-
sired to leave. To pass a law which
forbade or prevented the individual
workman to leave his work before re-
ceiying the approval Of society in do
ing so would be TO adopt new prin-
cipie into our Jurisprudence which
take 1t for granted we are not prepared
to introduce. But the proposal that
the operation OF the railways Of the
country shall not be stopped or inter
rupted by the concerted action Of or
ganized bodies of men until public
investigation shall have been instituted
which shall make the whole question
at issue plain for the judgment of the
opinion of the nation is not To- propose
any such principle. 1t is based upon
the very different principle that the con
certed action Of powerful bodies of men
shall not be permitted to stop the in
dustrial processes Of the nation, at any
rate before the nation shall have had
an opportunity to acquaint itself with
the merits Of the case as between en-
Dl0yee and employer, time to form its
opinion upon an impartial statement
Of the merits. and opportunity to con
slider all practicable means OF concilia-
ton or arbitration.
can see nothing In that proposition
but the iustihable safeguarding by So
eiety Of the necessary processes of
its very life There is nothing arbi.
trary or unjust IN It unless it be arbl-
trarily and unjustly done. Ii can and
should be done with a full and scrupu-
l0us regard for the interests and iiber-
ties of all concerned as well as for the
permanent interests Of society itself.
Other Legislation Urged.
Three matters Of capital Importance
await the'action of the senate which
have already been acted upon hy the
house Of representatives the bin
which seeks to extend greater freedom
of combination 10 those engaged In pro-
noting the foreign commerce of the
country than is now thought by some
TO be legal under the terms of the In gS
against monopoly; the bill amending
the present organic law of Porto Rico
and the bin proposing a more thor
ough and systematic regulation Of the
expenditure OF money In elections com
monty called the Corrupt Practices Act.
I need not labor my advice that these
measures be enacted into law. Their
urgency lies in the manifest circum-
stances which render their adoption AT
this time not only opportune but ueces-
Sary, Even delay would seriously
leopard the interests of the country
and OF the government.
Immediate passage OF the bin to reg
ulate the expenditure of money In elec-
lions may seem to be less necessary
than the immediate enactment of the
other measures TO which / refer; be-
cause at least two years will elapse
before another election IN which fed
eral offices are to be filed but is would
greatly relieve the public mind If this
important matter were dealt with
while the circumstances and the dan
gers 10 the public morals Of the pres.
ent method of obtaining and spending
campaign funds stand clear under re-
cent observation and the methods of
expenditure can be frankly studied in
the light Of present experience ard
delay would have the further very So.