New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1916-09-22
"C0INC TO DO 4
CERTAIN THING
THAT WILL WIN"
WAS 1T A POLITICAL FRAME
UP OR JUST A COINCI-
DENCE? WHAT rs BACK OF
IT? WHY?

The nation naturally continues tc
ask itself what could have caused
Preident Wilson to adopt so extraor-
binary and unprecedented a course
in dealing with the railway wage
question. What is back OF it? Why
did he propose and insist that, with
out any public investigation OF the
questions involved, the railways
should grant increases in wages
amounting to many millions OF dol
lars to men who are already the high
est paid workingmen in America
The burden will ultimately be pass
ed on to the consuming public. Why
has the president SO strongly fa-
vored putting such burden on the
consuming public without giving that
public any chance, directly or indi-
rectly, to be heard?
We do not intend to make any
charges against Mr.. Wilson. We do
intend, however, to present series
of facts, the knowledge of which has
forced us to reach certain conclu-
sions regarding his conduct. and
and which we are confident will
cause most of those who are in
formed of them to draw from tn,
same conclusions that we have.
Some of the facts which we will
present already have been published.
Others have not been. 1t is those
which have not been which are the
most important in this connection,
because without them the chain Of
circumstantial evidence is incom-
plete, while with them supplied it
seems to be complete. The courts
sometimes have held that circum-
stantial evidence may sometimes be
more conclusive than direct evidence.
because the witnesses who give di-
rect testimony may lie, while circum-
stances do not lie.
This controversy between the rail-
ways and the labor brotherhoods is
not new development. It began a
year ago. 1t was already acute siN
months ago. When the brother
hoods announced they were going to
demand basic eight hour day" they
began by saying they would not ar
bitrate, but would tie MP all the
transportation lines Of the country
of the companies did not concedc
what they wanted The RAILWAYS
were determined to give them moth
ing without arbitration. It was.
therefore forcseen from the start by
all close observers that the dangc,
therefore, forcSccn from the start by
all close observers that the danger
of a terrible strike was real and Sc
rious. The railways spared neither
effort nor money to get this fact be-
fore the administration Congress
and the public. But the administra-
tion and congress we're apathetic.
Judge w. l.. Chambers OF the federal
mediation and conciiation board,
even gave out statements to the ef-
feet that this body was watching de-
vclopments and was confident there
would be no strike.
The chamber of commerce Of the
United States, the greatest orcaui7a-
ton of business interests in the
country, became concerned about the
situation, and submitted to its ncn
bers resolution asking the presi-
dent and congress to cause an invcs-
tigation OF the catire wage situation
by the Interstate Commerce commits
sion. Meantime, on April 9. meetings
Of members of the labor brother
hoods were held at St. Louis ~
which addresses were made by w.
5. Stone, grand chief OF the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers. ana
W. G, Lee, president of the Brother
rood of Railway Trainmen. At on,
Of these meetings both Lee and
Stone made the statement that thcv
we're absolutely confident of winning
,ut. but that they were going to do |
. certain thing which only the presi- /
lents of the four brotherhoods knew 1
lbout. one that they did not propose
o tell any one what this was. but
hat it would be the deciding factor
n winning out in this fight" The |
eport of this meeting. containing /
he words quoted. has been in our
possession four months. Until with
n the last two weeks we were never .
ble to get clue to the meaning of |
hose words.
On June 10 the conferences be-
ween the representatives of the !
and the conference .
committee of the railways began in +
New York Disagreement resulted.
ind the railways offered arbitration
ither by the Interstate Commerce
or under the Newlands
lct. The employees refused both
nd went out to take a strike vote.
Meantime, the vote Of the Cham
yer of Commerce of the United |