Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-09-20
HOLDS LAW DOES NOT
CREATE SHORTER DAY
Hughes Says President by Determined
Stand Could Have Halted Strike
Moves and Brought About Justice to
Men and Public-Wilson Accused Of
Taking Easiest Way.

ed "futlle reasons auNoCdNeu sioI ~
passage. quoted from President Will
sons address to congress on the SUBJ
ject, challenged the statement of Rep
re%sentative Adamson that the law was
passed to meet an emergency and
cited a declaration attributed to Gro
yer Cleveland in support Of the conten-
ton that the law was "a surrender to
force"
w have seem" Mr.. Hughes said
what appears to be the consideration
of immediate political e~xpediency at
the expene Of public welfare.
"Mr. Adamson aid it is hasty leg
islation, ] admit. to meet an emer-
gency.'" Mr.. Hughes continued.
An Emergency Of Force
what emergency? The emergency
| of force to which the administration
had capitulated."
Contrast the action of the admin
istration."-the nominee added, with
I what was said by Grover Cleveland in
1885 with respect to labor legislation:
All legislation on the subject should
| be calmly and deliberately undertaken
with no purpose of satisfying unrea-
sonable demands or gaining partisan
/ advantage
Easiest Way Chosen.
I'VE have an unJustifiable attempt
to use public sentiment with respect
| to an eIght-hour working day In or
| der to justify a bill which does no
provide an eight-hour work day. but
| relates solely to an increase in wages.
We have seen the choice of what seem
ed TO be the easier way. which escaped
| the necessity of a determined stand for
principle. We have seen what appear
ed to be the consideration of immedi-
| ate political eXpedience at the expense
of public welfare"
Mr. Hughes. after declaring hat
.the just interests of labor are the
concern OF ALL" and asserting that he
desired to see safe and wholesome con-
ditons of work, adequate opportunities
for education and recreation. reason
able hours of labor. and fair wages,
said in part:
Is a "Force Bill"
'"The Adamson bill Is a force bill.
1t was legislation without inquiry.
without knowledge. The demand by
the administration for such legislation
as the price of peace was a humiliat-
ing spectacle. 1t was a deplorable abb
| ulCdtlCN VI IHotdl dOtioiils
The excuses presented are futile
The Adamson bill is not a bill provid-
ing for an eight-hour work day. II
does not fix hours at all. 1t regulates
wages. It's provisions do not require
any employer to employ any set OF
men for only eight hours a day.
What it does is to provide by law
for an increase in wages for certain
men. They may work ten hours Oh
more. The act provides that in IN
tracts for labor and service eight hours
shall be deemed a days work, and the
measure or standard of a days work
for the purpose of reckoning the COM
pensation for services to all employees
of the sort described
Mr.. Hughes quoted the AdamsoI
law, showing, he said. "in plain Eng
lish' that the men affected are not
required to work fewer hours but are
to have ter hours pay for eight hours
work with additional pay for additional,
hours.
Phrase Has Hidden Meaning.
we have words which may seem &c
mean one thing and in fact mean an
other" the candidate continued. 1.-THE
phrase 'eight-hour day is APPARENT,
used to tickle the public ear in order
to establish something quite different
This bill must be judged by what
it provides, not by what 1t does no
provide. 1t is nothing more than q
to fix wages and as a meas
ure to fly wages it must be judged. il
as such a measure its passage was
justified, it needs no further xcu
If not, its passage is not to be con
doned by reference to another eight.
hour work day which it does not cs.
tahlish."
What is S~ignifeance7
I'VE may pause to ask what is the
significance of this reference to o b
stacle of law The law provides fol
reasonable rates and an appropriate
percentage for fixing OF reasonable
rates by the interstate commerce com.
mission. Were these proceedings an6
the provisions Of law the obstacles OF
law to which reference was made;
Were they to be overcome, II necessary
to accomplish the desired increase? I,
must be understood that the burden OF
increased rates Is passed on to the
public. It necessarily affects a host OF
activities, agricultural and Industrial.
Increases of wages for selected
classes of men on railroads might re.
suit in restrictions on a great number
of other workingmen, not only those
employed by railroads, but upon those
employed in Industries thruout the
country, II the latter be requested tt
operate under increased transportation
charges.
Duty Of Executive.
"Manifestly we have here an increas.
ingiy intricate question OF rates arg
OUTLAWS. What was the manifest duty
OF the executive? Plainly to insis
that investigation should precede ac.
ton and that nothing should be yield.
ed TO force.
IT stand for the principle of abitra.
ton In Industrial disputes. Labor
J least of all. can afford to have tina
} principle surrendered . 1t il a civilized
| method, as opposed to the injuriou!
, contests OF force. which impoveTis1
labor and imperil the social order. Th'
essence of the matter is a fair and rea.
sonable hearing for all parties con
cerned and a just determination ac-
cording to the facts.
T ITO say that fair and prompt arbi
tratfon could not have been had in thi.
case IL to indict both the administra
ton and the American people"
I5 How Far?
AIr. Hughes held that there was n,