East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-12-05
WOULD PROVIDE FOR PUBLIC
INVESTIGATION BEFORE CALLING STRIKE

! the executive to make immediate
and uninterrupted use Of the rail-
roads for the concentration Of the
military forces Of the nation Wher.
ever they are needed and whenever
they are needed.
This is a program Of regulation.
prevention and administrative eff
cheney which argues It's own case IN
the mere statement Of IT, With re-
gard to one Of its items, the increase
in the efficiency OF the interstate
commerce commission, the house OF
representatives has already acted; It's
action needs only the concurrence Of
the senate.
would hesitate to recommend, and
l dare say the congress would hesi-
tate to act upon the suggestion should
l make 1t, that any man in any Occu-
patton should be obliged by law TO
continue in an employment when he
desired to leave. To pass law
which forbade or prevented the indi-
vidual workman to leave his work
before receiving the approval Of So
ciety in doing So would be to adopt
new principle into onr jurispru-
dence which l take II 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 interrupted by the con-
certed action Of organized bodies Of
men until public investigation shall
have been instkuted which shall
make the whole question at issue
plain for the judgment Of the opin-
ion Of the nation is not to propose
any such principle. 1t Is based upon
the very different principle that the
concerted action of powerful bodies
Of men shall not be permitted to
stop the Industrial processes Of the
nation, at any rate before the nation
shall have had an opportunity to ae-
quaint itself with the merits of the
case as between employe and em-
ployer time to form its opinion mp
on an impartial statement Of the
merits, and opportunity to consider
all practicable means of coneiliation
or arbitration. I can see nothing in
that proposition but the justifiable
safeguarding by society Of the neees-
sary processes of its very life. There
is nothing arbitrary or unjust in II
unless it be arbitrarily and unjustIy
done. 1t can and should be done
with full and scrupulous regard for
the interests and liberties OF all con-
cerned as well as for the permanent
interests of society itself.
Three matters of capital import
ance await the action Of the senate
which have already been acted upon
by the house of representatives: The
bill which seeks to extend greater
freedom of combination to those en-.
gagged in promoting the foreign COM
merce Of the country than is now
thought by some TO be legal under
the terms of the laws against monop-
oily; the bill amending the present
organic law of Porto Rico; and the
bill proposing more thorough AMI
systematic regulation of the expendi.
ture of money in elections, eommonly
called the Corrupt Practices Act.
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 bu;
f, necessary. Even delay would seri-
ously leopard the interests of the
country and of the government.
Immediate passage of the bill to
regulate the expenditure of money
in elections may seem to be less ne
cessary than the immediate enact.
ment of the other measures to which
refer; because at least two years
will elapse before another election In
which federal offices are TO be filled
but it would greatly relieve the pub
lie mind if this important matter were
dealt with while the circumstances
and the dangers to the public morals