The sun., 1916-08-21
THE RAILROAD DISPUTE.
Mr.. Wilson Again Found Wanting In
Grave Emergency.

NOW AnaOh0OWOS
To The EDITOR OF The SuN-Sir: As
matters stood before the railroad dis
pute came to President Wilson. the
managers had advertised their willing
ness to arbitrate. The men had refused
this wholly Just. offer and had voted to
strike. It was the men. and not the
railroads, that were trying to carry
their point by bludgeon. Further. 1t
was and Is ~indisputable that the men
who registered the strike vote did not
originate the dispute. They are we'll
of and contented. and except for the
aggression of their professional leaders
they would have no thought Of raising a
labor disturbance at this time.
Again the trainmen's ostensible hit
for IN eight hour day Is not sincere as
an attempt to win increased leisure. Its
real animus Is a drive for higher wages
II fewer hours Of railroad employment
are actually put In vogue there must
IN the existing state Of things be a
lower per capita wage unless the rail-
roads are to be impoverished. The ma
tional labor shortage will be such. too.
that our industries cannot without
hardship spare hands to the railroads.
1t is a self-evldent proposition Of
common sense that. al against the
overwhelming prominence of public in
terest. neither employers nor employed,
In the case Of our railroads. have a
right to interrupt railroad trafiic one
day for the sake Of bludgeoning their
arbitrary way In a labor dispute.
The situation came to President Will
son for the bare eason that public
opinion would tolerate the trainmen's
blum thus far. He could treat II as q
patriot and q statesman. without espe-
cial glory to himself in the performance
OF an entirely mechanical. II somewhat
troublesome. function or he could use
II to play politics with. His manifest
duty was to tell the men the truth
though he risked their animosity on
next election day. lie had no necessity
or right to champion one side or the
other; much less to make a pretence OF
championship. He had only to cham
pion the public, n In the nations
name to insist that the issue should 20
to fair decision by an impartial expert
tribunal. in accordance with precedent
and In indubitable expression OF Ameri-
can judgment inc vital welfare. lie had
only TO insist n the thing would have
been done. He would not have gained
anything or lost anything politically.
but he would have dom what was prop
erly and universally expected OF him.
What President Wilson did do was TO
add the weight Of his own hand TO the
~bludgeon already lifted by the railroad
employees. lie II ordering. though he
has not yet lugged out Humans gibbet.
the railroad arrangements. under threat
Of public condemnation. to surrender
their only Just and se%lf-respecting posi-
ton N to stand the certain monetary
loss contingent upon hat abandonment.
while by their spectacle OF humiliation
he seeks to brtbe the men 70 postpone
further use OF the bludgeon until an.
other year.
Apparently President Wilson vii, not
meet the Issues squarely. Just as In all
other great emergencies. with exception
OF his frantic fight TO win England's
contention with reference TO Panama
canal tolls. he has displayed a like eel
like propensity 10 pry or wriggle out OF
a pinch In oily hope that a fresh pinch
may by some new contortion he avoided
and lodged IN The same unmanly
fashion. Whether he Ia simply weak
or sincerity coward no opinion Is here
vouchsafed. The fault II objectionable
in either case. Whether in the presen,
instance he Ii deliberately catering to
the labor vote or IL innocently stupid
need not be inquired. The cold, harsh
fact is that our President In this ties,
OF stamina. we'll within the endurance
OF any honest man of ordinary brain
Is shown to be 10Th incompetent and
wrong. Where the country needed wis.
dom and manliness 1t has pitiful lack
o. either.
Let the railroad ownership stand
Hrmly for Justice. though for a time
prosperity and comfort should be put In
jeopardy. II must be decided at on.
time or another whether democracy In
this country can maintain justice II
industrial relations. The sooner the
battle is fought out the better II will bs
for us all. We gain nothing by tenn
porizing or weak recession from the face
OF trial. FREDERICK PALMER LArIMER.
New LONDON, Conn. August 10.