Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1916-09-22
Democrats CRINCE
UNDER G.O.P.ATTACK
Hughes Shows Most of Will
son Platform Pledges
Have Been Broken
PROGRESSIVES BACK
WITH THE OLD PARTY

Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL
NEW YORK, Sept. Ex-Governor
Hughes has gone after the Wilson Ad-
ministration with sledge-hammer
blows, according to reports from the
Middle West, where he is now cam
paigning, and his audiences have ex-
hibited a responsiveness and enthus-
iasm highly gratifying to the Repub-
lican managers. Taking as his text
Mr.. Wilson's statement of four years
ago, Our platform is not molasses to
catch flies" Mr.. Hughes has shown
that most OF the Democratic platform
pledges have been broken, including
economy in public expenditures, the
creation of useless Offices. the lower
ing Of the cost of living, the repeal
Of the Panama Canal tolls law, the
single Presidential term, the prOtec-
ton of American citizens abroad, etc.
Referring to the AdamsOn wage In
crease law. Mr.. Hughes has said, 1t
was nothing more than a measure to
fix wages, and as a measure to hN
wages il must be judged. II as such
a measure it was justified, it needs no
ed with anything that was said OF the
Judgment of the society with respect
to an eight-hour work day. There IS
plainly no judgment of society on the
increaseof wages this bill requires.
The phrase eight-hour day is appar-
emily used to tickle the public ear
in order to establish something quite
different" And again, ''The Adam
son bill is a force bill It was legis-
lation without inquiry. without knowl-
edge The demand by the Administra-
ton for such legislation as the price
Of peace was a humiliating spectacle.
II was not only a serious misuse OF
Official authority.Abut a deplorable alb
dication of moral authority"
Wilson Solely Responsible.
One phase of the railway wage ar
fair which has not been generally APP
preciated is that President Wilson
was himself solely responsible for the
crisis which led him to direct Con-
gress TO pass the Adamson bill. For
years there has been in existence a
Federal Board of Mediation and Con-
ciliation. II has gained the respect OF
both employees and employers, and has
never experienced but one failure in
its history. But it has been success
full because it has been a wholly indie
pendent body. never interfered with
by any Cabinet officer or any Presi-
dent. prior to Mr.. Wilson. From the
beginning Of the serious stage of the
railway controversy. Mr.. Wilson's
every step was calculated 10 insure
a failure Of the efforts of this board
Daily announcements from the White
House declared that Mr.. Wilson was
watching the controversy with keen
est interest. When employers and
employees were unable to reach an
agreerSent Mr.. Wilson announced
that he had directed" the board
over which, under the law. he had nc
authority. to proceed to New York
thus reducing it to the position of a
subordinate body, and inviting an ap-
peal to himself as a higher authority
and when the efforts Of the board did
not meet with success, he announced
from the White House that il Il did
not meet with success, he, himself
would take the matter in hand. thus
insuring its failure. The brother
hoods. naturally and wisely, prefer
ring the mediation of a President who
was ACTIVELY seeking his own re-elec.
ton, and on the eve of a campaign
would not thereafter let the board
settle the strike along lines of strict
Justice and impaTtiality. And no one
Fan blame them for preferring "a
rust their cause to Mr.. Wilson.
The law creating the Board OF Me-