The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-09-21
Senator Borah In Great Speech Says Ad-
amson Bill Fixes Wages--Warns Unions

men than to say that Notwithstanding
they had put in action all the great
powers of the government they de.
clined to give the powers of the gov
eminent an equal opportunity to in
teiligentiy pass upon it and would
rather than do so enter a state of an
archy? Those who so charge would
in my judgment libel these men.
Would Not Have Quit.
No, Mr., President. they would not
have done so; and these men who here
say they were powerless and who APP
preached, as they said, their Geth-
semane If they should take a sidesteE
in regard to it. would have been aided
and supported by the great rank and
flle OF the. men whom they represent.
l do not speak entirely, Mr.. Presi-
dent without knowledge in regard tc
that. | have not the honor of know
ing the heads of these organizations
1t has never been my pleasure nor my
privilege to meet any of them, but
have some knowledge and some COM
munication from some representing a
considerable number of those whom
they purport to represent, and we
should have been within safe lines
and on sure ground to have proceeded
with this matter in cireumspectiou
and after investigation and with full
Information to the settlement of it.
Mr. President, proceeding as we dc
now, We proceed without information
we proceed without any facts what
ever upon which to form a Judgment
We have no information which leads
us to one conclusion or another We
know nothing with reference to these
wages in their relation to other wages
and we know nothing, as the able sen
ator from Iowa (Mr Kenyon) says, as
to its ultimate effect upon the other
people whom we represent.
| We are not permitted to know the
| facts. I should like to ask how legis-
lators can legislate without facts up
on which to form an opinion unless
we assume. as l indicated last night
that we are legislating by reason OF
the dictation of other powers, If we
have no knowledge no information
and yet write the law, we must be do
| ing so at the will of some outside
power
Suffered From High Rates.
l represent, in part. Mr.. President
portion of the country which has
suffered, and which does still suffer
by reason of high freight rates, There
is many an industry in that region OF
the country which either remains un.
developed or which languishes by rea-
son of its long distance from the mar
ket, by reason of the high freights
which we pay coming in and goinf
out.
This has restrained development II
that vast northwestern empire TO
years. and presume we must contin
ue to bear the burdens to a large eX
| tent. Many a man in that countr.
will bear witness to what | say.
want to know Mr.. President, befor
vote to increase freight rates-be
cause ultimately that is what thi
means--first, that these men are &C
itually entitled upon the facts to hav
theirs wages increased; secondly,
want to know if / can, what is tn
present income of the corporation
from which they will most immediate
lily receive their pay, and to what ex
tent it must necessarily be passed o
to those whom / represent as well a
union labor. represent all; and
will not, to my knowledge, sacrific
one to the interests of another.
information Denied.
We are not permitted to have thi
information. 1t Is said to me that W
must pass this bill before Saturda
might or that these men will bring o
the calamity. l say to you, and
believe | speak more nearly the sent
ments of these men, that all we ha
to do was to give evidence of goo
faith in our determination to ente
upon this investigation and to adju'
lit fairly as between all parties.
But, sir, If indeed we are up againi
the proposition that we are dealin
with body of men who would M
permit congress to have the facts or
! take time to investigate and to pas
, intelligently upon them. If l haN
+ placed too high an estimate upon II
= character and patriotism of the'
men, and we are yielding to the sut
gestion and the dictation and the d
4 rection of these men, then, indeed, Il
n congress of the United States has m
n the great crisis of it's history. II II
4 deed, sir, we are met here with d.
4 mand which we cannot postpone 4
a information, which we must execu
without information, and, most of
p lf we propose to execute it without II
4. formation, then indeed the spirit
a the fathers has departed and the ira
4 itions of this body will soon be turn
~ to shame and humiliation. If we a
h face to face with that propositio
"a then let us meet 1t with the spirit al
- courage which become the senators
great free republic. Let us defy
on the threshold and call upon all t
n powers of the government to mo
! these trains and protect organic