The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1916-11-04


mining should 20 on in the interests Of
the people - . whole. When the mine
owners. backed by and representing the
most powerful 6nancial interests OF the
country. positively refused to arbitrate, ]
proceeded to appoint an arbitration com.
mission without regard to them; securing
the consent Of . political opponent. ex.
President Grover Cleveland, 70 serve al
the head Of that commission i saw the
Lieutenant General Of the Army and ar,
ranged with him that IL necessary ! would
put the army In possession Of the mines
and would treat him as q receiver to run
the mines. and see that neither side inter-
fered with the running. When It became
evident that ] meant what ] said, that
both sides could count on my endesvor to
do strict justice. and that they could also
count on my insisting that the public
needs be immediately met. the capitalists
yielded and the commission was sp-
pointed =
You know the rest. you miners here!
Work was resumed In the mines hnmedi-
ately. on the old terms, which continued
until the commission reported. The Com
mission consisted sf % able and a. i'm
partial men - there were in the county.
including the head Of the Order Of Rail-
way Conductors. Mr.. Clark. 1t also in.
cluded among others, . Federal Judge, .
skilled engineer. . trained labor expert
and q beloved friend Of mine. Archbishop
Spaulding. Of Illinois, whose interest in
the welfare Of the workingmen was genu-
inc and sympathetic, and also under
stood with entire clearness that in the
long run justice to the workincmen could
be permanently secured. only It It was
made part Of . sch 'ine TO -ecure justice
for everybody concerned
The arbitration was -rcarssful. un-
derstand that with slight qualifications.
you have continued TO operate the mines
under its terms up IN the present day.
More important still. IL set the precedent
for the course that ought to be followed
in all disputes Of this nature hereafter.
Mr.. Wilson, on the contrary, has set .
precedent which he himself admits must
never hereafter be followed II justice 10 to
he done. This 10 . vital point Of differ.
ence between the conduct Of the Chief Exc
cutive in one case and in the other. When
fourteen years ago. I acted, there wac no
precedent for me to follow, and no estab-
lished instrumentalities through which to
work. had to establish the precedent
in order 10 meet . great crisis. l had to
create my own instrument. the arbitration
commission. Mr.. Wilson had before him
the precedent had created, and he had as
instruments ready to hand the Arbitration
Board. and the Interstate Commerce Com.
mission. with its enlarged powers. But he
failed to follow the precedent. or to use
the instruments which were ready to his
hand, !. although lacking the agencies Of
law for the application Of the principle,
J nevertheless applied il. and established ar
bitration in the settlement on their merits
Of industrial disputes. Mr.. Wilson. with
all the agencies Of law subject to his com
} msnd, ignored them, destroyed the prin
ciple Of arbitration in the settlement oi
industrial disputes, and put . premium on
securing this settlemAnt BY threat and du
} ress. @ =
President Wilson In his rpeech Of Au
gust Goth and September ed has furnished
: his own condemnation out Of his owl
} mouth. In them he explicitly condemn
, exactly what he has done and actually de
mands legislation which will make impos
sible the repetition OF such . proceeding
This is so extraordinary an attitude tina,
4. I quote his own words. He said he wishet
: "to provide" against "the recurrence o
such unhappy situations in the future" b,
securing ",he calm and fair arbitration o
! all industrial disputes in the days :.
come" This is On explicit assertion tha
I. arbitration OF sll industrial disputes il
. the right method Of action; and therefor'
that he had adopted the wrong msthoc
Of sction-slthough In the case o.
the anthracite coal strike he had al
exact precedent In point. BY following
which he would have enforced the rish
method.
President Wilson further says. This
sssuredly the best way Of vindicatins
. principle. namely, having failed to max
certain Of ito Observance in the present u
make certain Of its observance in the fu
ture." On the contrary, this 10 the yer!
worst way Of vindicatins . principle. In
, deed, II 10 impossible to devise . wors
way Of vindicstinS . principle. than u
:. finch ignominiously from enforcing Il Il
, the case at Issue and at the sams time :,
seek to cover the ignominy BY vociferou
: protsstations about applying il In the NJ
bulous future. The same paper, the New
: York Times. from which quote the sbov'
. sentences, contained ststements from Ii.
;, leaders Of the Brotherhoods whom he va
I befriendins. 10 which they said that thel
4 would never consent TO the legislation pro
vidins for futur,> >srbitratios Tor whiel
President Wilson asked; and Prssiden
4 Wilson kept . weak and nervous silsnc
{ about this defiance. lie did not get tn
D legislation which he declared was ssssntis
to "vindicste the principle" In the future
, An that he accomplished vas the violation
. Of the principle In the present. In the con
J, crete case Of Issue. The saly law ~ q
cured established the prscsdsnt Of viols
A "A A.