Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-14
ANOTHER FILIBUSTER

and including the great railroad brother.
hoods voting unanimously pledges its
! loyal services to the country In the event
OF war.
At the same time the brotherhoods
/ threaten a strike which would lie Up
railroads most needed In the event Of
war
II the eight.hourswork.ten.h .hourspay
law Is not enforced by s O'Clock Saturday
go out. The contest 10 have the law en-.
forced has been held In sbsysnce since
November s, when the railroads hled
suits to test It's conStitutionality.
Decisions OF the Supreme Cour. are
usually handed down on Mondays. n Is
virtually certain that the custom viii not
be departed from this week The Govern.
ment could have enforced the law. begin.
nlng January J. but the brothernoods
tacitly agreed not to demand the enforce
ment until the Supreme Court had acted
the railroads consenting TO keep account
Of the money that would be due the men
II the decision upheld the law.
within q fortnight TWO grave failures
Of our governmental system have been
demonstrated The same sntiqua,ei pro.
csdure which permitted a Senate fiji.
ha
fore foreign nations has been At the root
Of the railroad problem. y vas ill-advised
20 pass the socsi,ed eigh..hour law. but
any other ,aw that might have been
passed would have been written in the
dark. with no Assurance that u would
pass the Supreme Court when that body
might choose % consider Il. There was
no way for Congress and the President
20 learn whether or not any proposed
legislation would be valid. There Is no
way 20 convene me Supreme Court in
extraordinsry session 10 decide whether
an emergency measure Will stand the
constitutional test. The President re.
Gently required members Of his Cabinet
20 decide within twentyfour hours II he
had the legal right 20 arm Ehips. But
after more than six months and long
NJ alrnos, equal importance have been
presented 20 the courts the portals are
ba .tytN
The law being an emergency measure.
the court mas. by implication. informally
declared agains, It. II the workers
strike on Saturday the result will be the
same as II Senators had hlibustered
against this bill aimed 20 prevent a strike.
II would not be 50 serious II Congress
had passed the bill 20 empower the Presi.
dent 20 compel operation of the railroads
In time NJ war. But now, once more, law
and the use ot law take second place, and
the country has 20 go begging 70 the
railroads and their employees 20 patch up
truce until some national orga rizstion
Of transportation can be legally &c.
auired.
The American worker is loyal He has
az much right az A Congressman 10
pooh.poOh tho idea NJ the possibility of
war. Congress has set him a lamen'able
example " how 20 avoid prepsr redness
and how 20 split legal hairs and he s
not 70 he singled out for blame II he s
no more patriotic than his own Govern.
ment T. Is well.nigh inconceivsble that
a strike will be allowed 70 occur. But II
both sides hold out the alternative seems
70 ne that the Government should en-.
force the lsw--the eight.hour, wage
increase law--for II Ia the law of the
land and now in sbeyance only through
Informal agreement. One of the first acts
Of The new Congress will then be 10 en
power the President 10 operate the rail.
roads, II necessary, in time OF war