New-York tribune., 1919-10-31

latlOn. Has the executive dePartnie!O
so far broken down that it needs help
or support in any Xtra-constltutlonal
way from the Legislative ~
"There are some doubts" explained
Mr.. Townsend, "of the constitutional
power to deal with such situation.
Presid Roosevelt appointed COM
mission to settle one great strike. |
am anxious that the country should
know Congress is in sympathy with
the Presidents purposes. To vote this
resolution down would have a most
unfortunate effect. There may be argu-
ment as to the propricty Of its intro
duction here, but, having been intro
duced we should pass it, because fall
ure to do so would be construed as re-
fusal to back up the enforcement of
law"
Compared to Debs Strike
"The situation before the country is
not dissimiar to that at the time of
the Debs railroad strike" said Senator
Pomerene, Ohio "But the government
has more power now than it had then"
The resolution is only a reiteration
of our plain duty, and its value, of
course, is largely sentimental" said
Senator Lodge "But sentiment has
good deal of value, and this is a most
opportune time to declare that we
stand squarcly behind the Administra-
ton in its purpose to enforce the law"
81 am not accepting the construction
that some people place on this situa-
tion,' explained Senator Borah. Il do
not agree that this is fight between
the government and Lewis. Before it
is ended, we may discover that it is a
fight between the government and the
coal operators. ] believe in the en-
forcement of law, but am not prepared
to lndorse any particular conclusion of
opinion about the merits of this CON
troversy."
THE threat is made to place the
people OF this country because of the
controversy between the operators and
the miners" declared Senator Williams
Of Mississippi "The fact that Novem-
Der l was made the date for the strike
proves that. From that date the en-
tire country down to the middle South
requires fuel to keep it warm. It is a
suspicious fact that a revision of the
agreement concerning wages and hours
is demanded, and that the date of the
contract is changed from April /. at
the beginning of the warm season when
the people have chance to get along
without fuel, to November /, when the
! people have no chance"
Would Form Peoples Union
"The time has come for the people to
take part There should be public
meetings and agreements of all classes
OF people not to furnish the necessaries
OF life to the people of either side of this
controversy if they refuse to arbitrate
it. The grocers. the butchers. the shop
keepers and ali who provide necessaries
should agree not to supply their products
to these people if they decline to accept
arbitration. Call it boycott f. you
please, but there are times when more is
needed than the law alone can accom-
plish. Let the people form some peoples
unions, let them go on a strike against
this condition. Let them refuse to sup
ply the requirements Of both these mad
contestants who would destroy the gov
ernmcnt and civilization.'
Senator La Toilette, opposed the reso-
luton in the form in which it was first
drawn and declared that the miners,
with the wages and the amount of work
they are given, are unable to earn
enough to supply their families with the
bare necessities Of life.
81 will not agree that this resolution
shall pass in a form that will amount to
an intimidation of them in the exercise
of their lawful right to STRIKE" he said.
81 Will not consent that it pass in such
form that it Will be heraded to the
country as an announcement TO lNeSc
men, who are doing no unlawful act,
that we are going to oppose them in do
ing a lawful one 1t will not be q party
to the passage of q resolution which will
be construed by these men as the threat
of Congress to confront them with ma
chine guns, while they are engaged in
nothing that is without the law"
La Toilette Requests Order
At this point there was some disorder
in the chamber, and turning toward the
corner in which sat Senators Knox, of
Pennsylvania, and Elkins and Suther-
land, of West Virginia. Mr.. La Toilette
said: Il would like to have better order
if | may, in the coal section of the
Senate
Then he proceeded: "The chief COM
plaint of the miners is that they cannot
get enough work to do to support their
families. | would like to see the reso-
luton pass, but not in a form that viii
make it an intimation that Congress
indorsed the use Of machine guns tc
prevent perfectly lawful acts
TU1