Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-12-22
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Presidents Plan for Settling Strikes
Oxford. Neb.. Dec. 1s.-To the
Editor OF The Bee: In December II
Bee. Mr.. Ex-Coal Miner writes q
lot of sob stun about tho coal
miner going down in q dirty hole In
the morning to come out o. K. in
the evening or maybe to be taken
homo on q stretcher. True, 30 q
man who goes up in an airship, out
on tho road in an automobile, or to
drive q threshing OUTFIT on the farm,
or handle railroad train, may be
crushed corpse before night. There
Is no secure place in this world and
the death rate in many occupations
Is greater than in the mines. Coal
mining Is q useful and honorable oc-
cupation and those choosing that oc-
cupation should receive all the pro-
lection of law and all tho rights of
citizenship that any other class re-
ceives.
II we admit that the miners were
right when they entered into q con-
spiracy to cut the supply Of coal
at the beginning of, winter, We must
acknowledge the end of constitu-
tiona! government, because our con-
stitution set up the judiciary depart
ment to define law land ad1udicate
dlQerences between citizens. There
ls no law against laborers quitting
their Job, singly or collectively. but
there is plenty Of law to prevent con-
spiraeies to cut off the necessaries
OF life from the public, whether the
conspirators be miners, mine owners
or farmers. Had farmers withheld
their products from the markets
starvation would have been the min
ers' doom and their kick would have
been against the. cost Of burial rath-
or than the cost Of living.
Probably the most disappointing
happening Of the Notwithstanding
ing administration of President Will
son IS its complete back-down and
abJect surrender to the coal strike.
No wonder that Garfield throws up
his hands in despair and disgust and
refuses to be longer the fuel scape-
goat. When the miners deserted the
mines at a picked time when they
could cause the most suffering and
misery to humanity, out came the
statesmanlike proclamation from
the White House that the strike was
not only unjustifiable but unlawful.
The president had used weeks of
time and thousands of the peoples
money in conferences with the labor
union leaders trying to satisfy their
ever increasing demands. He had
tried to convince them that the gen.
eral public had little claim on him;
the unions had been. given shorter
hours and longer wages whenever
they had demanded them under his
administration, yet he could not
sanction their brazen threat to tie
up the commerce and industries of
the nation. The mines would be
worked and the workers given ade-
quate protection. Existing war time /
power would be used to the utter
most to protect the public II the
miners carried out their conspiracy.
How that manly stand of our chief
was applauded by every
patriotic citizen. Was there to be a |
change? Was the rights Of all the
people to be recognized? Was the |
man who had surrendered and drove
through congress the disgraceful |
Adamson law at the demand of a |
few agitators, to rise from his sick
bed and redeem American honor?
Congress caught the, spirit Of Amer
lcanism and FASTENED to applaud |
ana pledge its unanimous support. |
The good news were blazoned in the |
newspaper headlines that the public |
interests would be protected, and |
the public believed 1t. But, alas for |
the fallacy of mans faith when It is |
placed in tho present democratic ad- |
We have surrendered 10 those |
whom Wilson has declared law |
breakers, and more, we have granted |
them a IA per cent raise for being
criminals, and pledged a future |
boost of all the public can stand, |
which shall be retroactive to the day |
they pulled off their conspiracy to |
freeze the people and defied the |
president to make good his word to |
protect the public interests.
Let it also be remembered that |
when pickering with these law
breakers the administration asked |
and obtained a postponement of |
contempt charges against |
"a union heads and also had the |
federal grand jury investigation Of |
the mine operators put off. The |
newspapers are now trying to make |
an hero and patriot of Lewis and his |
Xix for acquiescing in the govern
ment's abject surrenaer.
Is 1t not about time that our con-
gressmen stopped playing for votes |
and respected their official oaths |
Wilson says the right to strike shall |
lnViolate. Then why was the |
miners strike unlawful? Why did |
he send his we'll wishes to the gov
ernor Of Massachusetts,, who drove |
tho striking policemen from power /
and was overwhelmingly endorsed |
BY the people for so doing? We
can't make one law for the police
man and another for the mail clerks
Or school teachers, or one for the
nine owners and another for those
Who work the mines. Nothing more
han this bogus miner settlement
AN illustrate what would be the
had we swallowed the
Wilsonian league Of nations with its
,olsheviki labor plank. The presi-
tents doctrine 10 that "the seed Of
evolution Is repression, and the
'nly way to keep men from agitat-
ng against grievances Is to remove
he grievances. If they want higher
wages, let them have them; and If
hey want to work shorter days and
ess hours by all means let them do
t. 1t looks how as though the labor
question may be the dominant issue
n the coming election; and, If it
loes, it will pretty we'll smash old
,arty lines. A. G. RANKIN.
Vnrv COnaiderata