The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-08
BLOWS TWO WAYS
Kulp Declares Govt Acts Con-
fuSedly in Coal Strike.
Men on BOthSides Ought To Be
Jailed, He Asserts.
STATE RIGHT IN SEIZURE
Strike, He Says, Exists Only as
Revolutionary Right.
Operators Raised Price; Miners
Under War Restrictions.


The present precarious Industrial
situation and the light in which both
the present government adminlstra-
ton and the miners and operators
stand was discussed Sunday in his
sermon by DIR. Edmund James Kulp.
pastor of the First Methodist church.
The strike" said Doctor KuIp. rs
the most prominent in our thought just
now. Familiar as this phenomenon
is in our recent history, and we have
not been free from it for a single
minute in the last twenty years. there
has been no consistent pripciple de-
veloped either in our judicial decisions
or Legislative enactions. or in admins
trative policy, state or national, with
regard TO this most troublesome pro-
duct of the industrial area. In his re-
cent annaula message to congress, our
chief executive (if he wrote the docu-
ment bearing his name) said: The
right to strike is inviolnble.' Yet at
that very time his adninistration was
proceeding under an Injunction is
sued at the instance of the chief legal
officer of his administration restrain
ing the officers. of the United Mine
Workers of America from exercising
this iHviolable right II the right to
strike is inviola BILE, what of the in
junction? And if the injunction is
equita BILE, what of the inviolabIe right
to strike -
Administration In Confusion.
Doctor Kulp pointed out that the
administration clearly shares in the
common confusion of thought, and
continued:
The state possesses the undoubted
right to seize the mines and operate
them by volunteer miners as our own
cOurag geOHs governor is doing Just now.
The national government might throw
Il Gordon of guards around the districts
inhabited by the striking miners and
forbid the entry of any and all the
necessities of life into those districts
until the normal process of industry
were resumed there. 1t would not be
wise nor mereiful to use such strenu-
Gus measures, but in an emergency
the power and right are there, in
hcrent in the very nature of govern
ment which clothes it with all the ex-
traordinary powers necessary to main
tain it's existence and preserves the
welfare of its citizens The right to
strike on an extended scale and in
hasic industry exists only as d revolu-
tiorary right and may be treated ac-
cordingb'.
The operators were told at the time
OF the armistice, or thereabout. that
the war was over and the price of coal
might be raised The miners were
told when they essayed to strike that
the war was not over and they nust
abide by their wartime contracts. The
Lever act was put into operation
against them and an injunction Issued
forbiddinG their officers to order
strike and restraining them from US
ing The funds OF the order to restrain
the strikers.
Officers Dcficd InJunction.
TN form the officers OF the United
Mine Workers obeyed that injunction:
IN fact, thcy defied 1t. The strike went
on. In utterance they counselled The
miners to disobey the order Of the
court. That Injunction ought to be
enforced. Every man in contempt OF
the court in utteranee or in act ought
TO he punished. No man. or body of
men, can be permitted to decide for
themselves whether an Injunction from
a court is right or otherwise. The
loyal citizens will obey it: others must
be compelled to respect II. There can
be no compromise here.
The Lever act makes it unlawful
for anyone to interfere in any way with
the production of coal in war time
There ought. therefore, to- be proceed
rre against the operators who during
the summer months reduced the num-
bCr Of working days and so production
of coal. If a wartime emergency eX-
isted no operator could pit his sown
Judgment of the market against the
nations needs. Every single day of
such idINness ought to be charged
against the operator as a separate Of
fense, and upon conviction. the penalty
of the law imposed That would be
equal and exact justice.
~It would go far to reasSure the min
ers Of the fairness of the government
in dealing with them. Certain mine
workers leaders ought to be in jail;
some operators ought to be facing the
same punishment. We cannot expect
the government to he respected and
trusted by the miners when with the
same breath it seems to blow hot and
blow cold"