The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-08-21
REVOLUTION by ULTINIATUM

The plan of the railroad brother
hoods for taking over the railroad
properties of the country is a
straightout adventure into Soviet eco
nomics. 1t contemplates collective
ownership. but class operation and
control. which is at the foundation
Of the Soviet system.
The American people. through
their Government, are to buy the
railroads from the private owners and
turn these properties over to the rail
road employees to manage and
operate. In consideration of an in
vestment of approximately 100000
100000 the Government is to ap-
point one-third of the directors. and
the public is to share in such savings
In the cost of operation as may re-
main after the employees have paid
themselves what they think their
services ought to be worth. The spir-
1t in which the programme Is put
forth may be inferred from a state
ment made by b. NJ. Jewell, Acting |
President of the Railroad Employees !
Department of the American Fedora |
tion of Labor. in which he said that |
II President Wilson's suggestion to |
congress was carried out 1--WE will /
tie up the railroads so tight that they |
will never run again II that legisla-
ton Is passed" II might have been
Trotzky himself speaking to o
)ourgeoisie that had offered mild and
academic objections to being de-
spoiled.
Before any railroad plan can be
worked out, one highly essential fact
must be ablished-namely, wheth-
er the sovereign power of the United
states is vested in Government and
In the American people or whether
II Is vested in the railroad brother
hoods.
For three years now the brother
hoods have assumed that the
sovereign power was vested in them, |
and Congress has provided them
with excellent reasons for that as
When the railroad en-
ployees in the critical period of the
of 1915 demanded an eight
hour day and threatened a general
strike. President Wilson sent a mes
sage to Congress in which he urged
hat the eight hour day be made the
basis OF work and wages. but he
made four other proposals. one of
which called for
An amendment to the existing
Federal statute which provides for
he mediation, Cancellation and arbi-
ration OF such controversies as the
present by adding to II provision
hat In case the methods Of accom-
notation now provided for should
all. full public investigation of the
merits of every such dispute should
'e instituted and completed before
strike or lockout may be lawfully at
Congress refused to enact this
egislation because the labor leaders
objected to 1t, and now we have
'ituation in which labor leader can
threaten to "tie up the railroad so
light that they will never run again"
I Congress presumes to pass an act
o which the brotherhood autocracy
objects as unequal to its imperative
demands.
The railroad brotherhoods have
upon policy that even the
most conservative of them must ad-
nie Is economically revolutionary.
II their scheme of naturalization
Under class control Is to be carried
'ut In respect to railroads, nobody
AN draw the line where it shall stop
until al Industry is under Soviet di-
'ection. Yet they are not putting
heir programme out as a matter to
De discussed and deliberately con-
'idered by the American people. They
ire trying to force the issue and bring
lbout revolution by ultimatum.
In the last three years the rail-
-oads employees have received hun
ireds of millions of dollars in wage
increases for which the general pub
Iic Is paying. AS a reward for its
generosity the country is to be TAX
sn by the throat and choked into sub
If the most complicated eco
nomic issues that have ever con-
.ronted II are not settled forthwith.
i there is any difference between
.has kind of arrogance and the ar
'ogshce OF the German General Staff
n July. 1914, we should like to know
what IL is.-Exchange.