The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1919-04-03
The Railroad Makeshift.

ne nallrOad MakeShlft.
The threatened railroad crisis has
been averted. Perhaps it would be
more accurate, though less pleasant, to
say that it has been postponed. We
have escaped it for the moment, but
it would be folly to say that all danger
of it is past, or that it can be past un-
til, through legislation, the transpor-
tation system of the country is placed
upon just, rational and practical
basis, such as it has never yet enjoyed.
For the present relief, which is of
simply inestimable benefit to the coun-
try, no thanks are due to the presi-
dent. That is not a welcome thing
to say, but it is the simple truth, and
it is a truth which justice requires to
be recognized. We shall not say nor
suggest that the president sought to
precipitate crisis. That is unthink-
able. But we must say that his course
and his actions in the matter, however
inspired and however intended, direct
" conduced to bringing us perilously
near to catastrophe.
We need not go back in the record
beyond the first of December last,
though some of his railroad policy be-
fore that date was extraordinarily ILL
advised. At the opening of the late
session Of congress, however, it was
obvious that the railroad question was
one of the most important, perhaps the
most important, in our purely domes-
tic affairs, and that it was in urgent
need Of thoughtful and courageous ac-
ton. 1t was precisely the thing to
which the, president himself should
have given personal attention in col
liberation with congress. But he had
other fish to fry. He was itching to
get to Europe, to preach the propa-
ganda of his league of nations. So he
turned the whole thing over to con-
gress, admitting that he had no idea
how the problem should be solved, but
urging congress to get busy and solve
it right away quick, under penalty of
having the roads incontinently dump
ed back upon their owners.
That was sufficiently shabby treat
ment of congress and of an immensely
momentous national issue. But worse
was to come. Before congress had
time to get fairly started on the COM
pick problem an attempt was made by
the administration to take it out of it's
hands. Although the president in De-
cember had had no plan at all, he soon
conceived plan, all cut and dried and
so full Of eternal wisdom that it would
be sacrilege to modify it by one jot or
little. That was, that congress should
turn the roads over to government
control for five years to come, with
billions of American taxpayers money
every year to help the government in
it's benign scheme of socialistic gov
eminent ownership. Even his usually
plant and obedient congress baked at
that, despite the threat of dumping the
roads back and thus causing universal
catastrophe; and the outcome was that
the session ended without the urgently
needed legislation which the president
had invoked in December, and which he
had himself practically defeated or
prevented in January.
The worst came last. Casually look
ing in upon the United States and it's
seat Of government for few days at
the end Of the session, the president
observed that his great problem was
left unsolved, and that the legislation
which three months before he had
recommended as urgent had not been
effected. Earnest appeal was made to
him to give the new congress, lately
elected by the people, chance to deal
with it. He refused. With no reason
save stodgy pretext stultifying his
own former assurances, he refused to
call congress together in special ses-
sion. The railroads might go to smash
and the nation be involved in appalling
disaster. That was nothing to him.
He wanted to jam his league Of ma
lions through, and he did not purpose
to let congress with hostile majority