Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-12-05
PRESIDENT PUTS
VITAL QUESTIONS
UP TO CONGRESS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE

of labor disputes but laws that will
curb sedltlon on the one hand and
remove on the other htand the causes
that lie at the bottom of industrial
unrest in the body polite.
Gently reminding the Republican
it has failed to enact legislation to
strike at the producers and remove
the barriers in interstate commerce
that he believes are keeping up the
cost of liv ng, Mr.. Wilson calls upon
the legislative branch of the gov
eminent to take a hand in setting
Americas house in order.
The president does not fail to at
tribute much Of Americas economic
confusion to the failure of the
American senate to pass the peace
treaty and thus help stabilize inter-
national exchange and world mar
kets but he refrains from touching
on the peace treaty itself.
Need of BldgeS System.
Indeed, he has decided to deal
with it in a separate message as
also, he will discuss the railroad
problem in another communication
shortly to be sent to congress.
MI Wilson's message is the pro-
duct of many weelzsk of thought and
a careful examination of what he
believes to have been the negligence
of congress in failing to act on the
many measures recommended for ac-
ton in previous messages. There
are other things, however, which
MI. Wilson didn't emphasize on
previous occasions, but are the re-
suit of the growing demand of the
country for efficiency in adininistra-
ton of the executive departments
of the government
The president dwells extensively
on the need of n budget system
and efficiency in government and
argues again for q revision of the
income tax laws SO as to remove
the restrictions on incentive in bust
ness. He puts forth the argument
that with the practical exception
Of dyestuffs. America need not wor-
ry SO much about erecting a tariff
wall against foreign competition
and insists that the United States
has expanded to such an extent iEat
she must make her own products at
tractive to foreign buyers and keep
up her export trade.
Breaks Precedent
The president broke a precedent
in his message-he quoted from pre-
vious utterances Of his own. Pos
sibly this was due to the fact that
he was conserving strength as he
lay on his sick bed attempting to
compose his message or possibly it
was the most significant way in
which he could call attention to
the Indifference which the Repub-
lican congress has exhibited to pre-
vious requests.
Anyway, he repeats his own re-
quest for Legislation giving farms
and homesteads to the returned SOL
diecs as contemplated in Secretary
Lanes bill, which was Enacted upon
in the last session and he urges
again the creation of government
facilities to assist the returned sol
der and sailor in getting the right
job.
1t is evident, however, that Mr..
Wilson put his heart in that por-
ton of the message, which deals
with labor unrest and the danger
Gus risk of Bolshevism in other parts
Of the world. Here is the most sig
nificant passage:
"No one who has observed the
march of events in the last year
can fail to note the absolute need Of
a definite program to bring about
an Improvement in the conditions of
labor. There can be no settled condi
tions leading to increased production
and a reduction of the cost of liv-
Lob a
antagonists instead of partners.
Sound thinking and honest diser to
serve the interests of the whole ma
ton as distinguished from the In
terests of a class must be applied
to the solution of this great and
pressing program. The failure of
other nations to consider this mat
ter in a serious way has produced
bitterness and jealousness and an
tagonism, the food of radicalism
The only way to keep men from
agitating against grievance is TO
remove the grievances.
Remedy Constructive
can unwillingness even to discuss
these matters produces only disaster
and gives comfort to the extreme
elements in our country, which en-
deavor to stir up disturbances in Or
Ger to provoke governments to en-
bark on a course of retaliation and
repression.
1.-THE seed of revolution is repres-
sion. The remedy for these must
not be negative in character. 1t
must be constructive. 1t must COM
prehend the general interest. The
real antidote for the unrest which
manifests itself is not suppression
but a deep consideration of the
things that beset our national life
and the application of a remedy
I Then the president calls attention
to the industrial conference now
meeting and declares that the "evi-
dences of world wide unrest which
manifests themselves in violence
| throughout the world bid us pause
and consider the means to be found
| to stop the spread of this contagious
! thing before it saps the very vitality
Of the nation itself"
Touches Coal Injunction
Mr.. Wilson proceeds to say that
| the right to strike is inviolate but
| that the government has the right
to protect all of it's people and to
| assert it's power and majesty against
| the challenge of any class"
There is no doubt that Mr.. Wilson
| is uttering a defense of the injunc-
ton proceedings in the recent coal
| strike. Moreover, the president seeks
| to remove misunderstanding of the
course of Attorney General Palmer
in recommending legislation to deaI
| with radicalism. Mr.. Wilson points
out that he is in hearty sympathy
| with this legislation, because while
| he would not have the free express
| sion of opinion or the advocacy OF
| orderly political change interfereo
with, he thinks the government
| should have the power to prosecute
and punish persons, who by violent
methods would abrogate our time