The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-08-11
TWO ASPECTS OF THE SITUATION.

wheat COAL -four and general necessities If this en-
barge should be enforced for few days there will
be serious derang of food supplies and perhaps
famine prices for short time.
This situation is to be viewed from two angles. First
it relates present wages and is designed to bring i'm
mediate relief to railroad workers Second it relates to
the movement just getting under way having for its OBJ
ec the control of the railroads by the railroad workmen
largely for their profit.
The temporary emergency be disposed of by Pres
dent Wilson under the powers conferred upon him by
Congress He is absolute master of the railways. He
absolute master of the railways He raise lower
wages and can fix rates. He can set up arrangements
and put them down. He can make short work of any
person who may attempt sabotage forcibe nterfer-
ence with the mails the movement of freight pas
sengers The law is sweeping it has all the teeth
sary tom AXE it an effective weapon, and nothing but
Congress could add at this time would confer power
than the President The suggestion is made that this
power that should not be exercised when vir
tual peace has come To this the might be made
that the present strikes part of the wars great dis
turbance that state of actually exists and that
tie President may be compelled to take extraordinary
measures before the disputes have all been adjusted
President Wilson would be abundantly justified in
granting temporary increase of wages to certain under
paid classes of railroad workers who did not enjoy the
liberal increases granted to the brotherhoods He could
Increase railroad temporarily to provide the funds
required.
But when the country to consider the present
situation as possibly the beginning of campaign to
compel the adoption of industrial system, the
American people will be adamant and we ferventy hope
President Wilson will quickly and truly interpret then
sentiment in this respect.
Americans will never be frightened nor browbeaten
sabotaged into surrender of their economic liberty
They would meet such attack exactly as they met
the German attack upon their political lberties-by i'm
mediate and unanimous action applied in the most effec
tive manner as indicated by circumstances
The demand of railroad workers for immediate relief
from ntoerable conditions is just demand which SHOULD
be met without delay in generous fashion, along with
the demands of other persons suffering from the exac
tons of profteers in necessities Along with the plans
for the determination of proteers should go plans for
relief by increased wages certain cases, always bear
ing III HOWeVclI ndG LSiSao0u "oSCo
if prohteering is not stamped out
The demand of the railroad workers for the purchase
Of the railroads in order that railroad workers shall have
profit for operating them in addition to their just
wages outrageous invasion of the rights of all other
workers in the United States union and nonunion 1t
mistake to put forward this demand, and Americans
would make fatal mistake if they should surrender to it.
No doubt there has been corruption in the management
md financing of the railroads That does not furnish
my basis for wrong act. President Wilson last De-
ember told Congress that there three ways in
which the railroads might be disposed of-by turning
hem back to private operation without government
rol; by government ownership and operation by pr-
ate ownership and operation under strict government
ontrol.
The lastnamed method is the only plan that can be
xecuted with permanent satisfaction and in the
United States in view of the nature of the government
he extent of the country and the character of the people
The railroad broherhoods propose fourth plan, SUBJ
me in its defiance of all principles of fair play
omic efficacy They propose that the railroad workers
hall get profits at the expense of other workers. and that
Their workers shall stand all losses They propose to
ngush private ownership of railroads by exchanging
cent bonds for the present holdings They
that the United States could get money defend
s life by paying ga per cent. "Buy the railroads for
good people, and give onehird of the profits" is
ne naked demand of scant one-twenteth of the work
RS of this country.
In this test between American equality and justice on
ne hand and bolshevistic inequality and injustice
other there need be apprehension that the Amer
AN people will lose their bearingsW Washington Post
A bachelor gets very little advice, even when every
ody perceives that he needs it.