Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-10
DEMAND STRIKES WAIT
ON IMPARTIAL INQUIRY
President Wilson and Republican Congress
on Record for This Protection
to the Public.

AdamSOn made point OF orueT Ihdt
it was not germane and not related
to any part of the bill Representa-
tive James r. Mann, then republican
! leader. argued that the bill was the
| result of the Presidents message and
| its purpose to prevent a strike. He
held that the Sterling amendment was
\ to authorize the President to have an
investigation made before a strike
could be called, and that, therefore, it
was an additional precaution against
! a strike, and entirely germane.
Point of Order Sustained.
After considerable debate, led by
Representative John J. Fitzgerald of
New York for the democrats, Speaker
Clark ruled the point of order we'll
made, saying in part:
What the chair does know is that
those six propositions laid down by
the President embodied two principal
features, one of which was to prevent
a strike from taking place on all the
railroads of the United States at
O'Clock next Monday morning, and the
other looking to general system of
preventing strikes in days to come"
Republican Leader Mann appealed
from 1.-THE partisan decision of the
chair and on roll call vote mus
tered 81 votes against 204 by the DEM
ocrats, then in the majority.
So the republicans were squarely on
record September L. 1915. as insisting
upon a provision for federal inves-
tigation before a strike or lockout,
Repeats Recommendation.
Then again on December 5, 1915,
President Wilson went before Con-
gress and repeated his plea that his
six recommendations should be writ
ten into law. He said:
THE second and third of these rec
concentrations the Congress imme-
diately acted on; it established the
eight-hour day as the legal basis of
work and wages in train service, and
1t authorized the appointment Of a
commission to observe and report
upon the practical results, deeming
these the measures most Immediately
needed: but 1t postponed action upon
the other suggestions until an oppor-
tunity SHOULD be offered for a more
deliberate consideration Of Them"
He renewed his request for action
upop Other suggestions-"the increase
In the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion,s membership and in itS Yaeliittes
for performing its manifold duties,
the provision for full public investi-
cation and assessment Of Industrial
disputes and the grant to the exec
utiye of the power to control and op:
crate the railways when necessary in
time Of war or other like public ne
cessity."
Thus President Wilson reaffirmed
his declaration that public welfare
demands federal investigation before
a strike or lockout.
The republicans, now in majority in
the House, are on record as insist
ing upon it as necessary legislation.
anu Lie uSuioCldtiC ITcSIuSul Is Oh
record as recommending it and reaf-
firminE his recommendation, in two
deliberate appeals to Congress.
President Urges His Views.
President Wilson in his address to
Congress on December 5, 1916, said, in
part:
THE country cannot and should not
consent to remain any longer exposed
to profound industrial disturbances for
lack Of additional means Of arbitration
and concli ltion which the Congress can
easily and promptly supply"
Later on the President continued:
ITO pass a law which forbade or pre-
vented the individual workman to leave
his work before receiving the approval
Of society in doing SO would be to adopt
new principle in our Jurisprudence
which / take it for granted we are not
prepared to introduce.
But the proposal that the operation
of the railways of the country shall not
be stopped or interrupted by the con-
certed action Of organized bodies of men
Continued on Third Page.)