The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-08-21
REVOLUTION BY ULTINLATUM

The plan of the railroad brother
hoods for taking over the railroad
properties of the country is a straight
out adventure into Soviet conom
les. 1t contemplates collective own
ership, but class operation and on
troll, which is at the foundation Of
the Soviet system.
The American people, through
their Government, are to buy the
railroads from their private owners
and turn these properties over to
the railroad employees to manage
and operate. In consideration of an
investment Of approximately $780,
600, 900 900 the Government is to
appoint one-third of the directors,
and the public is to share in such
savings in the cost of operation as
may remain after the employees
have paid themselves what they
think their services ought to be
worth. The spirit in which the pro-
gram is put forth may be inferred
from a statement made by B. NJ.
Jewell, Acting President of the Rail-
road Employees Department OF the
American Federation of Labor, in
which he said that if President Will
sons suggestion to Congress was car
ried out I'VE will tie up the railroads
so tight that they will never run
again if that legislation is passed."
1t might have been Trozky himself
speaking to a bourgeoisie that had
offered mild and academic objections
to being despoiled.
Before any railroad plan can be
worked out, one highly essential fact
must be established-namely, wheth-
er the sovereign power of the United
States is vested in Government and
in the American people or whether
it is vested in the railroad brother
hoods.
For three years now the brother
hoods have assumed that the sover-
eign power was vested in them, and
Congress has provided them with
excellent reasons for that assumption
When the railroad employees in the
critical period Of the summer of 1916
demanded an eight-hour day and
threatened a general strike, Presi-
dent Wilson sent a message to Con-
gress in which he urged that the
eight-hour day be 1nade the basis OF
work and wages, but he made four
other proposals, one of which called
for
IAN amendment to the existing
Federal statute which provides for
the meditation, Cancellation and ar
bitration of such controversies as
the present by ademg to it a pro-
vision that in case the method OF ac-
c%omodation now provided for should
fail, a full public investigation Of the
merits OF every dispute should be
instituted and completed before a
strike or lockout may be lawfully at
tempted"
Congress refused to enact this leg
islation because the tabor leaders
objected to it, and now we have a
situation in which a labor leader can
threaten to tie up the railroads so
tight that they will never run again"
II Congress presumes to pass an act
to which the brotherhood autocracy
objects as unequal to its imperative
demands.
The railroad brotherhoods have
embarked upon a policy that even the
most conservative Of them must ad-
nit is economically revolutionary. If
their SCENE Of naturalization under
class control is to be carried out in
respect to railroads, nobody can draw
the line where it shall stop until all
industry is under Soviet direction.
Yet they are not putting their pro-
eramme out as a matter to be dis
cussed and deliberately considered
by the people Of America. They are
trying to force the issue and bring
about a revolution by ultimatum.