The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-21
SAYS
ANTISTRIKE LAW
IN NEEDED ACTION
Presidential ASpirant Asserts
Proposal Now in Conference
Between House Of Congress
Is Only Solution.

PROVIDENCE, r. l.. Jan. 2t.-The
antistrike clause IN the Cummins rail-
road bill. now In conference between
the house Of congress, is the first sub
lem which has in It the germs Of civil
war and revolution" United states
Senator Miles PoindeXter, Of Washing
ton, an aspirant for the Republican
nomination for president, declared last
night In an address on 'antistrike leg
islatlon' before an audience of bust
ness men here.
III It is not solved by law" he said,
1T viii be solved in blood and. per-
haps In the destruction OF our insti-
tutions. IL involves the question wheth-
err Industrial disputes, the adjustment
Of wages, the terms and conditions OF
the employment OF labor in commerce
and industry, where employer and en-
ploye cannot agree, are to be adjusted
by the orderly processes of government,
through reason and public opinion as
officially expressed, or by force ter
ror and intimidation.
while it is confined to those en-
gagged in interstate commerce 1t tndt-
rectly affects every industry because
transportation. And II the principle Is
established by the enactment and en-
forCement of this section, the path VIII
have been cleared which can be fol-
lowed both by the federal government
and by the states. as the necessity
therefor may appear, in the industrial
struggles Of the future.
Men Could Quit.
1T will be noticed that the word
strike is not used in this section. I'm
der il men would have a right to quit
work, either singly or collectively, un-
less II were proved beyond reason
lh1D Hnnhf TINT glInh quitting In
pursuance of n combination or agree
ment and with the intent and purpose
to Intentionally hinder, delay or pre-
vent the operation of trains or other
facilities Of transportation.
when the people Of the United
States gave congress exclusive power
to regulate commerce they by neces-
sary Implication, imposed upon 1t the
duty to protect IT, The one absolutely
Indispensable agency Of our modern 80.
ciety Is transportation and the power
to preserve 1t Is synonymous with the
power to preserve the government and
the nation itself from destruction.
When transportation is tied un for the
purpose OF enforcing an economic de-
mand, 1t is physical attack upon the
nation.
The pending bill establishes a wage
adjustment board and transportation
board for the hearing and adjustment
vi ulSputeSt ana the question involved
here Is whether we are to determine
economic disputes by this legal machin-
cry, or to leave IL to the adjudication
of force, in a species of civil war. .
Express threats have recently been
made by those In positions of power
that it would be used to compel the
people to purchase the railroads and
to turn them over to the officials and
employees under what is known as the
Plumb plan.
1T has been openly proclaimed by
those who were largely active in the
coal strike and steel strike, and the
threatened railroad strikes that their
purpose was not merely to increase
wages and shorten the working day
but that it was to abolish the wage
system, to communize industry and to
overthrow the government.
"If the government has within itself
the power to protect its own functions
to preserve itself from destruction and
its people from the tyranny of ire
sponsible and cruel terror, this bill
should be enacted into law"