Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1920-11-26

This must be done IN America.
statesmanship that Is exhausted IN
the formation Of bread lines IS no
adequate 10 the needs Of the hour
When millions of men aud women are
demanding justice they vii not BE-
content with charity When the world
Is trying to adjust itself 70 new and
changing conditions e would be very
foolish, as well as very futile. TO at
tempt 10 force II back into the old
ways New wine cannot be contained
in old barrels. The old order is rot
ten to the core and does not suffice
for the growth of new ideas that are
firmly imbedded in popular conscience
and are ferYeutly crying for reeog-
milton and application.
Perhaps Senator Harding and his
coadjutora have some practicable
scheme OF rehabilitation II so, they
did not give any intimation Of It's ma
ture during the long and tiresome
campaign. They asked the people TO
take them on trust and rely on them
to do the right thing. The people
responded. buoyantly. They have
given Mr.. Harding and his group the
fullest opportunity to try their hands
nj problems that SO far have bafhed
the best intellects OF the world
The first of all problems of course.
Is that of keeping sufficient food in
the stomach and adequate clothes up
on the back. Every governmental
problem has some relation 10 the stom-
aeh and the back. II we cannot give
employment to men willing to work
then we cannot say that We have even
made an approach TO our problems
If we imagine that we can stifle dis
content born Of injustice and priya
ton by coercion, oppression or blod-
geonlng of the workers, then, indeed,
we are in for some perilous days.
The only answer that our leading
politicians have so far given 10 the
great questions of reconstruction Is
that labor must be put in its place.
We find this formula reflected in the
open shop campaign. legislation pro
posed by various states that has for
its object the taking away from work
ers of the right of organization and
collective bargaining. These insincere
and incompetent students of events
would cure oppression by applying
more oppression. would counteract in
justice by more injustice. They would
take from those that have not the lit
tie which they have. They would ey-
pertinent with the old barrels.
After the unemployment problem
has been solved there will be other, Il
not so important, issues demanding
attention But we may content our
selves with the reasonable assurance
hi al haN 10 cd s.F ind
trial injustice we will be we'll on the
way TO that goal of economic enamel
patton to which millions have been
looking for many years. When we
have economic justice we will also
have political and social Justice; and
when we have industrial democracy,
we win also have political democracy
for the one is the necessary compile
ment of the other.
A nation that maintains an indus
trial autocracy, feudal oyerlordship,
Is not democracy. II may be termed
a democracy. but ii Is something far
different. That we are not today a
democracy. In any true sense, must
be clear to every person who can ap-
preciate the meaning of the large and
disquieting increase of the number of
shadowy characters who have started
or the heartbreaking hunt for jobs.
One of the first problems TO be con
sidered by the new administration Is
that of railroad administration. The
session which convenes In December
win also be called upon to give it re-
newed attention. II is established that
rates established recently by the Inter-
state Commerce Commission do not
yield the per cent guarantee of the
Cummins-Esch bill II is necessary
for the railroads to secure additional
Increases, which will further reduce
net operating income. Il seems TO be
perfectly clear TO all but railway ex-
ecutives and politicians that higher
rates are not the key to the railroad
riddle. Ii has been pointed out by
various reputable economists that the
railroads are now operating on a basis
of diminishing returns. As rates are
increased revenue diminishes. because
higher rates contract traffic and re-
duce gross income.
When the railroads asked for new
income of S1,600.000 600 a year thew
| felt certain that this would be suf-
flcient for all operating requirements
and leave over and above a sum for
dividend requirements. But the in
creases for September. when a record
volume OF business was transacted.
shows that the new rates will yield
less than half of the guarantee. Con.
gress has made 1t incumbent upon the
i Interstate Commerce Commission to
increase rates until the per cent Is
certain. so II may be expected that in
few months, at the latest. the public
will be compelled to take up and carry
new burdens of transportation.
The railway executives expect to
strengthen the provisions of the trans.
portation act They viii come TO
congress with a demand for the abro-
cation of any labor section which they
believe beneficial to the workers, ad-
vaneing the plea that experience
teaches them that they must have a
free hand TO deal with their employees.
There is no reason for the optimistic
conviction that congress viii not do
this great injury 10 the workers. II
we are 10 judge the future by the
past, we may anticipate that the plain
people of this country are in for some
things that they viii scarcely relish
The proiiteers and eSploiters will