The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-01-02

shall be given, and it denies them
a right Of protest if the terms Of
fered are intolerable.
Wall Street Resurgent
IL is not surprising, therefore,
that the public is aroused and in
an indignant mood Wall street
never was so menacing. 1t is at
tempting to capitalize a situation
that emerges from the war. 1t is
Iorganized and determined to main
tain the position Of dominancy that
it won when the life Of the nation
was at stake. 1t seeks to capture
all the machinery Of reorganization
and make a hundred million peo-
pie subservient to its control.
( Congress has not heard the last
Of the Cummins bill, and the OPP
position that has been developed
will grow and be consolidated as the
full extent Of the iniquity becomes
more generally known.
II this measure is approved by the
Senate, it must go TO conference
with the House, and the people will
be given another opportunity TO ex-
press their violent opposition. Next
year a new House Of Representa-
tives will be chosen and the men,
bers OF the present body will hest
tate a long while before leopard
izing their political fortunes. Al
ready opposition is crystalizng
against members who have been
supporting railroad legislation, and
many members will discover when
they return home that they have
been digging their political graves
The situation, dangerous as it is,
( is not without distinct advantage
1t has served to bring together and
weld the workers on the farm and
the workers in the city. The fact
that organizations Of farmers join
! ed with organizations OF labor in
protest filed with the Senate and
Mr.. Wilson gives proof Of a new and
powerful alliance Of all producers
that must be respected in the de-
termination Of future legislation
It may. indeed, completely alter
political conditions.
That the railroad question will
be one OF the leading, if not the
leading issue OF the next presiden-
tial campaign is now freely admit
ted by shrewl political observers.
A recent conference OF twenty
. Senators with Williams Jennings
Bran had for its object an agree
ment that would result in the early
/ disposition OF the treaty OF peace.
thereby eliminating that question
from the domain Of pertinent Doliti-
I cal discussion This Will clear
the field for discussion OF domes-
tic problems, which the special in
terest Senators are anxious to avoid
/ if possible.
II becomes increasingly evident
that the purpose of those who have
been delaying action on the treaty
/ is TO reserve that issue for campaign
purposes. They seek 10 prevent the
( injection Of questions Of more i'm
mediate concern to American citi-
zens. In other words, our inter
national relations were to be
screen behind which the invisible
government" hoped to effectuate its
comprehensive scheme OF subjugat-
ing the nation and charging its
opportunities for graft.
Since it is a generally held opin-
ion that the correct solution Of the
railroad problem will measurably
solve other problems incident to re-
construction, it must inevitably take
commanding place next year The
enactment OF the Cummins bill and
a return of the railroads to private
control will mean a tremendous in
crease of the burdens the nation is
now bearing; hence the issue comes
home to every voter.
The retention of the railroads
during reconstruction will relieve
the harassed consumers from bur
den of more than four billion dol
lars annually that will be imposed
upon them is the railroads go back
to private control and the demand
of owners for increased rates is
! granted.
If the demand is not granted, rail
road managers protest, the roads
will be insolvent and in the hands
Of receivers in sixty days.
If the demand is granted and
rate increases are permitted, the
people viii be ruined and business