New-York tribune., 1920-02-24

workers were SO insistent upon the
adoption of their plan by Congress that
they would combine to defeat all rail
road legislation on different theory
until the question could be thrashed
out in national election.
"This attitude of resistance to rail.
road legislation based on any other
theory than the Plumb plan has been
continued, and l am convinced is the
principal motive and influence under
lying the opposition to this bill 1. is
not so much the specific provisions of
the pending legislation which prompt
the bitter opposition to the measure
as recognition of the certainty that its
enactment renders improbable further
serious consideration in the early fu-
ture of the principle of government
ownership and of that somewhat in
definite theory known as the national
ization of INDUSTRIES"
Senator Robinson said that the Fed
eral government made a mistake in
! taking over all of the railroads. The
traffic congestion that existed when the
roads were placed under Federal con-
troll, he said, could havesbeen relieved
by the taking over of only the principal
trunk lines in the Eastern part of the
| United States.
Federal control of the railroads will
result in loss to the government of
about S636,OO0, ,OOO," Robinson con-
than $1,000,000000 owed by railroads
to the United States will have to be
funded. The claims against the gev-
ernment arising out of Federal control
Will require for settlement lone
period and much litigation. Neverthe-
less, Federal control has accomplished
the big thing that it was designed to
bring about. 1t cleared the railway
lines and terminals for the movement
OF troops and munitions, gradually re-
lleved the congestion which rendered
probable a breakdown in transporta-
tion when its continuance was indis-
and preserved a continued operation of
the railways in spite of repeated
threatened interruptions from various
causes"
unorganized Employees Protected
Taking up the provisions of the rail
road bill again, Senator Robinson said.
The labor provisions, fairly con-
strued, do not justify the assaults made
against them"
He declared that organized labor is
attacking the bill because it gives the
unorganized employees the right to be
heard
Il have been astonished at the
orazenness and arrogance which have
marked criticism of the labor pro-
visions Of this bill because it does not
outlaw the man who does not belone, to
a labor union," said Senator Robinson.
ms is not government of labor or
CARNATIONS. 1T must not be perverted
IN character SO as to become the means
OF denying rights or justice to any
class Of aw-abiding citizens. Threats
of industrial revolution, boasts of po
litlcal vengeance to be reeked on con-
temptible towards who occasionally
disgrace public office, vengeance
through the manifest i'll temper of
labor leaders who mistakenly regard
themselves as dictators of public
policy, may secure temporary advanl
tages detrimental to the general pub
lie interests for the organizations
which they misrepresent, but in the
end the public will know and under
stand.
"The criticism of this measure, based
on the fact that it secures to every
railroad laborer the opportunity to
have his case heard and decided and
that it does not expressly require that
every member of the labor board repre-
senting labor shall be a member of a
labor union, is un-American, unreason-
able and will not Justify in public
opinion the opposition to this bill"
Gompers Bigger Than President
Senator Myers, of Montana, an
nounced that he would support the
conference railroad bill in spite of the
fact that he thought it had been weak
ened by the elimination of the anti
strike provisions Of the Cummins bill,
and then proceeded to read the Senate
lecture on modern. politics. He de-
clared that no pill can get through
Congress when Mr. Gompers opposes
it, and that the president of the Amer
lcan Federation of Labor is a moro
powerful individual than the President
Of the United States.
"The President" he said. "can only
veto bills that nave peen passed by
Congress, but he cannot keep Congress
from passing them, as Mr. Gompcrs
can.
81 regard the threat made by Mr..
Gompers that all members of Congress
who do not vote as he desires will be
| ccieated will in a large measure be
successful.
l. "lf this condition of affairs persists
class legislation will be enacted. and
closely knit bodies of citizens voting to-
gcther will dictate the policies. These
conditions will prevail until there is
new political alignment. 1t ought to
be realized that to-day there is no real
difference between the Republican and
Democratic parties"
Senator Myers declared that wide
awake farmers will not be misled bv
the efforts of labor to create the i'm
preston that their interests arc identi-
cal.
Government by Class Rule
There has been a desperate effort
on the part of organized labor to get
the farmers to unite with them," he
SAID, for the purpose of overthrow
ing the government and putting their
own men in charge, instituting an
autocratic government by class rule
But If farmers will use their reason
ing power they will soon see that
their interests are not in accord with
such an autocratic class government"
Senator Lenroot, Republican. of Wis
consin, who voted against the Cum
| MINIS bill said he would vote for the
| conference bill because the anti-strike
| provisions of the original Senate bill
had been eliminated.
Senator Mcclellan. Democrat, Of
Tennessee, said tnat he would vote
against the bill because he opposed
having the government make good the
stock of wildcat roads,
| Senator Simmons, Democrat, of
North Carolina. declared that panic