Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1920-01-07
The Real Defendant

Governor Henry J. Allen of Kansas. according 10
The Republicans headlines yesterday morning
"ArraiGns +. r. Unions for Coercive Course If
is it possible that Governor Allen has indicted
the wrong defendant? 1t is the United states gov
crnment that should be indicted for allowing itself
to be coerced We will concede that the employ
ment of coercive measures against the government
is not patriotic. 1t is something worse than lack
OF patriotism, but it is human for an indi-
viduaI or group TO get all it can frequently
way it
That is all the railroad unions did when they
forced the of the Adamson bill. when either
they frightened President Wilson or tempted him by
The promise of votes couple of months later. into
demanding subservient congress
in the United States. the enactment the
Adamson law
The thing began bluff hardly month be
fore it contaminated establishing the strangIe-
hold of the railroad unions on the government, and
the beginning of the series of Industrial which
vet rest upon the country. We believe that firm
and stand in August of 1916, though might
have averted strike would have established the
sovereignty of the whole people a part the
people that hundreds of strikes since then would
have averted.
Early August year railroad h
erhoods demands upon the roads.
mands which afterward fully covered by The
Adamson law. Among them the eght-hour day
with wage increase and schedule OF for over
time. The companies could meet these demands
without greatly increasing The president
brotherhood heads and the railway heads Wash
ington The latter proposed arbitration which The
president first also urged. The brotherhoods
jected the proposal. W. CT. of brother
hood heads seconded by MIR. Gompers declared
duration be instrument Industrial slavery
What passed between the president he rail-
heads is unknown, though. almost certainly
related to increase of rates and the president and
the railway yielding part the demands
o brotherhood threw principle of arbitra-
heads. something little less than a proposal
complete surrender That about the middle of
August. The brotherhoods had carried the first
nearly all OF the trenches with a rush.
The Republican which had been closely following
negotiations
The public has been unanimously chosen by the
president the railway heads
brotherhoods. to be the goat, the sacrifice
Perhaps the railway employees should
ceive moro than they now paid 1t be that
pay $500 $4,000 small. may be
that freight rates low and that the peo-
pie should pay But think that the people
would be better satisfied if a verdict against them
directed by a competent arbitration commission
han they will feel adverse verdict agreed
upon hastily at the White House. to patch
peace between the railways and their employees"
Few figures had been submitted either
side; showing why these demands made;
none why should, should increased
1t a demand and quick surrender. by the
railways their employees, but the president,
rights of the public. both the employees
their employers.
the former having easily thus far.
were naturally not yet satisfied the president had
withheld something Though the substance had
been yielded. there yet remained the shadow of
ereignty the government. That be given up
also. a strike ordered to take place August
20. The president coaxed and pleaded for delay.
was granted reprieve Labor Day. September L.
A hurried message congress urged legislation
demanded and the Adamson bill the result.
the first dealing with the question
power o congress TO fix
There was a place for
great battle a principle. Only 10000 were
actually involved following the rejection
White House agreement, there many
fections that it the Labor
I,ay strike would place; certainly could not
succeed
The Adamson bill the white flag surrender,
WAS hosted by congress- it passed on.
septenlber 2 two days before the expiration of
I,rotherhoods' Iltimatum The president signed it
AT the earliest September 4. the day the
,tinlatun expired The Republican the day
noted that the railway workers had given a
ling. demonstration of their power the
ment as is constituted"
What Governor Allen indictng railroad
unions for read the dispatch is not for having
assumed and exercised this in that instance
,uf for insisting retaining that
Aiming the exercise by opposition TO
,ronosed court OF Industrial relations pub
Ne may also have day; tribunal whore there
iii he no surrender Of the rights any party nut
I, sdi,,afcaticn OF the rights al parties