Evening journal., 1921-11-15

az the Hotel Astor. New York City.
II is hoped that every member will
be on hand at the drop of the gavel.
An important lesson 10 be learned
from the abandonment Of the rail-
road strike is that public opinion in
the United States is all powerful
when aroused. Certainly it was ad-
verse criticism which drove the
leaders Of the brotherhoods to re-
woke the strike call The Admins
tration is to be congratulated on the
way IL handled the situation. There
were many vino believed that the
President or some official should
have denounced the strike and re-
quested withdrawal Of the order
In the name OF the Government.
President Harding recently took the
position that public opinion could
be relied upon to bring about the
proper result. In other words, he1
assumed that II was entirely unnec-
essary for him to voice the opinion
OF the people because that opinion
was perfectly apparent. The Rail-
way Labor Board. Of course. took
vi aAAANN part III AAAt EAAhaNA1ns nat
was its official duty. IL was not nec-
essarily justified by the Administra-
ton, but followed the rules laid
down in handling such cases There
are those who believe IL might have
been better II the strike had been
called. and the public given an OPP
portunlty 10 more emphatically reg
lister its disapproval. There can be
no necessity for emphasizing the
disapproval Of the public. and II
must be remembered that a strike
OF only a few days duration would
cause great loss and much suffering.
However. Notwithstanding that the
hold-up was settled by a withdrawal
OF the strike order, the situation is
not changed and the responsibility
Of Congress has not been modified.
When the transportation act OF
1920 was before the Congress, there
was a determined effort to include
an amendment which reflected the
views Of the greater part OF the peo-
pie; namely, one that would. make
railroad strikes felony and which
would prevent such strikes. This
amendment failed OF adoption II is
not necessary now to discuss why 1t
failed. But the fact remains that
those who opposed the form of the
present bill which relied on public
opinion TO proven strikes. are now
fortified with facts which make Il
possible for them TO demand a
change in the law. 1t is true that
public opinion prevented the recent
strike. and that public opinion
would, in all probability, prevent
any future strikes. but 1t seems un-
reasonable to compel the people to
be eternaliy watchful. so as to avoid
beng starved or frozen by railroad
strikes. The public opinion which
was registered was a protest against
any railroad strike. That idea Is al
ways nresent. why not embody it in
the law. so that the proper officers
OF the Government will be enabled
through the courte2 The people OF
the United States insist that in the
future railroad strikes Of the mag
nitude of the recent threatened one
shall be made impossible. Did Con-
gress learn anything from the events
preceding November first, or shall
We go along persistently with the
one thought In mind that public
men must be saved from putting
themselves on record in favor Of
laws which protect the public sim
ply because these laws might inter-
fere with the activity Of labor
unions? Is the right of the public
paramount. or is It to be subordi-
mated to the threats of labor unions?
It is with regret that many per-
sons feel compelled to say that the
Sixty-seventh Congress. FIRST session,
was not at all satisfactory. In the
nrst place, there has not been that
cohesion among the members OF
the dominating party in Congress
| which ought to be manifest The Re-
publican party received a mandate
from the people last November, and
surely that mandate presented, II it
presented anything, that construc-
tive legislation should be enacted as
speedily as possible. Instead. we
have a policy OF futility. We have
had blocs and cliques. and a general
scramble on the part Of classes ia
be benefited. Probably because OF
this fact, we have had the rather
poor legislative record in this FIRST
session. II Is, therefore, a distinct
l reflection on those who participated
in blocking necessary legislation
There has been more politics playet
in this Congress than in any for Z
long time, and the result is that tn
country is still impatiently waiting
for a revenue bill, still waiting Il
have the tariff bill disposed Of, still
= . waiting 10 have the railroad bill
passed. stiii waiting to have actloi
taken which will prevent railroal
.s strikes IN the future, and still wait
N ing 10 have the agricultural bloc &
: the Senate told what the publ
thinks Of its selfish program. Tn
farmers have received PRACTICAL
l. everything that they demanded
II What has the business man re
= ceived? what aid has been given {
e the United States so far as solvin
G the International problems Is con
= cerned? what aid has been given {
/. the financial interests Of the coun
, try? what aid has been given to tn
s man in the street? Is this merely a
= agrarlan Congress. or is IL a Con
a gress OF all the people? The farm
ers should remember that a dog-ir
: the-manger policy is both danger
Gus and unpatriotic.
Philip T. Dodge, president Of III
International Paper Company an
OF the Mergenthaler Linotype Con