The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-19
Government Must Take Action
and Not Await Crisis.
Threat of Railway Workmen els
a Threat OF Civil War;"
CALLS 1T ACTION OF MADMEN
Country Must Be Provided With
Tribunal for Trouble.
Governor Issues Strong State
ment on Strike Today.

Governor Allen today branded the
threatened railroad strike as the ae-
ton of unconscionable madmen" and
demanded that the government take.
action and not wait until the threats
ened disaster lights upon the helpless
public" He asserted that the threat
of a strike by railmen was threat
of civil war and pointed to the course
of the government during the Cleve-
land administration when Eugene
Debs was sent to prison for threaten
ing a rail tieup.
THE faith which the people have in
the sovereignty of their government
should not be shaken by any exhtbi-
ton of temerity" said the governor in
a demand that congress act as quickly
to block the strike as congress acted
in 1916 in surrendering to demands or
the railroad workers. He said that il
congress could within three days pass
a law surrendering, it could in the
same time take action which would
make the strike impossible. He as
serted that 'it is time for a just gov
ernment to- take charge of this situa-
ton and provide against the future
threat of civil war;
In his statement concerning the
strike threat the Kansas governor calls
upon n courageous congress to provide
a law giving to the country a tribunal
which would settle labor disputes.
The Governors Statement.
His statement demanding prompt
and decisive action follows:
The country is on the verge of a
wholly unnecessary crisis, and the gov
ernment should avert it. The declared
intention of the railway labor chief
tains to call a strike which will para
lyze the industrial and business life of
the country at the very time when we
have just gone thru a period of severe
strain is the action of unconscionable
madmen. The government should not
wait until the threatened disaster
lights upon the helpless public.
The whole nation is aroused and
will demand that government exhibit
the courage to meet this situation.
The people will insist that no sur
render, such as was made in 1916,
shall characterize the dealing with the
present hour. They will stand behind
President Harding just as they stood
behind the Cleveland administration
when Debs was sent to prison for
threatening to tie up the transporta-
ton lines of the country At that hour
| it will be remembered that Debs, in
| one Of his proclamations. had de-
clared. "A strike is civil war-nothing
more and nothing less"
1t will be remembered that at that
time Justice Brewer declared that the
government of the United States has
the necessary power to reach out and
protect the people in the enjoyment of
their rights as citizens. He farther
said that the power over Interstate
commerce and the transmission of
mails is committed to the federal gov
ernment and that in the exercise of
those powers the government is COM
petent to remove all distractions, nat
ural or artificial. which threaten the
passage of interstate commerce or the
carrying of the mail.
TDrofapf T3uhI{o Faith
The faith which the people have in
the sovereignty of their government
should not be shaken by any exhibit
tion of temerity. A frightened con-
gress in 1915 passed a law in three
days which prevented general strike
by abject surrender to the threats OF
the four American brotherhoods A
courageous congress in this hour
could in three days pass a just law
creating a federal tribunal, before
which the laboring man might receive
| justice without warning upon the pub
lie.
For days in 1920 the morale Of the
country was demoralized by the threat
of a general strike. The unspeskabIe
threat is now with US again. Isn't it
, time for a just government to take
charge of this situation and provide
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