Evening star., 1921-10-16
Doubts
Labor Position
in Battle.
NSTRIKE
OF 1894 CITED
Anxiety Is Shown
Over Situation
in Congress.

aS IuiI pO"SI VI tHS 1SuCI dl
government will be used to bring
about an adjustment of the existing
differences between the railroads
and their employees. it became ap-
parent last night. The strike order
issued by the union officials in Chi
cago was communicated to the Pres
ident and to high officials of the
government. No further comment
was made at the White House re-
garding the situation.
Attorney General Daugherty, who
returned to Washington about 10
o'clock last night from Valley
Forge, Pa, where he attended the
funeral of Senator Knox, expressed
keen interest in the developments
of the strike situation. 1t was in
dicated he would seek an early con-
ference with the President.
Seriously Doubts Position.
The Attorney Generals attention
was called particularly to that part
Of the instructions issued by the
union officials in connection with
the strike which says:
so far as your legal right to strike
is concerned. there is no difference
'between q mall train and 4 freight
straips You have identicaf.y the same
right to refuse to perform service on
mali train as you have to refuse to
perform service on a freight train"
When that question comes to be
considered. they will find serious
doubt about their position" was the
comment of the Attorney General. He
declined. however. to discuss the
strike order further.
Cleveland's Action Recalled.
The strike order instructions would
indicate that 1t is the purpose of the
unions to tie up the mail trains along
with all others. The prompt action
taken by President Cleveland in 1894,
when the Pullman car strike was on
and the strikers threatened to inter-
fere with the mails, and the President
sent United States troops into Chi
cago to see that there should be no
such interference was recalled here
last night.
Members Of Congress did not hide
their anxiety over the railroad sit
uation. expressing the opinion that
a nationwide strike of railroad en-
ployes would be disastrous, particu-
larry in view Of the already disturbed
conditions relating to business. The
country generally. it was said, would
suffer grievously from such a strike,
Power to Protect Commerce.
Senator Poindexter Of Washington.
republican. author of the so-called
anti-strike bill, which passed the
Senate at the last session of the last
Congress, but was halted because
Senator La Toilette of Wisconsin de-
manded a reconsideration of the vote
by which it was passed, expressed
the opinion that the union officials
were probably correct when they said
that the men had as much right to
refuse to work on mail trains as on
freight trains. They have q right to
quit work, he said.
But the Washington senator added
that in his opinion the federal gov
ernment has great power over inter-
state commerce. and that there is
practically no difference in its power
to protect all kinds of interstate COM
merce as we'll as to protect the mails.
There has been great development
in this country as to the powers of
the government over interstate COM
merce since the days Of Grover Cleve-
land" said Mr.. Poindexter. In that
day it>was not generally understood
how great are these powers. be-
lieve that the government has the
right to protect all Interstate COM
merce. It has just as much right
to protect an express package, for
instance, containing $1,000. as it has
to protect a letter containing a check
for ten dollars"
Cites Governments Duty.
Senator Poindexter further ex-
pressed the opinion that it was the
duty Of the government to protect
all interstate commerce.
His anti-strike bill, which he has
reintroduced in the present Congress
and is now before the Senate judi
ciary committee, he said does not
prohibit strikes, though 1t has been
generally declared to do so. The
bill. however. fxes specific penalties
for violent attacks on the men en-
gagged in moving interstate commerce
and attacks upon property engaged