Milford chronicle., 1921-01-07
UNCLE TED'S
BEDTIME STORIES
SQUARE DEAL FOR THE PUBLIC

the same as slavery, exclaimed Ruth
in the midst of a dispute with her bro
ther, Jack, "and 1 don't like anything
that is like slavery"
'Well, 1 know it isn't anything o.
the kind, for I read in the paper {
report of a speech by man in Con.
gress who said that If that law is
passed, any man can quit his job any
time he wants to-" replied Jack.
whats up, what's up?" inquired
Uncle Ted, from his easy chair, where
he had been reading the evening pa
per while the children were prepar-
ing their contribution to the Current
Events" recitation for the next day at
school.
Its just this way" explained Jack:
''When the teacher asks for current
events in school tomorrow, Ruth is
going to tell about the bill that has
been passed by the Senate at Wash
ing making it against the law for
railroad men to strike. She stopped at
Nettie Smiths on the way home from
school today and she heard Nettie's
father talking about it and he said
that if the House of Representatives
passes the bill too, and the President
signs it, the railroad men will be
bound to some kind of servitude that
she doesn't remember except that it
would be just like slavery, and she is
going to tell the teacher that. think
she is wrong"
Involuntary servitude' is prObab-
ly what Mr.. Smith said" replied Uncle
Ted. THAT is the expression used in
the amendment to the Constitution
which abolished slavery after the Civ
il War. The constitutional amendment
provides that Neither slavery nor in
voluntary serVitude, except as a pun
ishment for crime whereof the party
shall have been convicted, shall exist
within the United States, or any place
subject to their jurisdiction That is
perfectly plain. If Congress should
pass a law and the President should
sign it, establishing any form OF in
voluntary serVitude, the courts would
certainly declare it null and void and
no man could be held under it.
"But let me tell you few things
about the anti-strike bill, which Ruth
is to tell the teacher about tomorrow,
and 1 want particularly to tell you
about the involuntary servitude' part
of it.
"In the first place, this bill applies
only to railroads engaged in inter
state transportation-that is, carrying
freight and passengers from one state
to another. Congress has no power to
enact laws affecting railroads doing
business only within the borders Of
a single state, and, on the other hand,
Congress is given jurisdiction by the !
over commerce between
the states. Years and years ago, when }
the railroads were short and when eV-
cry community produced what it need :
ed for its existence, it wouldn't have I
made much difference if a lot of men :
got together and made an agreement !
which would result in the trains not =
The country would have felt !,
4 little inconvenience, but it could y
nave gotten along some way. But it is y
very different now. All of the large ~
cities depend absolutely on the rail- u u
'oads for their daily food. Milk is car y y
led hundreds of miles on trains from =.
'ural districts to the cities and if y
hese trains did not run regularly, VI
hildren would be without fresh milk
nd there would be lots of suffering ",
nd death. If the trains were stop n n
ed, the food and fuel on hand in the - =
tiles would not last much more than Il, Il,
week. Hundreds of thousands of "
eople who work in the cities live out II Il
I suburban towns, and if the trains ''A
ere to stop running, they could not ~,
ct to their work. so so
"That shows the absolute necessity T5 M
keeping the trains running regular l
r. Now as to the involuntary servi-
lde' matter-let me remind you that az
D man is required to go to work for
lie railroads. He does so voluntarily.
e asks for the job before he gets it,
there is nothing involuntary in the
amer in which he enters the 'servi- IL,
de- r.. H..
"Now there are two things that D., D.
Ould prevent man being held in ~, =
at employment against his will fri
le is the article of the Constitution e.
hich 1 quoted to you, and the other for
a provision in the anti-strike bill, 10, -
nich I will read to you. sent to ~, ~
ashington and got copy of the a.. a.
Il. Here is what it says: Nothing ''iif i
this act shall be taken to deny to 40
y individual the right to quit his wa
lployment for any reason I.S peo
Isn't that plain enOugh?" ~ ~
We'll, then, what's the anti-strike 90 81
v for?" asked Ruth. 'T thought the ~ nc
said the men mustn't quit. .
oh, no, it doesn't say anything of W. W.
, kind" responded her uncle. "The e'lIl -4
says that it shall be unlawful for ouC
= man to solocit or induce other ser
n to quit their employment on in par
state railroads, or for any man to "eI
jtruct or delay the movement of -. w
nmerce, or for any man to use UNI
ce or threats to prevent other men oH
m engaging or continuing in rail- M
d employment, or for any man to nli nun
Ire or destroy bridges or tracks or I!u
er property in order to delay traffic -, "A
for any two or more men to enter Ina. Id.
an agreement or conspiracy with eult
mt to substantially hinder or re- atGel
lin or prevent the operation of M
MS in interstate commerce. uren
You see, boiled down to a few prop
ds, the anti-strike bill says to the occu
road employees, attend to your own OaKt tEI
ness and let other peoples busi- III
alone If they don't like their MIS-
, they can quit and get better ing:
J, but they must not interfere with IN
enjoyment of the same right by HAL
r people. The railroads are what ules
call public service concerns, be- MI
e the entire public depends upon Inelr
l. The railroad employees have slstel
red sort of public service, and Ml' MI
owe it to the public not ito con- quite
to leave the public without any MT
ce at ALL" OF Il