The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-26
AS OTHER EDITORS SEE II
IA Digest Current Events as Reflected IN The Pe of IL Nation
Proceeding the Public.


A concerted demand 10 made that,
regardless Of any settlement Of the
railroad strike, some action be tax
en- BY the government to make GER
tain that in the future it is made
impossible for passengers to have
the experience which marred the
trip Of those recently marooned In
the California desert Even the
newspapers which have feeling OF
sympathy for the labor movement
use plain language In denouncfne
this act and insist that It has done
Unreasonable harm to the entire
cause of the organized working
man.
Characterizing the act as q plain
case OF desertion," and asserting
that "the public never has and new
er will love a deserter," the Gin
cinnati Times-Star SCOTS at explain
atoms made, insisting that 1.-The af-
fair at Needles and the similar in
cidents' indicate q concerted plan.
They we're crimes and the men who
engaged in them are criminals.
They should be brought to justice
and no mild justice at that" The
New York Herald and the Boston
Transcript agree that mo new law
is needed to put behind the bars
the cowardly scoundrels" response
BILE, and the Transcript further in
sists that, were the crime on the
desert without its counterpart in
! other sections Of the country. it
would be nevertheless indefensible.
The striking shopmen and their
sympathizers appear to be taking
to the torch and the bomb, the ak
and the nippers, and any other
i weapon for the purpose of terror
izing their fellow citizens. 1t took
! a great war to convince the Ger
mans Of their folly. 1t may take
civil wax to convince the labor
unions Of their folly. If the right
to work within the law is to be linn
, tied to the members Of the railway
unions then the sooner the issue is
| Joined the sooner will the right to
work again become universal. The
crime on the desert brings home to
every citizen the real meaning OF
the challenge to America that went
forth from Herrin."
The action Of the Santa Fe men
was Sabotage the Springfield Re
publican argues. and without any
sort of justification. 1t will remain
a blot on the records of the organ
ization which, by lack Of system
of proper discipline have left the
way open for such fragrant disre.
gard Of the right of innocent peo-
pie. Short Of a dangerous break.
down. Of which apparently no evil
dence has been produced. the crews
were obviously under the moral OBJ
legation. il not under the obligation
Of tradition and contract, to take
the trains to a proper stepping
place" 1t also partook of making
war upon the nation" the Brook
Ign Eagle insists, while it points
! out that it is only one incident o
what may be expected as 1.-The con
J sequences OF sympathetic strike
. Compromise is unthinkable Will,
, murder, arson and train wreckin'
are practiced as campaign tactics.
Even though the unions are not Of
fcially responsible, the Philadel
phia Bulletin is convinced that sue
/ tactics will provoke heavy retribu
, ton upon the union cause. 1t ha
: been said that the railroad execu
t tives are seeking to crush tn
5 unions. The acts are bringin
down upon the unions the crushin
l weight OF an indignant public opir
: ion" The Grand Rapids Press ais
5 believes that the assertions by tn
train crews "is symbolic OF the pc
|, icy Of national government whic
I has stalled itself in a desert of req
: sonless obstinacy and has gone fal
| Their and farther into a desert {
futile parlav and kindly weakness
f until it bids fair to flag out fro
: general contempt and its own e,
haustion. The governments. r.
treats must halt or there will be r
way out Of the desert but surrel
der to the small group which is a
tempting to thurst the folly of go
= eminent ownership back upon IL
} nation"