Evening star., 1922-07-15
Rate by Mail-Payable in Advance.
MARYLAND and Virginia.
Too Late for Surrender.

Too Late for Surrender.
President Harding faces today what
may prove to be the greatest crisis OF
his administration, and one or the
most serious with which any Presi'
dent has been confronted. There Is
encouragement and qualification in the
knowledge that he is facing it calmly
and resolutely, anxious to avoid any
step which may seem like abridgement
of personal liberty, but determined
that the welfare of the whole people
shall not be overridden in service OF
the selfish interests OF the few.
Sooner or later there must come
determination whether this country IS
to be ruled by u majority of its peo-
pie through the orderly processes OF
their government or by minorities
which are closely organized and In
control of the means of essential pro-
duction. If the test is TO come now. II
must not be fiinched. Exercise of the
full powers of government TO control
coal production and railroad trans
portation would take the nation into
unexplored fields of administration
and no man can foresee TO what end
the undertaking might lead, but II
the adventure must be made the gov
ernment can be assured that 1t Will
have back of it the overwhelming
support of the American people
Americans never have failed to re
spond to the call of duty when the life
Of the nation was at stake. and the
national life is menaced as surely to-
day as it ever was by an armed foe.
1t is a time for all Americans TO give
sober thought to AmericanisIn and
what it means. Personal liberty is the
most cherished heritage which has
come down TO us from the fathers. but
we know now that personal liberty is
CAPABLE of being organized and per-
verted into intoIerable despotism. No
absolute monarchy ever had in its
hands more deadly instrument Of op-
preston than the power to deny TO
the people access to those commodities
without which life cannot be sus-
tanned. A people who will submit
themselves to the caprices of such
tyranny are not a free people, and if
they will not expend themselves to the
utmost in opposition to it they are not
worthy to be classed as freemen nor
entitled to enjoy the blessings of lib
erty. 1t matters not from what source
the oppression comes, it is as odious
and unbearable coming from class
of their fellow citizens as it would be
coming from a foreign potentate.
The majority has the right and it
has the power to protect itself against
the minority. but in exercising this
right and in exerting this power it is
under obligation to see that injustice
is not done to minorities. If there was
danger that injustice would be done
either the striking railroad men or the
striking miners there would not be
back of the government the solid ar
ray Of supporting public opinion which
exists today. But that danger does not
exist. The Railroad Labor Board is an
instrument of the government created
specifically to do justice, and for the
miners the President has proposed to
create a tribunal of arbitration equal
ly impartial. So it is not justice but
advantage which the leaders Of the
miners and the shopmen seek, and the
people will not be fooled by their pre-
tending otherwise.
Should it become necessary FOR the
government to take over and operate
the mines and railroads to save the
nation from disaster a way will be
found to make that operation effective,
and any men or set Of men who at
tempt to thwart the government and
the hundred million people back Of it
will be but courting their own destruc-
tion.
It Is not too late for a peaceful set
tlement il the railroad men and the
mlners-and this includes the owners
of the railroads and mines as well as.
the workers-will be content with
what is just and right. but it is too,
late for surrender to any selfish group.
whether 1t be Of capital or labor. The
government has put its hands to the
plow, and cannot turn back. 1t must
80 forward with whatever measures
may be necessary to the protection of
the people, else it will cease to be q
government worthy Of the name. The
people will support it If it is resolute;
they will condemn 1t il it weakens.