The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-07-20

struck just the same.
For years the railroad workmen
strove to perfect their unions and to
secure the recognition of the federal
government. 1t will be recalled that
on several occasions former President
Wilson interviewed to prevent railroad
strikes. In those days the unions
were but partially organized, and
when the executive threw his power
into the balance, the railroad manag-
ers complained most bitterly about
the interference These rail dis
putes had more to do with developing
government control" than anything
else. The transportation act recog-
nized the new conditions that had
been a long time in forming, and with
this act there IA created the railroad
labor board. This board was made up
of representatives of the employers,
the employees and the public. 1t fur
nishes "A tribunal for the settlement
of wage differences as well as condi-
lions governing and affecting employ
ment. Practically every time this
board has rendered a decision it's
terms have been disputed. When the
they sought to nullify the acts of the
board. In this, however, they used a
good deal Of care and avoided open
conflict with the authority Of the
board. But the union leaders were
not SO discreet, and they learned only
when President Harding issued his
proclamation declaring that the
maintained supremacy Of the law is
the first obligation Of the government
and that all the citizenship of the
country that had carried the perverse-
ness of their human nature to the
point where they had placed them
selves in open opposition to the ma
tional administration.
Aaron Burr was arrested for treason
because he ignored the policies Of the
government when he started out with
got out of it, but his troubles s0ved
to warn others, and now whenever
Americans want to upset the Next
can situation they do it more crafty
and keep within the pale OF the law.
Defying the government is a bum
policy-to which statement even
Eugene V. Debs and a lot of other mis-
guided gentlemen will-or ought to
subscribe.
or course there vas nothing trea-
sonable about the strike of the shop
craft employees. Neither. is the contract
system of shop work with outside
Harding in his proclamation points
u that the railroad operators and
the railroad employees have in these
specific instances defied the orders
of the railroad labor board, and that
in so doing they have also defied the
government.
The issue was made clear-cut by the
president, and in defining the situa-
ton in his proclamation he had the
advantage of finding the employers
and the employees equally to blame,
inasmuch as both sides had attempted
to annul the rights Of the public.
The public interest jumped distinct
ly into first place when President
Harding issued his proclamation con
corning the railroad situation. BY 1t
he pointed out very clearly that the
decisions of the government, az the
arbitrator Of differences in railroad
management and operation must not
be lightly cast aside. A few stubborn
railroad operators and a few pugnaci-
Gus labor leaders we're faced with a
new situation when they found the
president challenging their right and
good faith in defying the railroad labor
board. The board itself has no power
to make it's decisions mandatory. But
public opinion can do that little trick
just as it did in sustaining the SUI
preme court in it's earliest days, even
when men like Thomas jefferson, as
president OF the United States, at
tempted to tell Chief Justice John
Marshall to "go way back and sit
down"
The president has the best of any
controversy when ne shows that the
intent of the law" is to prevent just
such Interruptions in the mail service
and the flow Of interstate commerce
as had been occasioned by the latest
strike. And when he adds that the
operation Of the railroads is neces-
airy to preserve the public peace and
to facilitate those operations III safety
which are essential to life ard liberty,
and the security Of property and our
common public welfare" he is talking
a language that all can understand.
1t needed something dramatic like
this to demonstrate conclusively that
in the new triangle that is to rule
with reason the transportation affairs
of the country, that in the final analy-
sis the public is the real boss.
According to the seniority rule"
the of Senator McCumber
as chairman Of the finance committee
of the senate will be Senator Smoot