The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1922-07-19

strike presents maximum activity. AS
a rule, these are isolated points
where the whole town is what is called
railroad town." and where the local
officials and local public opinion alto
gether are sympathetic to the striker.
For this reason, it is difficult to mend
this condition. 1t is spots such as
these that will call for the most defin-
ite action on the part of the governors
of the states.
A local public official who is de-
pendent for his office on the votes Of
an almost completely striking COM
munity cannot be expected commonly
to take disinterested position and to
stand for order solely. In the consid-
cradle number of such cases that exist,
it is obviously the business of the gov
ernor to remove the officials, to sub
stitute others less deferential to one
party to the controversy and to take
such other steps as are necessary. 1t
is anticipated that the great bulk of
the governors in the states affected
by both the strikes will do their duty.
But there are a small number of cases
where, up to date, the energy and the
state of mind of the governors have
seemed to fail in adequacy to the sit
uation.
1t will be the policy of the federal
government to use federal troops in
cases where either the local state
troops are insufficient or where the
local authorities are dereiict in the full
performance of their duty. 1t is easy
to guess that while President Hard
ing will stand ready with the full pow.
er of the federal government, he will
actually put it into use only after it is
clear that there is either insufficiency
or lack of courageous vigor on the part
of local authorities.
Some very deep principles are in
volved in this situation. There is Just
now before congress bill calling upon
the federal government to take &C.
count of lynching and all forms of mob
violence, and to punish it in the fed
eral courts. While the bill is aimed
at lynching, it would necessarily in.
clude such riots as took place at Her
rim, Ill. About this bill there is grave
apprehension on the part of many per
sons who think that the extension OF
| federal power over the states has al
ready gone too far. Persons who fee
| serious about this sort of thing should
make it their business in the present
crisis to see to it that the states shall
function to their full capacity and
shall only call on the federal govern
| ment in an overwhelming emergency
There is general regret in Washing
ton over the failure of the plan of ar
bitration. At the end Mr. Harding
showed the strain, and Mr.. Hoover
more than ever fulfilled the descrip
tion of him by journalist at the Pari:
conference who spoke of him as "s
tired Titan" Hoover foresaw this sit
uation fully a year ago, looked for
ward to it, prepared for it, and had al
! extraordinary command of the ele
ments of it. Further than this, b,
had plan as carefully worked out a!
it is possible for wisdom to make fo
a stabilization of this industry whicl
would have made future crises un
likely. That either or both parties t
the controversy should have made thi
plan abortive is more regrettable thai
either of the parties now realizes.
| Copyright 1922 by The New Yorl
Evening Post, Inc.)