New-York tribune., 1922-07-27
|HardingPledges
Hearing If Rail
Strikers Return
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purpose, Their purpose is only that of
preventing lawiessness and violence
That same uncnal]enged freedom
which permits you and your associates
to decline to work is no less the her
itage of the free American who chooses
to accept employment under the terms
proposed.
Explains Difference in Positions
"The difference between the two po-
sitions is that the striking railroad
workers exercise their rights of free
dom IN seeking to hinder the noces-
sary transportation of the country
notwithstanding the provision made by
law for the consideration Of any just
grievance; and the striking miners
seek to prevent the production of coal
necessary to common welfare, not
withs landing the offer of an agency 70
make an impartial settlement while
the men wh3 choose to work in re-
sponse to the call of the country are
exercising thoir like rights. and at the
tion to our common American welfare
"The decisions of the Railroad Labor
Board are in compliance with a man
date Of the law-making body of the
United States. without discussing vhc
decisions at issue, it is fair to assume
that government agency is ever
ready to correct an error which is
made, else government itself would be-
come unjust. Moreover, it is inds-
putable that there can be no govern
nont unless its mandates are accepv ed
by the citizenship of the Republic.
This observation relates more nar.
ticularly to the railroad situation.
when the mining situation became
menacing l invited representatives of
the mine workers and the operators to
a conference. They came together.
they were advised as to the call of
common welfare, yet in eight days g {
opportunity no progress was made. In
the absence Of any tribunal authorized
to settle disputes between mine work
ers and their employers, the Federal
government then voluntarily propo sed
the crea,lor of national commission
before which the disputes might be
settled justly, in the light Of full in
formation and in accordance with the
best expressions Of our modern ci7ili-
zation. Instead of contemplating the
resort to force, it anticipated the very
pposite-industrs peace with justice
to every man concerned.
Need of Public Plain to All
Instead of aiming at involuntary
servitude,' to which you inexcusably
refer, the government asked the mine
workers to resume their activities, in
response to manifest public need, at
precisely the same wages and under
precisely the same working conditions
as those under which they had been
working contentedly for the last two
years. Those who spoke for the mine
workers refused such proposal. There
is no dispute Of the right to refuse
Since they declined to respond, and
since it is believed there are enough
men who love this country and cher
ish its security, and believe in serv-
ing the common welfare, to come tc
the relief of the mining situation, and
avoid suffering, privation and paralysis
| asked the Governors of the coal min,
ing states to invite mine operators ano
mine workers to resume their activi
ties, and to promise that to which
every man is entitled, namely, protec.
ton in his lawful pursuits. This
protection applies alike to the mer
on strike who observe the law ant
make no lawless interference with mer
at work and to the men who are law
| fully at work and entitled to protec
| tion by every agency of government
in that work. II you mean to chal
lenge the right of free men to be pro
| tected in their lawful pursuits aRains
| interference and violence l will b,
| glad to join you in submitting thai
question to the decision of the Amer
lean people.
1T will interest you to know thai
| instead of the governments action be
ing an expression of the preference
| Of tho FOL licfio IL J.
quite as much opposed by those VIII,
speak for employers as it is by yo,
and your associates. Government un
dertakes to represent neither class
alone, and is opposed to all conflic
among classes, and disputes the righ
OF any group or class, organized o.
unorganlzed, to imperil American wei
tare, Government speaks only for tn,
American people as a whole and tn,
| common good of all its citizenship.
Points Way to Settlement
"In view Of all that the governmen
has done or attempted to do during th
past year and a half to relieve tn
American farmer from the burdens o
| readjustment and to relieve labor from
the hardships of unemployment,
know your attempted appeal to Anne r
lean prejudice will fall upon deaf ears
1t is ungrateful and it is untruthful |
you are the believer in peace and har
mony and the reign of justice whicl
you would have believed | invite yo,
now to pass judgment on the failure o
the mine workers to accept the award
of an able and impartial commission il
determining the merits of the disput
| between coal miners and coal oper
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