The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-07-13

just as Illegal to Stop Interstate Pas
senger and Freight Trains as Mails
Crisis in Strike Situation Expected
Within "A Hours
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Dispatch to The Reformer.)
Copyright 1922.
WASHINGTON, July 13.-Requests
from all parts of the country are reach
ing the government asking for the APP
pointment of hundreds of deputy mar
shals to assist in the enforcement of the
federal laws which make it an offense for
anyone to interfere with the mails or
Interstate commerce.
President Harding's proclamation. how
ever, doesn't make it a matter for the
department of justice merely but for the
war department and all other agencies
which can command respect for the law
The use of federal troops is inevitable
President Harding and his advisors are
loathe to use them as they would rather
have the civil branch of the government
carry cut the law processes of the gov
eminent, but the inadequacy of civilian
officers, such as marshals and deputies,
is already apparent.
The government is apprehenSiye that
the situati will grow worse chiefly be-
cause strikers in the past have not
understood the laws which they are vio-
lating. Most of these leaders seem to be
under the impression that moving the
mails is essential but if other trains are
stopped or delayed there is no penalty
The opposite is true. For the laws of the
nited States are just as explicit with
reference to the movement of passenger
and freight trains as mail carriers.
No Warrants for Arrests.
No warrants have gone forth as yet to
arrest leaders or strikers, but in the 1891
strike such step became necessary as
there was wholesale disregard of the law
and wrecking of trains. Perhaps the
best exposition of the law which the
strikers are confronted with was given
by Judge Ross in his famous charge to
the grand jury in Los Angeles just -
years ago this month i'm connection with
the DebS strike He said:
"A railroad which is a link in through
line of road for the transportation of
freight and passengers into another state
from other states and from that state to
other states is engaged in the business of
interstate commerce and every organiza
ton or conspiracy in restraint of such
trade or commerce is by statute declared
to be illegal and all persons so combining
and cOnspiring are by law guilty of the
commission of a crime. Congress has
passed laws to regulate such commerce
and has provided punishment in a certain
prescribed way
The same Judge added a reference to
the conspiracy statutes which make any
one convicted of a conspiracy to break
the laws of the United States liable to
fine of $4,000 or to Imprisonment of
not more than two years.
The Harding administration is about to
apply the same broad principles of law
in securing the uninterrupted passage of
trains from state to state. The marShals
and deputy marshalS in the past have
called for troops to help them out Tele-
grams from all parts of the United States
indicate that grave apprehension exists
in many railroad centers as to whether
the marshals can cope with the situation
Federal troops are being held in readiness
for service
Delay May BE Costly.
Experience in the 1894 strike has
shown that the delay in sending for the
troops resulted in many disorders and
that the local authorities were promptly
obeyed just as soon as the troops ar
rived
The federal government is not anxious
to use its army TO run the railroads or
protect their strikebreakerS, but the para
mount need of transportation is forcing
the government into exactly that posi-
ton. And the proclamation by President
Harding is paving the way for broad fed
eral action. 1t may become necessary to
proclaim martial law in specific sections
of the country though this, rs a rule, has
waited the appeal from governors of the
states. In order. however, to enforce the
federal law troops may be sent anywhere
in the country without reference to the
presence of state militia or the attitude
of state officials