The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-27


of preventing Iawlessness and vio-
lence.
Seek to Hinder Transportation.
That same unchallenged freedom
which permits you and your associates
to decline to work is no less the heri-
tage of the free American who chooses
to accept employment under the terms
proposed. The difference between the
two positions is that the striking rail-
road workers exercise their rights of
freedom in seeking to hinder the nee
essary transportation of the country;
Notwithstanding the provisions made
by law for the consideration for any
just grievance; and the striking miners
seek to prevent the production of coal
necessary to common welfare, nOtwith-
standing an offer of an agency to make
an impartial settlement while the men
who choose to work in response to the
call of the country are exercising their
rights, and at the same time are MAX
ing their contribution to our common
American welfare. The decisions of
the railroad labor board are in COM
plIance with mandate of the law
making body of the United States.
Without discussing the decision at
issue, it is fair to assume that a gov
eminent agency is ever ready to cor
rect an error which is made, else gov
eminent itself would become unjust.
Moreover, it is indisputable that there
| can be no government unless it's man
dates are accepted by the citizenship
/ of the republic. This observation re-
/ lates more particularly to the railroad
situation. When the mining situation
became menacing invited representa-
/ tiveS of the mine workers and the
| operators to a conference. They came
! together. They were advised as to the
| call of the common welfare, yet in
eight days of opportunity no progress
was made.
In the absence of any tribunal
1 authorized to settle disputes between
q nd hair milo no
| federal government then voluntarily
| proposed the creation of a national
| commission before which the disputes
might be settled justly, in the light of
| full information and in accordance
/ with the best expressions of our mod
! ern civilization. Instead of contem-
/ plating the resort to force, it antici-
| pated the very Observation-Disclosures
/ peace with justice to every man con-
cerned. Instead of aiming at invol-
/ untary servitude,' to which you mex
| cusably refer, the government asked
! the mine workers to resume their &C
I tivities, in response to a manifest pub
! lie need, at precisely the same wages
| and under precisely the same working
| conditions as those under which they
| had been working contentedly for the
| the mine workers refused such a pro-
| posal. There is no dispute of the
i right to refuse. Since they declined
| to respond, and since it is believed
( Ine1e are enough men VINO love LElS
| country and cherish its security, and
! believe in serving the common well
/ fare, to come to the relief of the min
| ing situation, and avoid suffering, pri-
| walton and paralysis, I asked the gov
| ernors of the coal mining states to in
4 vite mine operators and mine work
| ers to resume thier activities and to
promise that to which every man is
| entitled, namely, protection in his law
full pursuits
Promises Protection to All.
| This protection applies alike to the
men on strike who observe the law
and make no lawless interference with
| men at work, and to the men who are
| lawfully at work and entitled to pro-
| lection by every agency Of government
| in that work. If you mean to chal-
| lenge the righteousness of free men
to be protected in their lawful pur-
\ suits against interference and vio-
| lence 1 will be glad to join you in
| submitting that question to the de-
| cision of the American people.
at will interest you to know that,
| instead of the governments action be-
ing an expression of the preference
\ as much opposed by those who speak
| for employers as it is by you and your
| associates. Government undertakes to
| represent neither class alone. and is
| opposed to all conflict among classes,
| and disputes the right of any group
| or class organized or unorganized, to
| imperil American welfare. Govern
ment speaks only for the American
people as a whole and the common
| good for all its citizenship.
Prejudice Plea Will FAN.
''In view of all that the government
has done or attempted to do during
| the past year and a half to relieve
the American farmer from the bur-
4 dens of readjustment. and to relieve
1 labor from the hardships of unem-
ployment, know your attempted ap-
peal to American prejudice will fall
upon deaf ears.
| TT is ungratefu1 and untruthful
| If you are a believer in peace and
| harmony and the reign of justice
| which you would have believed. in
vite you now to pass judgment on the
failure of the mine workers to accept
| the awards of an able and impartial
| commission in determining the merits
| of the dispute between coal miners
| and coal operators, and I invite you
to urge the striking railway workm en-
| to accept the decision of the American
| railroad labor board. acting under au-
| thority of the law, which must be
| supreme, and return to work under
| that decision, until you and I, and
every one else interested in American
road labor board to give a rehearing
there is reasonable doubt about the
sion made. These are the ways of
enlightened civilization. These are
haI ~