The Washington herald., 1922-08-19


to hold their forces TO law observ-
ance. Men who refused to strike
and who have braved insult and as
sauit and r.sked their lives to serve
a public need have been cruelty at
tackled and wounded or killed.
Men seeking work and guards at
tempting to protect lives and prop
erty, even officers of the Federal
government, have been assaulted
humiliated, and hindered in their
duties. Strikers have armed them
selves and gathered In mobs about
railroad shops to offer armed vis-
lence to any man attempting to go
to work. There Is state of law
| lessness shocking to every concep-
| tion of American law and order and
violating the cherished guarantees
| of American freedom. At no time
has the Federal government been
unready or unwilling to give it's
support to maintain law and order
and restrain violence, but in no
case has State authority confessed
its insbility to cope with the sit
uation and asked for Federal as
| sistance.
Motive Power Deteriorates.
Under these conditions of him
drance and intimidation there has
been such a lack OF care of motive
power that the deterioration of
locomotives and 'he Noncompliance
with the safety requirements of the
| law are threatening the bI eakdown
| OF transportation. This very serious
| h,rt he x,ofllt - ~ q
| of losses to fruit growers and other
producers Of perishable foodstuffs'
and comparable losses to farmers
who depend on transportation to
market their grains at harvest
time. Even worse, 1t Is hindering
the transport of available coal
when industry Is on the verge OF
paralysis because of coal shortage,
and life and health are menaced by
coal famine in the great centers OF
population.
surely the threatening conditions
must impress the Congress and the
country that no body OF men,
whether limited in numbers and
responsible for railway manage
ment or powerful in numbers and
the necessary forces'in railroad op-
cation. shall be permitted to choose
a course which. so imperils public
welfare. Neither ORGANIZATIONS OF
employers nor workingmen's unions
may escape responsibility. When
related to a public service the mere
fact of Organization magnifies that
responsibility and public interest
transcends that of either grouped
capital or organized labor.
Right to Work AssaiIed.
Another development is SO sig
nificant that the hardships of the
| moment may well be endured to
rivet popular attention to neces-
sary settlement. 1t is fundamental
| to all freedom that all men have
unouestioned rights to lawful pur-
suits. to work and to live and
choose their own lawful ways to
happiness In these strikes these
rights have been denied by assault
and violence. by armed lawless-
ness. In many communities the
municipal authorities have winked
at these violations, until liberty
| is a mockery and the law matter
of community contempt. 1t Is FAIR
to saw that the great mass OF or
ganized workmen do not approve.
but they seem helpless to hinder.
These conditions cannot remain IN
free America. II free men cannot
toll according to their own lawful
choosing, all our constitutional
guarantees born of democracy are
surrendered to mobocracy. ana the
| freedom Of a hundred millions IS
surrendered to the small minority
which would have no law.
1t is not my thought TO ask Con-
gress to deal with these funda-
mental problems at this time. NO
hasty action would contribute 10
the solution of the present critical
situation. There is existing law by
which to settle the prevailing ais
putes. There are statutes forbid
ding conspiracy to hinder inter
state commerce. There are laws
to assure the highest possible
safety in railway service. 1t is my
nurnose to invoke these laws. civil
and criminal, against all Offenders
alike.
Protection OF Aliens.
The legal safeguarding against
like menaces in the future must be
worked out when no passion swaYs'
when no prejudice influences, when
the whole problem may be ap-
praised, and the public welfare may
be asserted against any and every
interest which assumes authority
beyond that Of the government 1t
self.
One specific thing 1 must ask at
your hands at the earliest possible
moment. There Is pending a bill to
provide for the better protection OF
aliens and for the enforcement OF
their treaty rights. 1t is a meas
ure. in short, to create 1urisdic-
ton for the Federal courts through
which the national government will
have appropriate power to protect
aliens in the rights secured to them
under treaties and to deal with
crimes which affect our foreign re-
lations.
The matter has been before Con-
gress on many previous occasions.
President Tyler. in his first annual
message, advised Congress that in
asmuch as the government is
charged with the maintenance OF
peace and the preservation of am
icable relations with the nations o.
the earth, IT ought to possess with
out question all the reasonable and
proper means of maintaining the
one and preserving the other"
Many Previous Requests.
President Harrison asked for the
same bestowal of jurisdiction. hav-
ing encountered deep embarrass-
ment which grew out of the lynch
ing of eleven aliens in New Orleans
in 1891. President Mckinley, deal
ing with a like problem in 1893,
asked the comforting upon Federal
courts jurisdiction In that class OF
international cases where the ulti-
Ia rasnansihilifv of the Eedarai