Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-11-15
MARSH ALL TELLS
aims OF COAL
PROBING BODY
Board Wants All Facts-''Existing
Government viii Justify Itself
By Force of Arms" He Says


Of the new federal coal commission
was outlined in an address here last
night by former Vice=President
Thomas r. Marshall, one of the men,
hers, as based upon a determination
to lay bare the whole truth about
the coal industry in such a way as
to promote friendlier feelings be-
tween employers and employees who
bitterly. opposed each other this year
in a five month strike.
Out of the investigation, Mr.. Mar
shall said, there might well come
realization that every business has a
patriotic side and that no laborer
can regard his business rs exclusive
ly private. He suggested that cor
ganized self-control," rather than
government procedue was the obiec-
! tive to be sought in d dem0cracy'5
relations with its people.
"The experiences of recent years,
have been sufficient in number"
said the former vice-president, who
spoke before the Detroit Bankers as
sociation, "to justify the statement
| that this democracy Of our only can
be called ideal if it be maintained
by the organized self-control of the
people. tt is hardly a democracy
if large bodies-of its people are COM
| PEELED to do what its government de-
mands at the point of force. Or
ganized self control does not mean
that if people do not voluntarily gov
ern themselves, government will
cease. Government Of some kind
will never cease to be among this
people, and the existing government,
if needful, will justify itself by force
of arms.
81 assume that, in view of the re-
lations | have to the coal fact find
ing commission, you have more than
an idle curiosity to know the atti-
tude of the commission.
ut has neither thoughts nor pur-
pose of being awed by influence or
bought by gain. It's members have
J no political fortunes to serve, and
their private welfare can effected
but slightly by whatever may happen.
| 1t entertains no malice, envy, or i'll
! will oonipc+ n cO,,1 on oortb MN
poses in the finding of facts, to be-
gin the investigation under the be-
lief that all the contending forces
| have d sincere desire to assist in
ascertaining the truth about every
element entering into and every con-
ditiOn surrounding the business. 1t
does not purpose to be suspicious nor
curious but it does intend to see that
| it shall not be treated as though it
were a court of law before which
parties litigant are appearing, each
striving to conceal some fact of ad-
vantage to the other side and each
seeking to cast discredit upon the
other. 1t has ben promised, and so
far believes, that it will receive the
/ honest assistance of both operator
and miner in the effort to ascertain
the truth, the whole truth, and moth
ing but the truth, hewing to the
line, let the chips fall where they
may.
| ",rhere is public. side to the
question. In all our calmer mo-
T ments, when not actuated by greed
or hatred, no laborer of the repub-
lie dare to consider his business as
exclusively private in its relations to
the welfare of the nation. Democ-
racy spells not alone private owner
! ship-it spells also public welfare
and the action of the public in all
of its business transactions will have
much to do with the ability of the
commission to promote a friendlier
feeling between the operator and the
miner. One of the weaknesses of
the large publicity given to Ameri-
can affairs is the proneness of busi-
ness man of America to form his
conclusion either from newspaper
rumor. or from an isolated fact. The
commission hopes and believes that
the sober judgment of the American
people is yet sound and that it will
always be cast in favor of equity
and fair dealing. 1t hopes, there
fore that judgment may be suspend
ed on isolated facts and rumors and
that the ultimate opinion of the peo-
pie may be made up from all facts
; that may be ascertained, but in the