The St. Mary banner., 1922-08-26
HARDINC'S ADDRESS
ON STRIKE CRISIS
Trains Must Run and Men
Permitted to Work, Says
President.

washington. - President Harding
laid the whole story Of the rail and
coal strikes before the American peo.
pie Friday, with a pledge that. what.
eve: the cost, government by law will
be sustained.
Summing up before a Joint session
Of senate and house his efforts toward
industrial peace, the president assert.
ed that neither employers nor EN-.
ployes could escape responsibility for
the present situation, and that no
small minority" would be permitted
by armed lawlessness," conspiracy"
or "barbarity and butchery" to over
ride the paramount interests of the
public.
I'VE must reassert the doctrine that
in this republic the first obligation and
the first allegiance of every citizen,
high or low, is to his government" !"
said the president. "No matter what
clouds may gather, no matter what
storms may ensue, no matter what
hardships may attend or what sacri
fices may be, government by law must
and will be sustained
Therefore, l am resolved to use all
the power Of the government to main
tain transportation and to sustain the
rights of men to work"
To strengthen the hand of admins.
tration in dealing with present and
future coal troubles, Mr.. Harding ask,
ed for authorization of a national
agency to purchase, sell and distribute
coal, and for creation of a commission
to inquire into every phase of coal pro-
duction, sale and distribution.
No similar request was made for
emergency rail legislation, the presi-
dent asserting that although the rail-
road labor board had inadequate au.
thority, other agencies of the govern.
ment were armed with statutes to pre-
vent conspiracy against interstate
commerce and to insure safety in rail-
way operation.
"It is my purpose" he continued,
"to invoke these laws, civil and Grim
inal, against all offenders alike
One other legislative enactment, q
! law to allow the federal government
to step in to protect aliens where state
protection fails, was advocated by the
chief executive as result Of what he
termed the "butchery of human beings
wrought In madness" at Herrin, Ill
Despite the protests of foreign govern
ment whose nationals suffered in the
Herrin mine battle, he said, federal
officials were powerless to take in
hand the situation created by the
mockery of local inquiry and the fail
ure of justice in Illinois"
Throughout his address President
Harding emphasized his desire that
the government should play no favor
ties as between employers and EN-
ployes either in efforts to end the
existing strikes or in future action
against lawlessness.
Surely" he said, "the threatening
conditions must impress the congress
and the country that no body of men
whether limited in numbers and re
sponsibility for railway management
or powerful in numbers and the neces
sary forces in railway operation shall
be permitted to choose course which
so imperils public welfare. Neither
organizations of employers nor work
ingmen's unions may escape respon
sibility.
IF free men can not toll according
to their own lawful choosing, all ou
constitutional guarantees born of de
mocracy are surrendered to mobocrac!
and the freedom Of a hundred millions
is surrendered to the small minorit!
which would have no law