The New York herald., 1922-07-21

Newspaper headlines seem not to
give exactly the right slant to the
reply of the Governor of North Caro-
lima to President HARDINe's call upon
State Executives for cooperation in
preserving the country's fuel sup
ply. Governor MORRISON clearly does
not approve direct Government inter-
ference in labor disputes. He is frank
in expressing his reasons for his atti-
tude, and he positively declines to
urge coal miners to return to work.
On the other hand, nothing could
be more satisfactory, as the coal
strike situation stands to-day, than
Governor MoRRrsoN's utterance of
what he conceives his duty to be in
the premises, and his declaration of
what he will do in the performance
Of that duty. He will not interfere
with the strike, but he will not let the
strike interfere with the law. He will
not urge miners to go to work, but
II they do go to work he will see that
they are free to work. He says:
II believe the full duty Of Gov
ernment and the part Of wisdom is
to uphold the law with fearless i'm
Partially and permit parties in indus
trial disputes to fight the economic
battle to a finish.
There will be no trouble In North
Carolina In upholding the law In this
or any other controversy. lam quite
sure I shall not need Federal forces
to aid me In the position have taken
Of non-interference with either side,
except to uphold the law and keep
the peace and protect every would-be
worker, union or non-union. from
menace. insult and violence"
II the Governor Of North Carolina
means what he says, and certainly a
man who speaks like that is entitled
to have his sincerity taken at face
value until there Is actual proof that
it.is Of false value, and II the Gov
ernor Of North Carolina lives up to
his words when put to the test, his
utterances are sound, exemplary and
American.
If the Governor OF North Carolina
fulflls that ideal of executive re-
sponsibility, faithful guardianship Of
the law and vigilant protection Of
l.fe and property, any mine owner
In his State that wants to operate
can operate, if he can get the men
to work, and any miner can work IL
lie wants to work and there Is a job
for him. This Is all that is needed
In the average State to get out the
required coal.
If the Governor OF Illinois had
held the admirable views of the Gov
ernor of North Carolina or, hold
ing them, had lived up to them, and
II he had compelled every officer Of
the law under the sovereign juris-
diction and authority of Illinois to
live up to those same views, there
need have been no unspeakable Her
rim butchery. There need have been
no closing down Of other Illinois
mines under the fear OF violence and
crime. There need have been no
acute coal shortage. On the contrary,
there would be to-day, with men se-
cure in their legal and sacred right
to work, an outflow of Illinois coal
far In excess OF what there IS.
And II every Governor of every
coal State will live up to the Amer
lean doctrine of law enforcement as
cnunciated by the Governor OF North
Carolina In his message to the Pres
ident of the United States, no gov
crnment, Federal or State, ever will
be forced to operate the coal mines
The mine owners will operate them.
The men that want to work but
dare not work when their lives are
at stake will dig the coal.