Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-07-27
BOW TO RULING
OF LABOR BOARD
HARDING'S PLEA
CONTINUED from Page one.)

]
ment while the men who choose tC
work in response to the call of the
country are exercising their like
rights, and at the same time are
making their contribution to our
common American welfare.
1.-THE decisions of the railroad
labor board are in compliance witt
a mandate of the law making body
of the United States. without dis.
cussing the decisions at issue, it is
| fair to assume that a government
| agency is ever ready to correct ar
error which is made, else govern.
ment itself would become unjust
Borrower, it is indisputable that
Where can be no government unless
| its mandates are accepted by the
citizenship of the republic. This
observation relates more particu-
larly to the railroad situation
When the mining situation became
menacing l invited representatives
of the mine workers and the opera
tors to a conference. They came
together, they were advised as to
the call of common welfare. yet in
eight days of opportunity no prog
ress was made. In the absence OF
any tribunal authorized to settle
disputes between mine workers and
their employers the federal gov
eminent then voluntarily proposed
the creation of a national commas
sion before which the disputes
might be settled Justly, in the light
of full information and in accord
ance with the best expressions Of
our modern civilization. Instead
OF contemplating the resort to
force, it anticipated the very oppo-
site--industrial peace with justice
to every man concerned. Instead
of aiming at involuntary servi-
tude,' to which you inexcusably re-
fer, the government asked the
mine workers to resume their
activities, in response to manifest
public need, at precisely the same
wages and under precisely the
same working conditions as those
under which they had been work.
ing contentedlv for the last two
years. Those who spoke for the
mine workers refused such a pro
posal. There is no dispute OF the
right to refuse. Since they de-
clined to respond. and since 1t Is
believed there are enough men VINO
love this country and cherish It's
security, and believe In serving the
common welfare, to come to the
relief of the mining situation and
avoid suffering, privation and
paralysis. ] asked the governors
of the coal mining states to invite
mine operators and mine workers
to resume their activities, and to
promise that to which every man
is entitled, namely, protection In
his lawful pursuits. This protec-
ton applies alike to the men on
strike who observe the law ana
make no lawless interference with
men at work, and to the men VINO
are lawfully at work and entltled
to protection by every agency OF
in that work. IL you
mean to challenge the righteous
ness of free men to be protected In
their lawful pursuits against inter.
ference and violence. I will he glad
to ioin YOU in submitting that ques-
tion to the decision of the Ameri-
can people. a.. Lrow
that instead of the government
action being an expression OF the
preference Of the capitalis.iS
class, it has been quite as nucn
opposed by those who speak 10,
employers as it is by you ana
YOUR associates. Government un-
dertakes to represent neither class
alone. and is opposed to all con
flict among classes, and disputes
the right of any group or class
organized or unorganized. to In
peril American welfare. Govern
ment speaks only for the Amerl-
can people as a whole and the
common good of all its citizen
snip. =,
an view of all that the gov
eminent has done or attempted
to do during the past year ana
a half to relieve the American
farmer from the burdens OF re-
adjustments and to relieve labor
from the hardships of unemploy-
ment, I know your attempted APP
peal to American prejudice Will
fall upon reaf ears. 1t is un-
grateful and 1t is untruthful. II
Won are the believer in peace and
harmony and the reign of justice,
which you would have believed,
I invite you now to pass Judg-
ment on the failure Of the mine
workers to accept the awards o.
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 work
men to accept the decision of the
American railroad labor board.
acting under authority of the
law, which must be supreme, ana
return to work under that deci-
sion, until you and I, and every
one else interested in American
welfare, may join in asking the
railroad labor board to give re-
hearing on any question concern
ing which there is reasonable
doubt about the correctness OF
the justice Of the decision made.
These are the ways of peace,
these are the requirements of en-
,ightened civilization, these are
the things expected by your gov
eminent of its loyal and law-a-
biding citizenship.
WARREN G. HARDING"