The Owosso times., 1922-09-22
EDITORIALS
HARDING STANDS FOR LAW;
SPEAKS FOR LAW ABID-
ING PEOPLE

The ringing stand which President
Harding took in his message to Con-
gress on the railroad and coal strikes
does far more than array the Presi-
dent himself on the side of law and
order. 1t pledges the full power of
the nation to the preservation of the
inalienable right of every man to
work when he sees fit to do so and to
the preservation of the public's no
less inalienable right to the uninter-
rupted transaction of it's business.
No honest friend of labor can read
into this splendid bill of rights any
thing which restricts the legitimate
liberty of the individual. He cannot
read into it anything which "sides
with capital as against labor" Every
word he wrote rebukes unfairness, in
justice, oppression or the denial or
abridgement of any natural or vested
right, whether on the part of the en-
ployer or the employe. ........... .....
The Presidents vigorous rebuke of
the unspeakable brutality displayed
by the Herrin assassins or the callous
cruelty of the men who abandoned
women, children and invalids to the
tortures of desert heat, echoed the
sentiments of every right-thinking
American.
But it was not the outstanding
feature of the message. That was
the assurance that the government
would not permit the nations busi-
ness to be hampered by either en-
ployers or employees. The promise
that every man would be protected in
the exercise of his constitutional right
to work was an inescapable corollary.
The President has been criticised
by extremists in some quarters for
not rushing into the controversy be-
fore every apparent effort had been
made by the contending parties to.
compose their differences. But the
sober second thought of the. people
will approve that policy of conserva-
tism, of giving private efforts the
amplest scope before government in
tervention, just as heartily as it will
applaud the vigorous declarations of
the President when the time for fur
ther delay has passed.
This policy will strengthen the
executives hands all the more when
the events of the immediate past and
the situation as it exists at the pres
ent time have demonstrated that the
time has come when the government
must secure results which employers,
employees and lax or powerless state
authorities have failed to produce.
Businss has been paralyzed in some
sections. of the country. Everywhere
it has been seriously impaired. Mil
lions of. dollars of damage has been
inflicted. Property has been destroy
ed either outright or through the
paralysis of transportation facilities.
Human lives have been lost. Acts
have been committed which have
shocked the nation and placed a stig-
ma upon its good name, besides grave
ly impugning the power of free
people to govern themselves.
For such state of affairs there is
but one remedy-the maintenance Of
law and order by every means within
the limits of the law. The President
specifically recommends that the rail-
road labor act be strengthened so
that the labor board may enforce its
decisions. That means, to all intents
and purposes, federal court of in
dustrial relations, so far as the rail
road industry is concerned.
He also urges. broader powers for
the federal government to enable it
to protect aliens in such occurrences
as the Herrin massacre. Important
recommendation are made to pre-
vent profteering in coal through the
operation of federal coal agency to
buy and distribute coal "if private
conscience" fails to prevent extor-
ton. A complete investigation of the |
coal industry isalso urged. Ample as
surance is given that conspiracies to
restrict interstate commerce will be
punished. All laws guar
anteeing public and private rights |
will be enforced against employers |
and employees alike.
The President has spoken for law
abiding Americans everywhere. He |
stands as the champion of the hum
blest worker as an individual and
for 1000, 900 people as a whole,
against all who would abridge or de-
nv the largest or the smallest right |
which the Constitution, statute law
or the spirit of free institutions guar
a antees.-Kansas CITY Journal.