Evening star., 1923-11-04
Sacred Right Of Petition
Badly Abused by Americans
ny THOMAS n. MARSHALL.
Former Vice President sH the UniteA
States.

NY THOMAS n. MARSHALL.
Former Vice President ~ the United
States.
whenever q great strike II on. par
ticularly II II Affects basic industry,
threatens transportation. most per-
sons who are not interested directly
or indirectly in Its success are quite
terms. There Is the usual demand that
the government intervene. and people
generally manifest impatIence and
disgust. Yet no strike Of any moment
ever succeeded In this country unless
1t had behind II q helpful sentiment
on the part Of the public created by
the belief that the demands Of the
strikers were reasonable. Even then
1t has not always succeeded because
Of other elements that entered into
the situation. But In times Of strike,
whether the public Is friendly or hos
tile. there is always a great hue and
cry about the viciousness Of direct
action.
Now. I am not for the strike. am
not quite sure that in the long run
the striker does not lose more than
way to adjust grievances. have an
samfrat1oh. however, for the sort Of
direct action II represents in compari-
son With other forms of direct action
which are equally potent in the af-
lars "a oI government. The men who go
on strike let you know who they are,
wnat they think, what they want and
why they want IT, They come out in
the open. voice their grievances and
put their demo nds In plain words and
they light with willingness to suf-
iieve. They have courage. a foo,ish
courage, perhaps. but in any evenr IL
- not to be sneered at This kind Of
direct action appeals to me more than
tnat expressed through the abused
People are always dreading war,
disorder. anything which they associ-
ate with force. They have not
learned. or. IL they have. they have
forgotten. that force in and of itself
has been relegated to the rear. The
general diffusion OF knowledge
among the people. the ample oppor-
tunities for education. the universal
dissemination of information have
brought the brain OF man to the
foe. Force Is now used or with
held as the intellect DEGREES. Not
only beneath the rule of men SUI
premely just Is the pen mightier than
the sword, but beneath the rule of
All men. Just and unjust, tho pen
controls the sword. However mis-.
taken may be the strike, IL is open
and aboveboard: It's good or III ef-
fects may be seen and known by all,
and the strikers are judged accord
ingly. Where action Is brought about
by the right Of petition. the iegisla-
tors are held responsible rather than
the people who applied the pressure
which induced the legislation.
The right of petition Is an inalian-
able one. guaranteed to the Ameri-
can. and never to be denied, Yet, It's
abuse 10 scandalous. How many men
before signing a petition seriously
inquire all about its subject, in order
to determine the right or wrong. the
advisability or inadvisability Of the
OF men WHO signed petitions pre-
states while I was presiding over
the Senate told me they knew moth
Ing about the subject on which they
had petftfoned and cared less. They
had signed because of a good-natured
idea Of helping the other fellow so
long a. II didn't cost anything. When
! was Governor of Indiana I received
from friend five separate letters.
In each OF which q different man was
recommended for an ONCE which had
become vacant and which I was about
TO hll. ! called him up >and asked
him what he meant by such conduct,
ana he answered somewhat like this,