Evening star., 1924-09-02
DAVIS RAIL VIEWS
SEEN AS MOVE TO
BEAT La TOILETTE
Democratic Nominee Veers
Strongly Toward Labor
Attitude in Race.
C00LIDGE'S ARBITRATION
STAND RATED IMPORTANT
Workers Welcome Opposition to
Compulsion-All Candidates
Bidding for Support.
BY DAVID LAWREyCE,

Bidding for Support.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Labor days utterances from the
three presidential candidates NAV
appear on the surface to he sjmnIn
plea for the labor vote, as ,bere
was a distinct friendliness to tho
cause OF the working man expressed
IN the speeches Of President Coolidge
John W. Davis and Senator La Fol-
lette. But the labor leaders them
selves recognized many differences in
the attitude of the candidates and
these differences are fundamental
First, on the, vote of the railroad
brotherhoods and their tens of thou
sands of members. Senator La Toilette
and John W. Davis went over COM
pletely to the viewpoint of railroad
labor and incidentally the American
Federation of Labor with respect to
the abolition of the United States
Labor Board. President Coolidge
cautiously referred TO the board as
an experiment which could be mod-
fled to the benefit of all concerned"
The acid test of whether a candi-
date is friendly TO railroad labor is
the Howell-Barkley bill. providing for
abolition of the Railroad Labor
Board, which was up in the last
session of Congress and was success
fully sidetracked by administration
leaders. Mr.. Davis and Mr.. La Fo.
lette expressed on Monday views
identical with the purposes of th-
Howell Barkley bill.
The President himself expressed no
opinion when the measure was under
discussion and has not committed
himself Railroad labor wants def
mite pledge. II already had Senator
La Toilette and it already had the
support of a substantial number cf
Democrats in the Senate and House.
but it must have been surprised 10
receive the support OF John w. Davis,
who has been characterized as a mid
die Of the-road candidate on labor
questions, sometimes in the past
arguing the cause of the employer
and sometimes the employe.
Davis stand Important.
The qualified support of the prin-
ciple of the Howell -Barkley bill is d T
event of tremendous Significance in
the campaign, for if he can indorse
that measure he may be found fight
ing alongside Senator La Toilette on
other questions vitality affecting agri-
culture as well as labor.
Senator La Toilette, however. was
alone in his outright declaration in
favor of the repeal of the Esch-Cum-
Minis transportation act, This is an
other acid test of radicalism as
against conservatism. Wrapped UP in
that act is the problem of freight
rates, the radicals contending that
since the railroads are permitted TO
earn a certain per cent on their in
vestment, they manage to pile up
costs and operate their systems so
extravagantly that there is no oppor-
tunity to obtain lower freight rates
Under the transportation act the
Interstate Commerce Commission cam
not reduce freight rates unless 1t re-
duceS the earning power OF the ran
roads. Senator La Toilette would re-
peal rate-making sections of the pres
ent Jaw and perform surgical oper-
alton or the whole railroad problem.
Radicals Not Satisfied.
John w. Davis as yet has indicated
merely that he wished freight rates
reduced. and he has expressed the be-
lief that some way could be found.
but he has not specifically pointed
the way. Unless he is willing to at
tack the transportation act and point
to constructive remedy, many of
the radicals in the West will not fol-
low him. AS for President Coolidge,
he has committed himself definitely
to the retention of the transportation
act with respect to the earning
clauses for railroads and has said he
rxrnv. int icci ar ,y,-
quiry to study the problem Of freight
rates.
Mr.. Coolidge made an important
declaration on the general principles
affecting labor. He repeated what
President Harding said about the
right of labor to collective bargaining
and he made his position absolutely
clear on compulsory arbitration.
which has been one of the tenets of
manufacturing associations and labor
speakers for many years.
Mr.. Coolidge's statement that he
could not reconcile compulsory arbi-
tration with individual freedom will
be quoted for many years to come.
No political candidate and no Presi-
dent has ever come out fatty in fa-
vor of compulsory arbitration of la
Dor disputes, SO in a sense what Mr.
Coolidge says is merely the same doc
lTlHc lHdt mas Deen ne1Q MS pTeQS-
cessors, but in view of Mr. Coolidge's
position in the Boston police strike
he has from time to time been on the
defensive with respect to labor.
Coolidge Views CIartned.
His speech on Monday is the clear
est exposition he has yet made, and in
it will be found adherence to a num-
ber of principles for which labor
leaders have constantly fought,
though labor's national spokesman
probably will say the President did
not go far enough. Mr. Coolidge made
it clear he would not go over to any
one class or group. Yet that is what
both labor and agriculture really
want.
Senator La Toilette has already
done so. John w. Davis is on the
edge and nearer to the La Toilette
viewpoint today than he was in his
speech of acceptance. Charles G.
Dawes observation that there was no
room for compromise between radi-
calism and conservatism and that the
Democratic candidate must go with
one or the other Is slowly being cor
roborated, though the chances are
MIR. Davis will never go completely
over to the La Toilette standpoint,
but will maneuver himself closer to
the Wisconsin Senator than to Presi-
dent Coolidge.
On none of the proposed changes in
the Constitution will the Democratic
nominee follow La Toilette.