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The Commoner
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Some Splendid Rec
ommendations Senator Kenyon, chairman of the commfttco
on Education and Labor of the United States
senate, submlttod the following excellent recom
. mendations:
"While the committee was not under the
resolution aske to suggest remedies, it feels
it would fall short of its duty if it did not make
some suggestions to congress along remedial
linos. Some of the suggestions aro not directly
involved in the stool strike, but they come to
the minds of the committee from the evidence
, that they have taken, and c6nditions they have
observed.
"First. That a board or commission some
what similar to tho War Labor Board should
bo established. This board to have power of
compulsory investigation; to. have large power
in mediation and conciliation and recommenda
tions; not to the extent of compulsory arbitra
tion, but beforo this board controversies could
bo heard, investigations made, and decisions
rendered. That ponding said investigation and
decision no strike should bo declared provided
no employees are discharged for taking part in
tho controversy and provided further that all
opportunity for tho employer to take advantage
of tho delay has been removed; that the prin
ciple of collective bargaining and an 8-bour day
should be considered by said board, and recom
mendations made to labor and industry in rela
tion thereto; that tho board should be in the
nature of a federal industrial commission, seek
ing at all times not only to settle ponding dis
putes but to help bring about a more harmonious
condition between employer and employee. A
just decision of said board would be indorsed
by the public and public sentiment is powerful
enough to enforce the findings of such a com
mission. There is good sense enough among
tho great body of tho American, people to bring
about an adjustment of these difficulties. The
great body of tho American people believe in a
liberal industrial- system, in living wages for
men employed in industry; wages that will per
mit them to raise their families according to
tho standards of American life and to enjoy
recreation from hard, grinding toil; but the
American people have no patience and will have
none with any leadership that seeks to accom
plish its purposes by barbarous methods of
freezing or starving the American people. They
do not propose to freeze and they do not pro
pose to be starved, and they do not propose that
a few men in this country shall have the power
to bring about such condition of affairs. On
the othor hand, they are as much opposed to
an autocracy of capital. Capital must be rea
sonable likewise. The employer must recognize
that there is a new spirit In the world; that
labor is not content to be merely a hewer of
wood and a drawer of water, and that labor is
fighting for a status in industrial life, and it is
not concerned merely with wages.
"Why can not capital and labor co-oporate and
establish between thomselvos the doctrine of the
square deal; cease tc be suspicious of one an
other, join together and act together for the
good of each othor and for the well-being of
the public at large? It is tho hope of tho world
that military w'arfaro has ceased. Have we not
reason also to hope and insist that industrial
warfare may cease? It can not without a spirit
of mutual co-operation between capital and
labor.
"Second, That an Americanization bill be
passed by the congress which will provide for
the effective education and Americanization of
the Illiterate foreigners and native illiterates in
this country A bill of this kind has already
been reported out o this committee and your
committee urges an early adoption of the same
oy congress. "
"Third, It Is observable in the strike districts
that the men who own their homes are more
. contented and more interested in the affairs of
I tho country. One real antidote for unrest in
this country is homo ownership, it is dimwit
to plant the seeds of the revolution in the minds
of those who own their own homes. The wSrk
of tho steel companies in building' homes w
been most commendable. It is to be Z,i w
such work will be enlarged U?nd carried on by
them. It would not bo out of place to mi "J
that; it would be most commendable lor the
steel companies to use some of thoir lorirn nmn
in-extending tho work of homo bimdin
question of aid and encouragement in tho work
of assisting- townspeople of small means In se
curing their own homes in some such way as
the farmer has -been aided under the federal
farm loan act is worthy the serious considera
tion of congress.
"Fourth. There should be a change in our
naturalization laws which will require the nat
uralization and some education of all foreigners,
at least to the extent of speaking the American
language; that they should acquire sucli knowl
edge within a period of five years after they
arrive, with proper limitations- upon further im
migration, giving to those already here a cer
tain period of time in which to become natural
ized, and if this is not done then deportation
should follow.
"Fifth. An effective law", should be passed
dealing with anarchists, revolutionists, and all
who would destroy the Ahnerican government.
There are too many Amei leans who love their
country and are willing tcj give their life for it
and who intend that all the doors of American
opportunity shall remain open for the children
of today and the children of tomorrow to per
mit a few thousand anarchists, revolutionists,
and I. W. W.'s to keep on with their nefaridua
propaganda to destroy the government.
"The views here expressed fairly represent the
conclusions arrived at by the committee. We
present tho report to the senate with the hope
that out of it may come some remedial .legisla
tion, and, if not, with the belief that good must
come out of an investigation of this character
where the light of publicity has been turned
upon tho entire transaction. Wo have tried to
go to the bottom of the causes of this strike.
We have heard both sides impartially, and pro
ceded without foar and without favor, solely
with, a determination to arrive at the truth."
(The report was signed by Senators William S.
Kenyon, Thomas Sterling, Lawrence C Phipps,
Kenneth McKellar and David I. Walsh.)
"WARE YOU GET ZAT STUFF?" r
(From the Chicago Tribune.)
Witli reference to the proposed alliance with
France for the defense of France President Wil
son said that we are under a debt to France
which never can bo paid. General Pershing,
tho popular story goes, stood bofore the monu
ment and said: "Lafayette, we are here." Al
fred Gapus, editor of Figaro, says that the
United States is a laggard in duty.
We say: "For the love of Mike!" France
fought Great Britain in our revolutionary war
to deprive her hereditary enemy of its greatest
colonial possession and did it. A Bourbon
king made war on a German who sat on the
English throne to split his empire in two and
did it.
Generous Frenchmen, liberty loving French
men, such as Lafayette were among the instru
ments used for this; but the effective instrument
was a monarchically controlled army and navy
which did the bidding of empire for the pay of
empire.
It does not hurt tho United States any to
accept the imperial work of a French king with
gratitude and not to look too closely at the
facts, but it will hurt to grovel in complete
denial of the facts. So much for the debt to
Lafayette.
If Franco could have had any assurance in
1914 that she would have, as the result of war,
what she now has she would have declared war
on Germany. There nearly was a war over
Algeciras when Germany threatened to block
French imperial progress in North Africa.
France and Germany have been in imperial con
tact since the year one. We seem to forgot that
when the Franco-Prussian war began Napoleon
III, was the dreaded military despot of Europe
and that Great Britain greeted his overthrow
with diplomatic and popular relief. A danger
had been removed from Europe.-
France did not want the war with Germanyv
m 1914 becauso the French feared the outcome
and hated the struggle. Germany did want it
because the Germans were confident as to the
outcome and invited the struggle.- If the Freneh
had been confident they would have welcomed it
They wanted Alsace -back. They have it!
They wanted the Germans pushed back of the
Lhine. They have them there. They wanted
to make Germany pay indemnities. The Ger
mans will pay. They wanted tho Saar basin.
They have it. They wanted a free hand in North
Africa. They have it. Tho Germans for tho
time being are whero Frenchmen want them
to be and where they have fought for centuries
to keep them and? hold them.
. For these results tho . French wouldhave
fought any war at any timn mi.
of the pile again in pLV5 Thi are on
they will overcome ttafr Xi .r??e Wl
to raise larger families they nph,T i en"
on top for another century P ably U
At the moment when ihp -n.
spalred illusions the United SHZlercfc
greatest movement of troops ovJZ began U
world ever knew. If thThSdSd?5l,lll,,,l lfc
sent had not been enouch. muuT0
would have followed them nr.nQ mm,
from April G, 1917. uy was lick
The United States iIm ,
IC preferred to flelit n vmr i lLus ow? safeb
fight one on the ocean or in tho f J? Z thai
It knew It had in fl,rnIJ?.:?.0??!t State
f erred to fight with aljlei tto?tfi! fiffiff
It was a bit of rare American VlSom '
We COt What W WAnf nffrt S?0?1'
tection from what would have been Tcerffi
German mnnw t r:-.. .t.. a cerwln
we wore dlreeuf InrumS In gvingSS
mora than nhn drnr, i. . '.,S'.B M
We SUDDlied tlio tyipti wMi, r ' ...
iv0 -m ;::ir;rr' ". "" iauce ow noi
, ;'AiAZt . i BU""1U Pment, which on
x0n mU uul iiuvc. xne umteu states gave lire
x-icvuvo fecivu uui soiuiura guns.
France 1111a AmnriMn 4motr!n .
tion. We liko Frannhmnn mimii ;,.. n.
- - -- UWi ucusr man we
like Englishmen, but we ask nothing whateve
of France or of anv nthor nm-f nr i, ,.i.i '
we owe France nothing and owe tho world nothl
Olir most O.miflfirvnMvo efi);it.m,n '
merely trying to hang onto things which Amerll
a. utto. nu uuu ia trying io get anything. The
United States is the only competent nation
tj -w f v.VftM 1 AAVA& k iiiuicij oli uKKHuk
to retain what it had before it made sacrifices.'
With nvnfnntlri rcnpot nrwl mil nil mlmLiiii..'
for France, we must inquire: "Ware you gel
Z.U.I, BlUUi
THIRD TJBIIM INADVISABLE
, i (From the New York World.)
Although the democratic state convention of
South Dakota by a unanimous vote has indorsed!
President Wilson for a third term, its action
must be construed merely as a compliment to
the greatest statesman of his generation. It
cannot be "accepted as a serious expression o(
opinion in regard to the democratic candidate
for president in 1920.
The World does not believe that President
Wilson, in any circumstances, would consider a
renomination; nor could any sincero friend of
the nresident desire that his splendid career
should end in such an anti-climax; for an anti
climax it would be, even if he were renominated,
even if ho were re-elected.
Mr. WHroti Tins nlreadv wrecked his health
and. impoverished his vitality in. the service of
his country, a service which has given io u
United States the highest prestige that it has
ever attained, and which will remain as a monu
ment to his statesmanship throughout the cen
turies, in spite of the efforts of a debased
partisanship to deface and destroy it. Whatever
comes out of the remaining fifteen months oi
Great pressure' will be exerted on the presi
dent to become a candidate again m "
Every democratic office-seeker will be eager ro
capitalize Mr. Wilson's name and fame to m
. - 4. . u.. -i,i ia o mntfpr on WDICU
the chief magistrate cannot afford to yield, wnai
over arguments may be presented to mm.
From the point of view of the publ c
, ,.l . oc?iflnt. could noi
iure, tne reaommauuu ut mw iw - - ...fog
fail to be a mistake. ' All the new and press
public questions growing out .of the mi
ougnt 10 De aecmea at me k i -nmnaien
be submerged. -No matter how the campMj
began, it would end as a conflict over tnoj i
term. That wouiu. do me vw """"""- t0 tho
and everything else would be foreo"e"'be next
hopeless confusion oi governing
four years. . , . m nomitw
Woodrow Wilson needs no third-term u
tion. He needs no vindication, wis
ministrations mark a new era in Am"r Let
ernment and his place in history w
the record stand.
Only fifteen of the ninetysix me robers j
tne united states seuutu a. " ,,. ieague oi
flcatlon of tho treaty of peace or m or an-
.nations, while eighty voted at one Uen,en
other for some sort of a ratification. t,
who have been Insisting that the grtIoa
fnn nnlf final iinreat is mmoriij '..j. i-gtOl
:wouldvdo-wellUo pause, and now
majority .representatiom,
L.
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