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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1920)
JVfWjTT T APIill), 1920 The Common er T f. The New The expected has happened;-' the railroads are fcack in the hands of the private "owners, a change that has been certain ever since the re turns of the last congressional election Were pub lished. The railroad stagnates-'took' a very ac tive part in the election of 1918. Believing that the war was nearly over, they looiced ahead to the work of re-adjustment, and the one big' re adjustment on their hearts was the return of the railroads. After having- done everything possible to make government ownership a fail ure, they worked with an activity not equalled since '96 to get a Congress that they could con trol, and they succeeded. The new railroad law is a sure enough railroad measure, in the sense that it embodies what the railroads have been seeking for a long time, or as much as congress dared to give. The papers which are undor the control of railroad influence and their name is legion have diverted attention from the chief features of the bill to matters of relatively minor Importance. Much has been said about the guarantee which the government gives, and there is reason for indignation. Why should the railroads be singled out and favored with a guaranteed re turn? The farmer must take his chances on rain, drought, and hail. He may be delayed by a late spring or caught by an early frost. And after he has taken all the chances that fall to the lot of the tiller of the soil, he must engage in a hand to hand conflict with the bulls and bears of Wall street. But the government does not single him out and soothe his nightly slum ber with a guarantee against loss. And so with th,e little merchant and manu facturer. They have to take their chances on the market and run the risk of being squeezed out of business by the big, overgrown corpora tions. But their plea -for a guarantee, if they made one, would not reach the ears of the law makers xt Washington. ! " Not so unfortunate, is the railroad magnate; his lobbyists are ever near the Senate and the Houso. The railroad is able to help its friends and punish its enemies, andthe railroad is in politics as it has seldom been'before. But while there is no excuse for the favoritism shown the railroads in the guarantee of profits, the guaran tee only runs six months, then expires by its own limitations. The railroads are allowed to charge rates suf ficient to secure a minimum return of 5 per cent and, under certain restrictions, it can be in creased. But this indulgence is limited to two years. When that time comes the people may change the law.- The labor provisions are objectionable. Or ganized labor has registered a protest against a provision which.depending upon the construction given it by the courts, may or may not be de structive of their rights. The law declares it to je the duty of the employee, (as well as of of ficials and agents) , to "exert every reasonabe ef fort and adopt every available .means to avoid any interruption to the operation of any car rier, growing out of any disputes between the carrier and the employees or subordinate of ficials The employees express a", fear that that Proyision may be so construed as to deny to the employees the right to strike under any circum stances or conditions. It all depends upon the construction placed upon the phrases, "every rea sonable effort," and, every available means." A hostile judge might hold thafe the employees aad not exhausted "every reasonable effort" and employed every available means" to avoid in w Pttion of the business before striking. It is "niortunate that a matter bf such great import ance should be left to judicial construction, everybody deplores the strike and the lockout, JW yet until some means can be provided that SIi ?ure 3ustice, it is not fair to shut the doors against the only remedy that employees have. e machinery created, for the settlement of hrwte? goes further than any previous law to. "ng about a settlement. The labor board wliich eats with the wage question is made up of three persons elected from those selected by labor, ae of frm those selected by the railroad man aSf J? ' aud three who are supposed to .repre sent the public. That is a fair division. Bach. ue shutd of right, be . given ;r.epesenta- , pa ailroad Law tlon. It is nronnr nior. i, 1L. trons of the road nh;:n!u??lh0 many as Stockholm 7, '' """? ieu umes as and furnteh tii mw , "uioyge combined empl weh Jfh? r bolh 8tocoldor8 and fecting wt7e 1? represented in matters nf- sentattves of all three elements. If a majority " llnnSr i f?,r th b0ard' il 8hould make no dl? ference whether that majority is made un of representatives of two of the elements only o representatives of all three. It is evidently an attempt to mingle group representation with in dividual representation, and the reason for tho attempt is not well founded. But still greater objection lies to tho indefinite ness of the language. While the law does not specificaly say that the findings of the majority are binding, it does not specifically reserve to each side the right to act independently in case there is failure to agree. The publicity provided is a step in the right direction but there should be" no ambiguity or doubt as to tho limitations of this board. COMPULSORY INVESTIGATION is right, and that investigation should bo mado at the request of either party or on tho initiative of the board. Investigation will in nearly every case, result in a settlement because error shrinks from the light; those who are in the wrong can not stand up against public opinion. But tho law ought to clearly state the findings of tho board are not binding on either party, but rest upon the moral force of the arguments presented and are intended to aid tho public to understand the subject. The labor clauses of the conference measure are not as harsh as they were in tho bill when it passed the Senate. There. are some good features In the. bill re sults of the experience under government owner ship. For instance, a,railroad may be compelled to allow another road to use its terminals, a very sane requirement. Government ownership has shown how small changes may greatly add to the convenience of the public, and it is ex pected that some of these changes will become permanent. The Senate and the House agreed in giving to the railroads one of the advantages for which they have been working many years. THE STATES POWER IS COMPLETELY SUBORDI NATED and all important legislation is trans ferred to the Federal Government. Only a few years ago the governors of the states met and appointed a committee to fight for the right of the state to regulate interstate commerce. The railroad magnates have for a long time under stood that the people's representatives can be trusted to protect the people in proportion as the capital is near to the home of the constituents. The more nearly the legislator works n sight of those for whom he spoke, the more faithfully he reflected their views. The further away he went, he less restraint he felt because of the inability for more centraiiiaiiou. completely dep rived of 'MaUve 0Pt motion railroads will demand ZmTnnd If they can from state to Forj" and House. select their n,?'?f talking learnedly about we shall (5fthT federal courts exclu de necessity of giyins i b g0 un Sive jurisdiction Then a nuiro.d. fortunate as to lie a iiug pensive as will flrfSeSeTot anything that is of- SSff&'W' -& " for tue animal killed. fc as bad a8 it in one respect tnem atteml)ted to, MR. BRYAN AND MAJORITY RULE rnnlnnSryan wai to E to tho San Francisco convention as a dclognto, and tho Democrat of Nobraska should gratify his wishes. For the past n!!n0rtr.ceitury h0 lmH K,von thom eroat conso quenco in the country. In 189C ho put them on tno national map, and has kept them there. To in! im ?C th,0,r numl)er Mr. Bryan and Sona tor Hitchcock aro under discussion for tu presidency. Honcp, they should remember their benefactor in this day of his desire. llr. Bryan is not a candldato for tho presi dency, and declares that ho noithor expects nor desires the San Francisco nomination. Ho could not well say ho would not accopt It If proffered, for, of course, ho would. Ho could not in such a case doclino. A convention's invitation Is IIlco a king's. It is a command. What Mr. Bryan has in mind Is the platform. Ho wants to help shape that, and especially with rospoct to prohibition. Ho is an nggrosslvo cham pion of majority rule, and as tho eighteenth amendment was adopted by an impressive major ity he insists that it must be enforced. And ho is right about that. But majority rulo should have wider applica tion at San Francisco than to tho platform. Why not also to tho ticket? Why should not tho con vention choose tho candidate for president by a majority vote? Because two-thirds havo long been required? But these nro now times, and the shibboleth now is making the world safe for democracy. As democracy moans majority rulo, why not make Democratic national conventions safo for the majority? Should not Mr. Bryan charge himself with in sisting at San Francisco on this reform? He need not hesitate because at Baltimoro eight years ago the man who had received a substantial majdrlty of the convention's vote for president was deniot the nomination through his failure to muster the requisite two-thirds. Majority rulo was defeated there and then, Mr. Bryan got tho benefit. Hfs candidate was permitted to stay in tho race, and forge ahead and win. But no pro-convention campagn had .been made against the two-thirds rule,. The conven tion had assembled with tho rule in JTorc.a. un til reatened, and no candidate was at disadvan tage on that account. But an majority rulo about other things is so much more under discussion now than hitherto, why not extend the discus sion to this thing before the San Francisco con vention meets, and so prepare the way for a' dis cussion there? Mr. Bryan is tho right man to lead. What ever he says secures attention; an'd Just now ho is urging majority rule as respects both tho peace treaty and the eighteenth amendment. Why' not, then, also for a presidential nomlneo, who 'will need only a majority vote at the polls to win? Washington Star. ANOTHER AMENDMENT NEEDED The supreme court decision freoing stock dividends may seem a little absurd to the over man but don't bo discouraged. The constitu tion CAN be amended and SHOULD bo so amended as to specifically authorized a tax on 'stock dividends. It is a pretty expensive de cision but there Is a way out and tho people should take advantage of it at once. AliJj RIGHT NOW Pullman rates go up 20 per cent on May 1st. If that had been proposed under government ownership, what a howl would have gone up from the corporation press. But ft Is all right if the railroads do it. The company may be able to "cut another melon" or declare a tax free stock dividend. WHO IS THE DARK HORSE? Johnson's victory in Michigan 'eliminates Wood, and now the friends of Lowden aud Harding will combine to eliminate Johnson, and the progressives will eliminate Lowden and HaTding and then the dark horses will enter tho ring. tl 3IIJjITARI8M DEFEATED " ' U Universal compulsory military training is dead for this session. The Democrats killed ft . in the House and now-the Democrats have killed,. it in the senate., -now let me national convene tions bury It. ' ; lied. ?f rat"1 A Hlffl JT "& . ft li..rtiWJ.iii. ii. .W.l1iW"l'l.W'.''6-- " j&.u