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.
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