Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1916 — HUGHES DODGES ISSUE ON EIGHT HOUR LAW [ARTICLE]

HUGHES DODGES ISSUE ON EIGHT HOUR LAW

Attacks Wilson’s Plan but Won’t Tell Public What He Would ' Have Done. ONLY WAY TO AVERT STRIKE Republican Nominee Is Asked to Declare If He Would Have Vetoed the 'Bill With Certain Assurance of Industrial Disaster. So busy has boon Charles E. Hughes criticising the deeds of the Wilson Administration that he has had little time, or has purposely evaded, telling the public what he would have done had he been President under similar circumstances. Lately Mr. Hughes has turned his attacks upon President Wilson’s successful settlement of the crisis’in the railroad world by cansing to be passed by Congress the Adamson eight-hour bill. Mr. Hughes has characterized this action as a “surrender to force” ; he is “opposed to being dictated to by any power on earth before the facts are known"; and he would not act until he had had a “fair investigation and candid treatment." Taking issue with the Republican candidate’s attitude the New York Times, in an editorial, asks:

“WHAT WOULD MR. HUGHES HAVE D()Js T EI “Well, what way would Mr. Hughes have taken?" continues the Times. “What would he have done? Here was Mr. Wilson’s position: The brotherhood refused arbitration, the railroad presidents would not accept the settlement Mr. .Wilson proposed, granting the eight-hour standard day with provision for an impartial inquiry into its working. There was no lawon the statute books to enforce arbitration. '

“The President knew, knew with certainty and beyond question, that lie could not get such a law from the Congress, now In session. The sure and inevitable alternative to his acceptance of the eight-hour standard day measure was a strike, the suspension of railway service, freight and pass<yiger, all over the country, beginning on the morning of Sept. 4th. WOULD HUGHES HAVE DONE IT?

“Mr. Hughes ‘would not surrender to anybody in the country.’ Then he would have surrendered the country to the disturbance, immeasurable loss, and peril of a strike. Would he, in fact, have done that? Had he been President, confronted by that situation, would Mr. Hughes have brought on a strike by refusing to sign the bill granting a wage increase? There was the strike in plain sight, a few hours away, sure to come. Would Mr. Hughes have vetoed the pill? On the contrary, would he not have done just what Mr. Wilson did, sign it? “The Republican candidate stands for two* things: ‘First, for the principb of fair,. Impartial, thorough, candid. arbitrationand Second, for legislation on facts according to the necessities of the ease.’ Mr. Wilson stands for those two things and, much more, has pledged himself to use all his influence to secure them. “What more could Mr. Hughes do? Would it be too much to ask the Republican candidate to put a little common fairness into his speeches? Is he afraid to tell Ids audiences what the President actually did urge upon Congress? “As a true champion of arbitration, President Wilson recommended that arbitration judgments be made records of a court of law, in order that their interpretation and enforcement may not lie with the parties to the dispute, but ‘with an Impartial and authoritative tribunal.’ It was his purpose In this recommendation to provide ’ against future emergencies, to prevent the recurrence of such dangers as then confronted him and the country.

ADVICE TO RAILROADS. “The people of the United Strifes nro not going to he put. off with the misinformation as to what the [’resident did to avert a strike and to prevent the threat of future strikes. We have reason to believe that the full revelation of what he did. what he tried to do, and what he nearly sueceeded in doing in the White House conferences would put such a faec upon the matter that Republican eff<rrts to. make an issue of it would fall entirely flat. . “But the people do know, for It was before them in the President’s address to Congress, that he proposed, not a single emergency act, hut a broad program of legislation to meet a public need anil permanently remove a public danger. It was a program which we are convinced the railroads would be very wise to accept In its entirety. “Certainly It seems to us that they are 111 advised for the election of *Mr. Hughes, who, if we take him at his word, would have brought .on the strike, with all its irreparable injuries to the country’s business and peril for the country’s pdace.”