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Show Uncle Sam Hoists White Flag Thero has always been n certain Ignominy In tho Idea conveyed by tho word surrender. To surrender to a superior forco Is a supremo misfortune; mis-fortune; to surrendor to a force not superior to ono's own a disgrace; hut to surrendor to nn Inferior forco what could bo nioro Inglorlously cowardly? Tho passago of the Ad-nmson Ad-nmson bill represents n surrender of tho government of tho United States of America, to tho domands of a small section of organized labor. Initiated Friday morning tho bill was rushed through both houses of Congress and ready for tho president's presi-dent's signature on Saturday afternoon. after-noon. Without deliberation, without with-out any Investigation of the merits of tho caso, tho two great legislative bodies of thogreatest nntlon in tho world passed this Important legislation legisla-tion at the request of tho President of tho United States why? Docauso tho labor unions that demanded It threatened to strike on tho following follow-ing day If it wero not passed. On Thursday night tho brotherhood leaders said to Presldont Wilson Wo give you until Saturday to got this through. If you don't do It you will havo to tako tho consequences." Then, stop watch In hand thoy settled set-tled back in their easy chairs and waited, while tho President rushed hither and thither liko a frenzied olllco boy to do their bidding, and the Congressmen of tho greatest, nation na-tion In tho world wore herded liko Bheep Into their respective quarters and told what they must do to avoid tho torrlblo sheep In wolves' clothing cloth-ing who waited outside with tho stop watches. And so, to tho groat surprise of tho brotherhood that had mado tho bluff, tho government of tho United States sweat blood for a p:rt of two days and got tho bill through In tlmo to avoid tho torrlblo torrl-blo calamity that threatened. If our government had mado nny such inglorious surrender to the demands of any nation In tho world or any combination of nations, wo would havo hung our heads In shame. Individually wo are not too proud to fight. Uut collectively, as u nation, during tho past four year wo havo shown ourselves tho groat est collection of abject cowards that tho world has over soon horded together. to-gether. And tho most cowardly act, tho most inglorious surrondor of rights nnd duties that has occurred In thoso four years was tho passago of tho Adamson bill. Who had most to loso by a gon- oral railroad strikes. Tho owners of tho railroads, of course Yet they wero not afraid to faco tho Issue. Thoy were not strongor than tho national government, only bravor. Who would bo tho second greatest losers by such a strlko? Tho railroad rail-road omployees thomselvos. Yet they woro not afraid to forco tho lssuo. and who of tho thrco parties to this threatened strlko would loso tho least? Why you and I, of course tho people Wo havo Infinitely greater strength and our loss would bo far less, individually than theirs. Why should wo havo boon afraid to light It out? Why should wo havo boon nfrald to Insist that tho Justlco of tho domands of the i railroad brotherhoods bo thoroughly thorough-ly investigated beforo granting I them? I Prnlso God, wo woro not nfrald. Wo managed to live boforo railroads wero Invented and can livo without thorn temporarily If wo havo to. Congross Is supposed to bo com- posed of two dollborntlvo bodies, i Kncli of theso bodlos Is supposed to ' investigate thoroughly tho merits I and demerits of all proposed legls-1 latlon and to enact only such laws -as will stand tho test of such an J Investigation. To surronder this right of deliberate, caroful InvostI-1 gallon through fear of tho threats of a small body of voters, was tho act of cowards. Tho government of I tho Vnltod States of America allow- I ed Itself to bo Intimidated not this tlmo, by n strong foreign nation but by an Inconsiderable, though well organized, minority of Its own citizens. Tho people wero not afraid. We would havo been willing will-ing to meet any lssuo bravely to havo endured any hardship without complaining rather than seo our government surrendor that liberty of thought and action that inspired tho founding of our nation and has been the soul of our national exlst-eno. exlst-eno. Wo woro not afraid of anything any-thing that might develop. Wo wero not oven'worrled. But, Ood pity us wo havo a President who has grown so accustomed to running away every ev-ery tlmo anyone says Bool that our Individual courage avails us nothing. noth-ing. Wo are undone without being consulted. When tho fathers of our country framed Its constitution they confided confid-ed Its law making power to two sep arate bodies In order that thero : might be due deliberation on all laws that might bo enacted. They contrived an Intricate and apparently apparent-ly Ideal system of checks and balances bal-ances to Insure tho most thorough Investigation of every measure that might bo proposed for legislative nc-1 Hon. But, alas, liko all ideal systems, sys-tems, our government depends upon men for Its manipulation and men, unfortunately, aro not Ideal nnd whon, as In tho present case, wo pack both housos of Congress with sheep and placo over them a shepherd shep-herd who Is always prying "Wolf! Wolf!" whon thoro Is no wolf, wo must bo proparod for frequent stampedes. stam-pedes. D. C. Lovolanil. |