1295 
Cfce  R  U  R  AL  N  E  W-YO  R  K  E  R 
Published  by 
Republican  National  Committee 
“What  was  the  manifest  duty  of  the  Execu¬ 
tive  ? 
Plainly  to  insist  that  investigation  should 
precede  action,  and  that  nothing  should  be 
yielded  to  force. 
To  say  that  fair  and  prompt  arbitration 
could  not  have  been  had  in  this  case  is  to  indict 
both  the  Administration  and  the  American 
people. 
*  *  * 
“It  is  said  we  were  suddenly  caught.  I  see 
nothing  sudden  about  the  matter,  but  sudden 
or  otherwise,  there  was  no  justification  for  the 
yielding  of  principle. 
Why  not  try  the  efficacy  of  standing  for 
principle  instead  of  giving  it  up  in  fear? 
Of  those  who  seek  to  excuse  the  Adminis- 
( [From  speech  by  Charles  E.  Hughes, 
“We  have  an  unjustifiable  attempt  to  use 
public  sentiment  with  respect  to  an  eight-hour 
work  day  in  order  to  justify  a  bill  which  does 
not  provide  an  eight-hour  work-day  but  relates 
solely  to  an  increase  in  wages. 
We  have  seen  the  choice  of  what  seemed  to 
be  the  easier  way,  which  escaped  the  necessity 
of  a  determined  stand  for  principles. 
We  have  seen  what  has  appeared  to  be  the 
consideration  of  immediate  political  expe¬ 
diency  at  the  expense  of  public  welfare. 
*  * 
“WE  CANNOT  YIELD  REASON  TO 
THE  RULE  OF  FORCE. 
THAT  IS  THE  PATH  OF  SURE  DIS¬ 
ASTER.”  4  • 
"  *  *  -  <r  ~  « 
Springfield ,  III.,  September  20,  1916) 
“The  Adamson  Bill  is  not  a  bill  providing 
for  an  eight-hour  work-day. 
It  does  not  fix  hours  at  all. 
What  it  does  is  to  provide  by  law  for  an  in¬ 
crease  in  wages  for  certain  men.  They  may 
work  just  as  long  as  before.  They  may  work 
ten  hours  or  more.  They  are  simply  to  get 
more  pay. 
•••  • «  #  i 
We  arc  not  concerned  with  anything  that  is 
said  of  the  judgment  of  society  with  respect  to 
an  eight-hour  work-day.  There  is  plainly  no 
judgment  of  society  upon  the  increase  of  wages 
this  bill  requires. 
The  obvious  fact  is  that  there  was  a  demand 
by  certain  men  for  an  increase  in  their  own 
wages,  and  the  Administration  in  advance  of 
investigation  surrendered  to  this  demand. 
“What  is  fair  and  right  must  be  done. 
But  what  is  fair  and  right  must  first  be  as¬ 
certained.  When  railroads  are  required  to  ex¬ 
pend  additional  millions,  this  burden  must  ul¬ 
timately  fall  on  the  public. 
It  was  proposed  in  substance  by  the  Admin¬ 
istration  that  increased  rates  should  be  charged 
to  shippers  so  far  as  required  to  pay  this  in¬ 
crease  of  wages. 
❖  *  * 
tration’s  surrender  on  the  ground  of  exigency 
I  ask  how  far  do  you  propose  to  yield  to  force? 
Where  will  you  make  a  stand?  Do  you 
cherish  the  vain  hope  that  by  surrender  you 
will  accumulate  courage  or  ability  to  with¬ 
stand  pressure? 
When  force  is  proposed  and  arbitration  is 
refused  there  is  but  one  stand  to  take  and  that 
is  to  appeal  to  the  judgment  of  the  country  to 
vindicate  the  processes  of  reason. 
“I  do  not  speak  of  the  propriety  or  advis¬ 
ability  of  fixing  wages  by  law.  I  am  dealing 
with  a  more  fundamental  question — legislation 
according  to  the  facts  as  opposed  to  legislation 
under  pressure  in  the  absence  of  inquiry. 
Within  a  few  hours,  on  demand  of  the  Ad¬ 
ministration,  Congress  provided  a  mandatory 
increase  of  wages,  involving  millions  of  dol¬ 
lars  without  any  idea  whether  the  increase  was 
or  was  not  justified. 
Mr.  Adamson  said  of  his  bill,  “It  is  hasty 
legislation,  I  admit,  to  meet  an  emergency.” 
What  emergency? 
The  emergency  of  force  to  which  the  Ad¬ 
ministration  had  capitulated. 
What  Charles  E.  Hughes 
Q  About  the  so-called  “8-hour  Work-day  Bill” 
iJ  d  V  u  and  the  Administration’s  surrender  to  force 
