9
TTIE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN, PORTLAND, SEPTEMBER 24, 101C.
PRESIDENT DEFENDS
8 H0UR DAY ACTION
Mr. Wilson Says Question Not
Arbitrable and Cites
t Vote in Congress.
NEW JERSEY FOLK CHEER
Executive Says Real Commercial
Strength of Business Men Comes
From Sucli Measures as
Federal Reserve Act.
LONG BRANCH. N. J.. Sept. 23. To
day President Wilson actively opened
his campaign for re-election with a.
speech replying- to Republican criticism
of his settlement of the recently threat
ened railroad strike.
With emphatic gestures, before a
large crowd assembled at Shadow Lawn,
he defended the eight-hour day and
declared also that the Nation must be
freed from the possibility of interfer
ence with its commerce. Business men
from various parts of New Jersey in
terrupted the President with hand
clapping and cheering.
Harmony of Interests Desired.
"The chief clodd that is upon the do
mestic horizon is the unsatisfactory
relations of capital and labor," the
President said, adding that "so long
as labor and capital stand antagonistic
the interests of both are injured and
the prosperity of America is held back
from the triumphs which are legiti
mately its own."
Mr. Wilson spoke of the bright future
for American business and then
launched directly into a discussion of
the railroad situation. Without direct
ly mentioning Charles E. Hughes, the
Republican nominee, the President
brought in the Republican party by
saying that about 70 Republicans sup
ported the eight-hour law in the House
of Representatives and Senate Repub
licans put no obstacles in the way of
the passage of the measure.
Ills ht-H our Lair Defended.
"This was because the proposal was
reasonable and was based upon the
right," asserted Mr. Wilson.
The President met the arguments that
the railroad question should have been
arbitrated with the flat statement that
he did not believe the eight-hour day
an arbitrable question.
Means of preventing a repetition of
the threatened railroad strike were
taken up in detail. The President said:
"It will be intolerable if at any time
liny group of men, by any. process,
should be suffered to cut society off
from the necessary supplies which sus
tain life."
After talking for 20 minutes about
the railroad problem the President dis
cussed business generally. He said
that business men in America have had
their real commercial strength put at
their service by such measures as the
Federal reserve act and now are on
their mettle.
Business Men Are Andlence.
President Wilson's speech in part fol
lows: "I have .recently been through an
experience which distressed me. I tried
to accommodate a difference between
some of the employes of the American
railways and the executives of Ameri
can railways, and the distressing thing
1 discovered was that on the one hand
there was unlimited suspicion and dis
trust of the other side, and that that
suspicion and distrust was returned by
the other side in full measure.
"The executives did -not believe in
the sincerity of the men, and the men
did not believe in the sincerity and
fairness of the executives, and while
arbitration was being discussed I had
this sad thought: Arbitration is a word
associated with the dealings of hostile
Interests. It is an alternative of war.
There ought to be no such thing as
the contemplation of hostility as be
tween men whose interests are the
same and who should co-operate.
Real Reconciliation Desired.
"And, therefore, it came upon me
with a force that it had never had be
fore that the real problem of capital
and labor was to bring the two sides to
an understanding and belief in one an
other, that the problem of the next
generation, if America were really to
realize her energy, was to be this real,
genuine, fundamental reconciliation be
tween capital and labor. I did not real
ize until I held those conferences just
now far apart they were in that par
ticular and indispensable part of our
National life, the transportation of the
country, and when I did realize it. 1
saw that there was a great task that
was worth any man's while ahead of us.
xo Dring the minds of the countrv to
gether, to see that the men understood
one another, and to see that they had
some assurance that they were speaking
we truth to one another. I never had
franker conferences in my life than I
had with the representatives of the
two- sides.
"You would know that when tho nnh-
lic began to notice this controversy it
already had been going on for some
time. I had been watching it with
great anxiety and when it became evi
dent that an accommodation was not
going to be reached. I thoueht it mv
duty to try my hand at the difficult
task of accommodation, because I knew
how much was involved, not only in
the immediate effects of a great strike
such as was threatened, but also in the
ultimate effects, the soreness left, the
resentment that would remain, the feel
lng of hostility that would be accen
tuated; and so I asked the privilege cf
consulting witn them.
Points Regarded as Simple.
"Before I consulted with them, I. of
course, maae myself acquainted with
the points at controversy and I learned
that they were verv simple indeed
that the men demanded an eisrht-hour
day and that in order to make the
elgnt-hour day work they demanded
that the railroads pay them one half
more for overtime than they paid them
for the time in the regular day, the
men alleging that that was the only
way they could obtain a genuine eight
hour day. by making the railroads pay
more for the time beyond the eight
hours than they paid for the time with
in the eight hours. I saw at once that
there was one part of this that was
arbitrable, but that in my opinion there
was another part that was not arbl
trable. I do not regard the question
of the principle of the eight-hour day
as arDitraDle.
"The first thing I told both sides
before I requested their opinion was
that I stood for the eight-hour day. I
received no suggestion of any kind
from either side as to what the has
of settlement was to be except that
the railroad executives did suggest
tnat congress give them some sort of
assurance that if the 8-hour day went
into operation they would get Increas-
' ing rates for the carriage of their
freight. I pointed out to them that it
was impossible to tell whether they
would need increased rates for the car
riage of their freights.
"We believe in the eight-hour day
Decause a man does oetter work within
eight hours than he does within a more
extended day, and the whole theory of
It. a theory which is sustained by
abundant experience, is that his effici
ency is increased, his spirit in his work
is improved, and the whole moral and
physical vigor of the man is added to.
"This is no longer conjectural.
Where it has been tried it has been
demonstrated. The Judgment of soci
ety, the vote of every Legislature in
America that has voted upon it, is a
verdict, in favor of the eight-hour day.
"And therefore, I said to those gen
tlemen on. both sides at the very be
ginning: "The eight-hour day ought to
be conceded.' " But -they said, Tt will
cost us an immense sum of money.'
Then I said. "How do you know how
much it will cost you?
"84-Cent Gas Case Quoted.
"You remember mere was a case de
cided by the Supreme Court of the
United States. It was known as the
"80-Cent Gas" case, where, by legisla
tion in the state of New York, 80
cents was established as the charge
for the unit of the supply of gas. and
the law was contested upon the
ground that it was' confiscatory, and
therefore unconstitutional.
"And when the appeal reached the
Supreme Court of the United States
it said: 'Nobody can tell until you try
to manufacture gas at 80 cents
whether it Is confiscatory or not Go
ahead and manufacture gas and sell
it for 80 cents and then if it proves
impossible to conduct your business
upon that charge, come back and dis
cuss with us the confiscatory nature
of this act.' And it may be remarked
in passing that the company never
went back to discuss It."
"I said to the railroad executives:
"You are asking that the result of the
eight-hour day be predicted and the
prediction be arbitrated. You are
asking for an arbitration of a conjec
ture, of an opinion, of a forecast of the
figures of experts based upon an en
tirely different experience, and if you
were to ask me personally to arbitrate
such a question I would say I am not
competent to arbitrate it.
Course Pointed Out.
" 'The reasonable thing to do is to
grant the eight-hour day, not because
of the men. but because it is right, and
let me get authority from Congress to
appoint a commission of as impartial
nature as I can choose to observe the
results and report upon the results, in
order that justice may in the event be
done the railroads in respect to the
cost of the experiment. .
That was the proposal which they
rejected and which Congress put into
a law, a proposal which I made to them
before I conferred with it. which I
urged upon them at every conference,
and which, when the one side rejected
and the other side accepted, I went to
Congress and asked Congress to enact.
I did not ask either de whether it
Guiiea mem, ana j. requested my friends
in Congress not to ask either side
whether it suited them. I learned be
fore the controversy began, so far as
I was concerned in it, that the whole
temper of the legislative body of the
United States was in favor of the
eight-hour day.
vvnen I carried it to Congress, some
very interesting things happened. In
the House of Representatives the plan
was passed, was sanctioned by a vote
wnicn included, I am told, about 70
Republicans as against 64 Republicans.
and in the Senate, I am informed that
the Republican members of the Senate
held a conference in which thev deter
mined to put no obstacle in the way
or tne passage of the bill. Now this
was because the proposal was reason
able and was based upon right.
People's Rights First.
"But, ladies and gentlemen, that is
not the end of the story. This thing
ought to have been done, and it had to
be done at the time that it was done.
so as to bring about a reasonable trial
of the eight-hour day and a careful ex
amination or tne results of the eight
nour day. But that does not finish the
matter. Let me call your attention to
wnat I believe we ought all to be think
ing about, so as to set the stage for
this and all similar cases.
There are some things in which so
ciety is so profoundly Interested that
its interests take precedence over the
interests of any group of men whatever.
One of these things is the sudpIv of the
absolute necessaries of life. It would
be intolerable if at any time any group
or men by any process should be suf
fered to cut society off from the neces
sary supplies which sustain life.
But these supplies are of no use
unless they can be distributed, and in
the matter of the distribution of goods,
particularly of the goods that sustain
life and Industry, the interest of so
ciety is paramount to every other in
terest; and the difficulty about all sit.
uatlons like that whioh we have Just
passed through is this, that the main
partner is left out of the reckoning.
These men were dealing with one an
other as if the only thing to settle
was what rights had the 100,000,000
people of the United States.
Opinions Differ as to Method.
The business of government is to
see that no other organization, is as
strong as itself, to see that no body or
group of men, no matter what their
private interest is, may come into com
petition with the authority of society;
and '- problem which Congress, be-
cau: i the lateness of the session.
has -ur a few months postponed is
this problem: By what means are we
going to oblige persons who come to
a controversy like this to admit the
public into a partnership by which
the thing is discussed and decided?
That is not an easy problem. A
great many diferent methods have
been proposed and one of the reasons
why Congress thought it necessary to
postpone the decision for a few months
was that there were so many honest
differences of opinion, not as to the
object, but as to the method.
"I want to suggest to you a means
of testing your fellow men as to
whether they know what they are talk
ing about or not. It is not necessary
for a man to argue with me with an
obvious moral principle, but I am very
much interested when he comes and
argues with me how he is going to
make it work. And when men say,
We must not permit any organization
to neglect the interests of society,' I
said, 'Amen, but what I want to sit
down and discuss with you is, how are
we going to prevent it?' The only
thing worth talking about in politics or
any other sphere is the constructive
idea: 'How are you going to do it?"
We all know, or at any rate we pretend
to know, what we ought to do, but we
do not all know how to do it; and the
very difficult question which the
American people is now face to face
with and which they are going to set
tle is this: 'How are we going to or
ganize our participation as a partner in
the settlement of disputes between cap
ital and labor which Interrupt the life
of the Nation?" I invite all subscrib
era to suggest a method.
Programme to Be Carried Out.
"It is not a question of obliging in
dividuals; it is a question of enforc
ing a partnership and seeing to it
that no organization is stronger than
that organization which we all belong
to and support and call and love by the
name or our own Government.
"So I laid a programme before Con
gress by which, at any rate, a begin
ning might be made in that direction,
and that programme is going to be
proceeded witn.
"I cannot imagine anything more in
spiring than to be put on your mettle
after legislation has taken the shackles
off you and appraised you. You know
that you are no man's servant. Reac
tion in this matter would shut us up
like a province. To turn ' back upon
any portion of the road we have trav
eled would be craven.
"To pretend that we are able to com
pete with the world and then cringe at
the opportunity would not be worthy
of any of the traditions of America, and
so for my part I am particularly proud
to be supported by the business opinion
of American men because I know my
self to have a great enthusiasm for the
triumphant development of American
enterprise throughout the world.". -
BILLINGS IS FOUND
GUILTY OF MURDER
Jury Takes Eight Ballots and
Recommends Sentence of
Life Imprisonment.
FOUR OTHERS TO BE TRIED
Defendant in San Francisco Bomb
Case Says Verdict Is Xot Right.
Sentence Is to Be Pro
nounced Tuesday.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 23. Warren
K. Billings., tried here for the murder
of Mrs. Myrtle Van Loo. one of the 10
persons killed by the explosion of a
bomb during the San Francisco pre
paredness parade. July 22, was today
found guilty of murder in the first de
gree by the Jury that heard the evi
dence: '
Life imprisonment was recommended.
Billings will be sentenced Tuesday,
ii was announced.
The Jury was out Just four hours.
from 10:50 A. M. to 2:50 P. M. . Most
of that time was spent at lunch at a
cafe. The jury reported its verdict al
most immediately after returning to
the Hall of Justice.
Other Cases Pending.
Assistant District Attorney Brennan,
after the verdict had been returned,
said that he hoped to be able to use
Billings' testimony in the prosecution
of Thomas J. Mooney, his wife Rena,
Israel Weinberg and Edward Nolan,
who are under indictment similar to
that upon which Billings was convicted.
Earlier in the day Brennan had made
the statement that he considered Bill
ings only a tool In the hands of bigger
men and that if he were convicted, he
(Brennan) would be the first to go to
the Governor and ask for a pardon or
commutation of sentence if Billings
would consent to tell what he knew of
the bomb conspiracy.
Jury Takes Eight Ballots.
The jury took eight ballots before
arriving at a verdict.
The verdict came as a surprise to
Billings and his attorney. Maxwell Mc
Nutt. it appeared.
They might as well have hanged
me as given me life." Billings said. "If
I was guilty enough to convict, way
didn't I get it in full?"
Crowds of Billings' friends came to
him after the verdict was read and the
police had escorted the jury home. Most
of them were prominent in radical cir
cles and leaders In the International
Workers' Defense League, which fin
anced his defense.
"The fight is not over yet," he was
told. Mrs. Belle Lavln, his former land
lady, who was arrested at the time he
was taken into custody, but who was
later released, came over and kissed
him. Mrs. Lavin was also landlady of
the McNamara brothers before they
pleaded guilty to dynamiting the Times
building in Los Angeles.
Billings was arrested here July 26,
four days after the explosion of a
bomb at Steuart and Market streets,
which killed 10 persons and Injured
more than 40, daring a preparedness
parade. Weinberg was arrested with
him. Edward Nolan was taken into
custody the following day and Mooney
and his wife were taken Into custody
at Guerneville, Cal., and brought to
San Francisco.
Five Persons Indicted.
Indictments were returned against
Billings, the Mooneys. Weinberg and
Nolan, August 1. Several indictments
were returned against each of the five
persona Billings' trial, the first of
those of the Indicted persons, began
September 11.
The trial proceeded with considerably
more expedition than had been expect
ed in view of the large number of wit
nesses subpoenaed by both prosecution
and defense.
The state's principal witness was
John McDonald, a waiter who identi
fied Billings as a man whom he saw.
on the day of the preparedness parade,
set down a suitcase at the corner of
Steuart and Market streets, where the
explosion subsequently took place.
The theory of the prosecution was
that the bomb was enclosed in a suit
case.
Billings chief defense was an at
tempt to establish an alibi.
GUARDS STILL IN MILITIA
Muster Out of Federal Service Doe
Not Release From State Control.
TOFEKA. Sept. 20. Kansas National
Guardsmen will not be discharged from
state service when they are mustered
out of the Federal service. They still
Do You Know
"THE LITTLE GIRL
NEXT DOOR"?
She's Coming
to the
Pickford
Next Sunday
Superfluous Hair
A smooth, hairless skin always fol
lows the UM of Demosant. It will
not lnj ure or discolor the skis, is
easily applied and removes super
fluous hair or fuzs in two minutes,
sing la application sufficing: un
less ths hair is unusually thick.
Neither smarts nor disfigures and
- does not, stimulate the growth of
new hair. Demosant Is guaranteed
to give entire satisfaction. Generous
trial size postpaid in plain wrapper,
lor 25ct or large Jar, perfumed. Sue,
or any druggist can obtain either
package for you. If he hasn't It In
stock. Esbencott Chemical Labora
tories, Portland, Or.
When Loot In sr for Anything Musical,
Bee xucuoagau irst
Phone Marshall 85.
McDOUGALL MUSIC CO.
Band and Orchestra Instruments.
Musical Merchandise of Every Descrlp-
hod, instruction uaokt, i,tc.
Send for Catalogues.
32S Alder Street, Oregonlan Block.
SPECIAL THIS WEEK 03TLY
FDR SI. on
WE WILL REPAIR YOUR WATCH
7f o Matter How Badly Broken.
AXti WORK GUARANTEED O.VE YEAR
HOWARD JEWELRY CO.,
PERKINS HOTEL, Sl Vi Washington St.
will be members of the National Guard.
C. I. Martin, Adjutant General, said, recently.
First Lieutenant Bruce E. Stryker. of
Fredonla. was appointed Captain of
Company E. First Regiment, vice Den
nis Sheedy. who failed to pass the phy
sical test. Second Lieutenant Fritz
Koch, of Fredonia. was promoted. First
Lieutenant.
YOUNG LOGGER KILLED
Employe of Vancouver Company Xs
Crushed by Tree.
VANCOUVER. Wash.. Sent S3.
(Special.) A young- man. 23 vears .old.
was killed at the logging camp of the
Harvey Mill Company, on the North
Fork of the Lewis River, late Thurs
day, according' to advices brought to
mis city oy j. n. Harvey, of the com
pany.
The man was employed In fallinar
timber. A 'snag which had been cut
broke as It fell and the top fell back
ward, crushing the man. The bodv
was taken to Woodland. No relatives
nave oeen located.
Clarke County Democrats Organzo.
VANCOUVER. Wash- Sent 23.
(Special.) While the Republican Cen
tral Committee of Clarke Countv or
ganized in the courtroom at the
courthouse today, the Democrats held
a similar meeting in the County Com
missioners' room Just below. Only
about 20 attended the Democratic
meeting. Douglas Caples was re
elected county chairman and John A.
Hogg, Jr.. was chosen secretary and
treasurer. Dr. R. D. Wiswall was se
lected as state committeeman from
this county.
470 Cars of Pears Shipped.
The total pear shipments of last year
nave aireaay oeen aouoied and many
cars of Winter Nellls have not been
iorwaraea. Last year 219 cars were
nipped, 'mis year 470 cars have al-
Mdv hMn hm.H nut . .
apples have been sent and the entire
fruit crop promises to come up to the
Ftiriy estimate or luau cars.
SCHEDULES MUST WAIT
INTERSTATE C O M M E RC E BODY
POSTPONES CERTAIN TARIFFS.
Suspended Fta-ures Provide for In
crease Rates on Lumber and
Other Forest Products.
OREGON IAN NEWS BUREAU. Wash
ington, Sept. 23. The Interstate Com
merce Commission today issued an or
der allowing the Wholesale Mill Work
Association to intervene in case No.
8619 of the West Coast Lumbermen's
Association et al. against the New
York Central et al.
The Commissioners also have sus
pended the operation until January 23
of certain schedules contained in sup
plement No. 10 to R. H. Countiss.
agents' tariff L C. C, No. 1017.
Tho suspended schedules provide for
Increased rates on lumber and other
forest products originating in the Pa
cific Coast territory via the Northern
Pacific and the Great Northern rail
ways to stations In Michigan on the
Copper Range Railroad. The present
rates are from Pacific Coast group, ES
cents, ami from intermediate " groups
62 cents per 100 pounds to the desti
nations Involved. The proposed com
bination basis will result in increases
ranging from 2 to 9 cents per 100
pounds.
2 EXPLOSIONS MYSTERIOUS
Chicago Building Partly Wrecked;
Labor Troubles Blamed.
CHICAGO. Sept. 23. Two mysteri
ous dynamite explosions.' both attribut
ed to labor affairs, partially wrecked
two buildings early today. Windows
for blocks were shattered. The first
blast occurred at an apartment build
ing occupied by Edward A. Shields,
said by the police to be identified with
an electrical union.
The second explosion, which dam
aged the building of the Atlas Garage
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Week-day dinner dance from
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We invite you to enjoy "Portland service.'
RICHARD W. CHILDS.
Manager.
ELBERT S. ROBE.
Assistant Manager.
The
Portland
Hotel
Company, is believed to have been
caused by a bomb hnrlej from a pars
ing elevated train. Vnlon employe
the garage recently went on strike.
Weekly Pays for One of THese Striking
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