The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-13
A Time Of Change.

The anthracite coal strike is creating
laws.
It has caused President Roosevelt to
take step that is regarded in some quar-
tiers as unconstitutional. It is held that
in inviting the disputants to confer with
him he was clearly stepping outside the
limits of his authority. It Is urged that
it does not alter the case that the presi-
dent disclaimed any official authority, and
assumed only to act as a man. But as
Colonel Roosevelt, the man; as New: York
police commissioner, the man; as civil
service commissioner, the man; as ranch
err the man; as historian, the man, he
could not have got the disputants to meet
him or take any notice Of him. It Is not
because he is Theodore Roosevelt, but
because he is president Of the United
States that the antagonists in the. great
struggle called on him In response to his
invitation. So it is seen that after all it
was the presidents office more than the
president that interviewed. And if he
can intervene in one strike, why not in,
others, and if in a dispute between labor
and capital, why not in dispute between
capital and capital, and then why
not in big business affairs general
ly? While this is logical it is
fanciful.z The president may or may
not have been justified in trying Ito settle
this dispute, but there are times when
the president Is called uponfto do things
that are not mentioned in the constitu-
ton. There is not a line in that xdocu-
ment authorizing the, federal government
to use force to prevent secession, but
just the same the greatest war in this
century was fought through the exercise
Of such force. But whatever may be the
constitutional bearing Of the presidents
action, it is novel, and it is history now.
Another novelty the strike has given US
was the presidents direct recognition of
a labor leader as such by attempting to
make an agreement with Mitchell to call
off the strike in consideration Of the presi-
Dental promise to do certain things.
/ The strike has brought to the front the
question of public ownership of coal mines
and railways, and some very conservative
men have been putting forward sugges-
lions that mark a distinct change in the
prevailing conceptions of the rights of
property. There is no question that 1T has
been brought out that the country is
shocked by the offensive use the coal
operators have made Of first person, pos
sessive pronouns in discussing the diff
Guilty. There is a disposition to look upon
both operators and operatives as mere
agents Of the people in mining and dis
tributing coal.
Another new thing the strike has given
us is the spectacle Of republican con-
gresham appealing to Pierpont MOI
gan to help him to reelection. Congress-
man Charles II. Grosvenor Of Ohio tele-
graphed to Clement A. Griscom to appeal
to Pierpont Morgan to settle the strike
in order to prevent democratic success at
the approaching congressional elections
and consequent financial ruin; and
more especially to- save" Grosvenol
himself, who said he was going home etc
face 5000 mad miners" with a miner can:
didate running against him. ~I ,: T..
| Decidedly, there are some new things
under the sun these days. =. IT, -