Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-03
LABOR ON "oMN SHOP"
OPEN LETTER MAILED TO PRESI-
DENT ROOSEVELT.
Will Have Direct Reference to Miller
Case-Views of. Chicago
Organization.

The secretary of the Central Labor Union
in this city today received from Chicago the
following statement which 1t is understood
precedes the publication of an open letter
which the Chicago organization has mailed
to President Roosevelt in defense of the
CLOSED shop policy, and having direct ref
erence to the Miller case.
The explanatory statement was given
out by Honore Jaxon, secretary of commit
tee which has the matter in charge:
1T is peculiar fact that ever since the
Miller case first obtruded itself upon public
notice. every utterance by organized labor
in defense of the 'closed-shop' doctrine and
practice has been represented as an at
tempt to bring about deciding of that
b case in manner which would violate ex-
listing statute law, and that every official
declaration in favor of existing statute law
has been described as closing of the incl
dent to the discontinue of organized labor
The real facts are that so far as violat-
Ing statute law Is concerned the incident
has never been opened by organized labor;
and that, apart from the necessity of re-
futfnG that oft-repeated SANDER, the real
and not yet closed incident is to be found
in the circumstance that an official express
sion Of private opinion, somewhat vaguely
uttered in connection with the Miller case,
has been positively construed and widely
heralded-by the enemies of organized Ia
bor-as an official condemnation of the
closed-shop policy as policy and on it's in
trinsic merits.
The Demands Made.
1T is to this incident that the letter of
the Chicago federation relates; and, that its
arguments may not be prejudced by any
misunderstanding Of It's purpose, 1t may be
we'll to state that, like nearly every other
labor utterance on this question, the letter
makes no demands for the contravening Of
existing statute law by underhanded meth
ode hut
under republican institutions and in it's
numerical strength labor is abundantly able
to change the existing statute law when
ever it shall really desire to do so, 1t would
be both absurd and undtgnif1ed for labor to
attempt to gain its wishes through back
stairs influence rather than by open and
above board methods.
I'm other words, organized labor is fully
aware that to accomplish its desires by
inducing the President of the United States
to violate his oath Of office would mean
far more than the placing Of union rules
In a position above the law made by the
whole people. 1t would mean the placing
of the President in a position above the
law-and SO at one stroke would wipe out
every essential distinction between this re-
public and an absolute monarchy, and
would create power and q precedent
which, although used for labor's apparent
benefit today, would undoubtedly be used
for labor's undoing tomorrow.
Miller and his qualifications must be
dealt with for the present In accordance
with the existing requirements of the public
printing office; and, SO far as he is con-
cerned. organized labor demands only that
statutory charges properly filed against
him shall not be allowed to sleep. And 1t
must insist that to represent labor as de-
handing more than this is to befog the
issue and to convert the Miller episode into
a political ambuscade for the aid and COM
fort Of those forces of special privilege
which are striving to keep the people d.
vided and conquered.
Purpose in View.
"Our letter. therefore, offers no comfort
to any elements or interests which may be
more concerned in manufacturing partisan
political sentiment than in furthering the
advance of humanity along its very rocky
road to happiness = Z n
AS for giving Joy to labor's enemies by
making adverse criticism Of the determine
ton of the President of this republic to
enforce whatever laws may remain unex-
plunged upon the statute books, the letter
satisfies itself with an announced determi-
nation to influence public opinion in favor
of a program of correctly ordered ex-
pungement: and to that end essays to
contribute from the workingmans point
of view an outline of some of the things
which may be said in favor of policy
which is construed by labor's enemies to
have been officially condemned, but which
in the light of actual experience has been
found by labor itself to be both salutary
and necessary.
1T is a merit of this letter that 1t aims
at the root of the closed SHOP difficulty and
demonstrates that in the last analysis it is
only the beneficiaries of special privilege
who are interfered with by closed shop
practice. 1t is therefore with a good grace
that 1t calls upon all legitimate workers
whether by hand or by brain, and whether
in city or in country-to refuse to be any
longer misled by imaginary differences into
the forming Of mutually neutralizing fac
tons and parties, but rather to unite for
the curbing of those interests and institu-
tons which in their hunger for law-created
privilege have become the common enemies
of all good and honest men,"