Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-10-09

Miller. the "Scab' Remains in Government
Employ Question Will Come Up Before the
American Federation of Labor Next Month
The Political Season at Washington Has
Opened-The Political Outlook CONNER.
ciaI Expedition to AbyssinIa Negroes
in Washington Are Trying to Organize.
QrOm our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, Oct. ], 1903.
President Roosevelt has made his
decision in the Miller case and it is
against the labor unions. Foreman
Miller is to remain in the Government
Printing Office and there is to be no
discrimination between union and
non-union labor in government EN-.
ployes. This fact was made plain in a
statement issued by the President on
Tuesday evening after a conference
with committee of prominent labor
leaders, composed of Samuel Com.
pers, President of the American FEEDER
alton of Labor; John Mitchell, the
leader of the Anthracite Coal Strike,
and others of the Federation. The
conference has been described as q
Farce" as the statement issued by
the President had been prepared be-
forehand. The President states that
he is President of all the people of the
United States, without reference to
creed, color, birthplace, OF social con-
dition, and that he can no more recog-
nize the fact that a man is a union
man than that he is a Protestant,
Catholic, Jew or Gentle. He says
that it is out of the question to dismiss
Miller because he is q non-union man
and that his personal fitness must be
decided in the regular routine of ad.
ministrative detail. This is a hard
blow to Labor as the controversy really
involved the question whether Gov.
eminent Printing Office and presum-
ably every plant controlled by the
Government should be an "open" or
"union" shop. 1t was evident that
the labor leaders were much disap-
pointed but they refused to make any
statement regarding the decision. The
case is now regarded as settled as far
as Mr.. Roosevelt is concerned, but
many people believe that labor will
retaliate and that the Republican
party will loose many labor votes. The
union men argue that as the President
daily discriminates between Democrats
and Republicans in selecting govern
ment servants, he could quite as we'll
discriminate between union and nom
union men. They declare that here.
after this shall be the price OF the
labor vote.
The American Federation OF Labor
holds its annual convention in Boston,
next November and it is expected
that the Miller case will be considered
and decision reached which will rep
resent the official opinion OF organized
labor. The controversy might thus
be drawn into the Presidential cam
paign.
The political season has opened i'm
Washington. The President has re-
turned to the White House, Senators
and Representatives are registering at
the different hotels every day, and
Washington has again become the
political and social center OF the coun.
try. The Fifty-eighth Congress will
not be dull one. 1t begins with an
extra session and on the eve of Q
Presidential election, there is . new
speaker in the House and many new
members in the House and Senate.
The questions which interest the poll.
ticians, are innumerable, Cuban re.
ciprocity, financial legislation, the
transisthmian canal, ship subsidy, the
race question, the postal scandals, In.
dian scandals, the Alaskan boundary,
the anti canteen law, the Statehood
question and the case of Senator Reed
Smoot Of Utah are some of the many
subjects which will come up for de.
bate. The eyes OF the nation will be
turned on Washington which is be-
coming more and more the political,
social and diplomatic arena OF the
Western hemisphere.
Democrats in Washington are much
elated over the prospects Of the party
in Ohio and New York. 1t is evident
that the Reu blicans of Ohio are
frightened and are appealing to the
party at large for assistance. There
have been fifteen hundred invitations
sent out to Republican speakers
through the country, and Secretary
Shaw, Secretary Wilson, Secretary
Moody, Speaker-to' be.Cannon, Sena-
tor Fairbanks, Senator Depew and
half dozen other prominent Republi.
can Senators have promised to come
out to Ohio, to help Senator Hanna
defeat Tom johnson. 1t is believed
that Mr.. Hanna's refusal to debate
with Mr.. Clarke will injure the Re-
publican cause in his State.
Consul General Robert p. Skinner,
our representative at Marseilles,
France, has just arrived in Washing
ton to complete arrangements for his
coming expedition into Abyssinia. He
is going there to invite Emperor Meme
lik to participate in the st. Louis Ex-
position and to make Q commercial
agreement with the United States.
An American warship will convey Mr..
Skinner to the Red Sea and a detach-
ment OF United States marines will
escort him on his long overland jour
ney to the negro emperor's capital.
The European press is somewhat ex-
cited over this American invasion"
of Abyssinia and publish wild reports
Of our plans of conquest in Africa. As
q matter OF fact we have been trading
with Menelik's people for several years
although we have not yet either .
diplomatic or consular agent in Abys-
sinia. We send to that country cotton
goods and other staple articles and re.
ceive in return large quantities of
ivory, hides, carpet woods and other
raw materials.
The first meeting Of the Negro SUI.
frage league of the District of Colum.
bis, which was held here last week,
marks the beginning of a movement
among the colored people for the or.
ganization Of . national negro league
which will have for its object the pro.
lection OF the black man and the fur.
thering of his interests. In other
words the negroes are trying to or.
panize. At the meetinu Of tina D;s.