The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1903-09-30
President Roosevelt MeetsLabOr
Leaders at White House.
His Position Is Clearly Defined in a
Statement Afterwards Given
to Press.
ALL APPARENTLY SATISFIED

Washington, Sept. 30-Samuel Com
pers, president of the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor; Mr.. Mitchell, the
head Of the United Mine Workers or.
ganization, and four or five other mem
bers Of the executive council Of the
American Federation Of Labor, were
in conference with the president last
night for a long time.
The conference broke MP about 1:13
O'Clock, and shortly thereafter the
following statement was given to the
press at the White Houe:
Pursuant to the request of Samuel
Gompers, president of the American
Federation of Labor, the president
granted an interview, this evening to
the following members Of the execu.
tive council of that body;
"Mr. Samuel Gompers. Mr.. James
Duncan, Mr.. John Mitchell. Mr.. James
O'Connell and Mr.. Frank Morrison at
which various subjects of legislation
in the interests of labor, as well as OK.
ecuuve action, was discussed. Con-
corning the case of william A. Miller,
the president made the following
statement:
Il thank you and your committee
for your courtesy and appreciate the
opportunity to meet with you. IL will
always be a pleasure to see you or any
Of your representatives of your organi-
cations or your federation as a whole
"As regards the Miller case, l have
little to add to what have already
said, In dealing with it ask you to
remember that | am dealing purely
with the relation of the government TO
its employees. l must govern my action
by the laws of the land which | am
sworn to administer, which define any
case in which the government of the
United States is a part- from all 9TH
er cases whatsoever. These laws are
enacted for the benefit of the whole
people, and must not be construed as
permitting discrimination against
some of the people. am president
of all the people of the United States,
without regard to creed, color, place,
occupation or SOCIAL conditions My
aim is to do equal and exact justice as
among them all. In the employment
service l can no more recognize the
fact that man does or does not be-
long to the union as being for or
against him, than can recognize the
fact that he is Protestant or Catholic,
q Jew or Gentle, as being for or
ag inst him.
lin the communications cent me by
various labor organizations protesting
against the retention of Miller in the
government printing office, the grounds
alleged are twofold.
THAT he is a non union man
that he is not personally fit. The
question of his personal fitness is one
to be settled in the routine of admin
istrative detail and cannot be allowed
to conflict with or to complicate the
larger question of governmental dis
elimination for or against him or any
other man because ne is or is not a
member of a union. This is the only
question now before me for decision,
aud as to this my decision is final.
From the manner Of the labor lead
ers as they came from the White house
it wss evident that they were entirely
satisfied with the result of the inter
view. They declined to be interview
ed, Mr.. Gompers referring the report
ers 10 the statement that would be Civ.
en- out by the presidents secretary re-
gsrding the Miller case.