Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-01
Judge Gray Praises the President.

In an interview which appears In print
today, Judge George Gray Of Delaware is
quoted as saying:
IT have no hesitation in saying that the
President of the United States was con-
fronted In October, 1902, by the existence
of a crisis more grave and threatening than
any that has occurred since the civil war.
| mean that the cessation of mining IN the
anthracite coal country, brought about by
the dispute between the miners and tnoSe
who controlled the greatest natural monop-
oily in this country. and. perhaps, In the
world had brought upon more than one
half of the American people a condition OF
deprivation of one of the necessaries of life.
and the continuance of the dispute threat
ened not only the comfort and health, but
the safety and good order, of the nation.
He was without legal or constitutional
power to interfere, but his position as
President of the United States gave him an
influence. leadership as first citizen of the
republic. that enabled him to appeal to the
patriotism and good sense of the parties to
the controversy and to place upon them
the moral coercion of public opinion to
agree to an arbitrament of the strike then
existing and threatening consequences so
direful to their whole country. He acted
promptly and courageousy, and in so doing
averted the dangers to which 1 have al
luded.
80 far from interfering or infringing
upon property rights, the Presidents action
tended to conserve them.
Il do not think that any President ever
in national crisis. Mr.. Roosevelt deserves
unstinted praise for what he did"
These are very sound sentiments, and are
shared by great majority of the American
people. The case has not been better stated
by anybody at any time. Judge Gray
speaks from full knowledge of all the facts
He must have had the Presidents purposes
from the Presidents own lips and the rest
came to him as an arbitrator in the trial of
the controversy. He and his associates on
the board executed their commission with
marked success. Both sides accepted their
findings. coal mining was resumed, and
the country applauded. And at the end of
nearly twelve months Judge Gray. review
ing the whole matter, now pays this trib-
ute to the man upon whose initiative the
work was undertaken.
The effect of this deliverance upon the
Gray presidential boom in trust circles in
New York is bound to be depressing Judge
Gray as has been noted in the press has
not taken his boom seriously, but his name
has been used here and there by those who
are anxious to put an end to Organism in
the democratic party. 1t has been can
vassed along with those of Mr. Cleveland,
Mr.. Olney, Judge Parker and Mr.. German
and the suggestion thrown out that the
nomination of the Delaware man would be
protest against both Organism and
against Rooseveltism, the trusts holding
that the President, in his interference in
the coal strike and his invoking of the anti
trust law. has out-Bryaned the peerless
leader himself
AS we see now, Judge Gray, in an i'm
portant particular, would not fill this bill
He eulogizes the President for his stand
in the coal strike matter. He served as ar
bitrator not only because he was sum-
moned by the President at critical juno
ture. but because he believed in the prin-
ciple and the feeling which actuated the
President. We are at liberty, indeed, to
infer that had he been in the White House
he would have taken the same action him
self The trusts are not hunting for such
a man. Judge Gray President would not
serve their purposes