Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1903-10-10
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT STAND

President Roosevelt's stand on the
question of Foreman Miller OF the Gov
eminent Prin ting Office and on the "open
shop" in government employment, con-
tinues TO receive the attention of poll
ticians and labor men. In spite OF the
caution and conservative statement oil
the executive council of the American
Federation OF Labor, there are indica-
tions that many labor unions will join
issue with Mr. Roosevelt and will show
their disapprobation at the polls. The
President held conference last Tuesday
with the labor leaders and many sub
iects were discussed. On the Miller ques-
ton, however, there seems to have been
but slight discussion as the President
simply informed the leaders OF his decis-
ion. In the statement issued Immediate
IN following the conference the President
declared that Miller should remain and
that no discrimination should be made
between union and non-union labor IN
choosing employees of the government.
lie added that the law demanded this
and that the fact of a mans being a
member of union could no more be al
lowed to tell against him than the TACT
that he was a Catholic or Protestant,
jew or Gentle, white or colored. The
Executive Council of the Federation OF
Labor made no criticism OF the PIesi-
dents statement, but the following day
they issued an address to organized labor
of the country in which they stated posi-
lively that the unions would contend for
the principle of union shops.
The radical men in the Federation, and
they are numerous, bitterly oppose the
Presidents attitude and intend to bring
up the question at the coming annual
convention of the Federation in Boston,
ON November Sth. They declare that
il President Roosevelt is a true friend OF
labor and expects the laborers vote he
make the same discrimination between
= union and non-union labor as he daily
makes between Republicans and Demo-
Gratis. They argue that the labor unions
must defend their interests against the
government the same as against a
private employer. The labor unions
throughout the country continue to pass
resolutions condemning the action of the
Administration and they seem deter
mined that the Presidents statement
shall not end the controversy.
His many friends in Washington and
elsewhere deeply regret the death OF Sir
Michael Herbert, the British ambassador
10 the Onlleu STATES. he ultu lttSb Ncu-
nesday in Switzerland, where he had
gone hoping to be cured of tuberculosis,
which was the cause OF his death. He
was ambassador to this country only a
few months but was well known in
Washington where he formerly served
as charge d'affairs and as secretary of
the legation. His wife is an American
and he had many personal friends in this
country, among them President Roose-
welt whom he had known for many
years. He was very fond of telling how
the President taught him how to play
baseball His most important work
here was the settling of the difficulties
involved in the attack OF England and
her allies on Venezuela, and the negotia-
ten OF the treaty by which the present
Alaskan Boundary Commission was
created. The Foreign Office in London
has not yet considered who is to succeed
him.