The sun., 1903-11-19
Tho Presidents Guest. From Butte.

From the Engineering and Mining Journal.
1t 10 announced that. upon the invitation
of the President. six representatives OF the
Butte labor unions will dine at the White
House on Nov, 49, This statement. appear
ing in most OF the daily papers. has received
but little comment from the Eastern press,
although We feel assured that It's significance
is fully appreciated In the West. where the
history and performance OF the Butte Miners
Union are only too well known.
Whether the action Of Mr.. Roosevelt is
prompted by the impulse Of hospitality in
return for courtesies received by him during
his recent visit to Butte, or whether 1t is duo
to political ga gacty, we do not know. nor does
it concern this technical journal; whether the
motive be entirely creditable or distinctly
blame worthy. We do know that this official
recognition OF the Butte labor union is call
culated to infict grievous injury upon the
mining industry Of the WHOLE country.
Before issuing dinner invitations to these
men It would have been well II the President
had requested his detective service to in
ouire into their antecedents: OF course. 1t is
not usual to institute such search into the
character OF guests. but. on the other hand.
| il is not customary to invite people Of this
description to an official dinner at Washing e.
ton. In default OF such an inquiry we can
state that what the Clan-na-Gael has been to
the brutalities OF Irish politics. what the Maha
has been in the bloody feuds Of the low
horn Italians, that the Butte Miners Union
has been to the labor troubles of our West
ern mining camps The unspeakable bar
barities OF the Ceur d'Alene strike. the
anarchy which disfgured Leadvile. the assas-
sinatlons and murders which made Telluride
byword, the disorders at Cripple Creek
these. every one of them. have received
their handspring and their sustenance from
| the gang OF ruffians who have controlled
| the union at Butte II they have been per-
| mitted to maintain their organization at
Butte city itself II Is only because Marcus
| DAILY used the union to control Montana
| politics. Clark brbed outright. while Heinze
and the Amalgamated were so busy with
| their cat-and-dog fight that they had no
| time to spare for civilized decencies
| II ever there was an organization which
! deserves to bc condemned by honest men it
| is the labor union whose leaders are expected
at the White House next week. Wherever
| a mine mana ger has tried to treat his men
humanely and to give each that equality of
| opportunity to work which la the Ameri-
cans heritage there Mis- gang Of Irish
Austri italian Anarchists has sent its
emissaries to stir up trouble. Wherever
a mining community has been pursuing
the even tenor Of it's way attended by pros
perity and Guietness, there these agitators
have melted foul murders and cowardly
| assassnations. 1t Is all well known to the
| InlllliS ii'H III WIG "coe "oo Weh hHoWh dlds,
that IL ceases to excite the fierce resentment
which 1t warrants. until once In while a
| friend disappears in the dark or is riddled
with bullets In broad daylight. At such
timcs indeed. We feel like moving heaven
and earth to see justice done. only to run
into an impossible quagmire OF muddy foul
ness-whioh is called local politics.
Is the Chief Executive. man held by his
| friends to be the best type of American man
hood, is he going to do an act for politics
sake which will he taken rs the indorse ment
of the most un- American tyranny that over
existed on this continent? We hope not
| most sincerely.