The Washington times., 1903-10-04
CHICAGO UNIONS
DEMAND MILLER
Be DISMISSED
President Roosevelt Re-
ceiveS Nine Thousand
Word Protest.
EXECUTIVE IS ARRAIGNED
Chicago Federation of Labor
Defends CLOSED Shop"
Policy.

Policy.
Nine thousand words in defense Of the
"closed shop" system and a review of
the Miller case in the Government
Printing Office were received yesterday
by President Roosevelt. The address
was contained in the report to the Chi
cago Federation OF Labor by COM
mittee appointed on August 16 to inves-
tigate the closed shop" question, and
has now been made public. 1t consti-
tutes the first formal pronouncement on
the question OF any central labor body.
President Roosevelt's letter in order
ing the reinstatement of Miller and his
subsequent order against discrimination
or Interference with any employee who
was not a member of labor organizations
is made the basis of the protest. The
committee alternately denies any desire
to injure the President or the Admins
tration, and makes utterances which
come near taking the form OF personal
attacks.
President Taken to Task.
Among other things, the report says
that logically and naturally the main in
quiry OF the committee, so far as the
Presidents action is concerned. divides
itself into two parts. the first of which is
whether he was correct in his letter OF
July Is, when he used language 'calcu-
lated to convey the impression that a
Washington branch Of organized labor
"a MI vstln oh 4bn lot &c
OF existing statute law"
Concerning that part of the inquiry
as to the relations obtaining between
organized labor aud its closed shop
policy on one hand and existing statute
law and it's open shop" policy on the
other, the committee says: I'VE desire
10 point out to you that you were gross
ly and, albeit unintentionally. SANDER
ously irrelevant when in your letter OF
July 10 you placed in juxtaposition to
one another. and in apparent sequence
of cause and effect, your statement
perfectly correct in itself-that Miller
had been dismissed in violation of
law and your dictum-also perfectly
correct in itself-that the rules of a
labor union ought not to be allowed to
override the laws of the United States.
Facts Misrepresented.
~~Each OF these propositions, taken by
itself. IS. we would repeat. absolutely
correct. and TO neither of them. as sep
arate propositions. do we take any ex-
eeption. But in your thus placing them
together-in such manner as 20 convey
the impression that your statement about
The labor union rules was necessary as
an argument to justify your previously
written correction Of violation of law
I've do emphaticaIly object.
1T conclusively follows that the plac-
ing OF those two sentences in that mis-
leading conjunction with one another,
and the consequent inference that the
Bookbinders' Union had done the very
opposite of the things which they had
actually done, constitutes a most re-
gretable misrepresentation of one Of The
most conservative labor unions in the
United States-and not only OF that par
ticular union. but also. through the force
OF association Of ideas. of the great
labor federation of which they form a
part"
Members of the committee say they
do not mean to impute TO the President
an act of intentional sopbistry or CHI
cane. but that they believe the explana-
tion of this unfair juxtaposition of ir-
relevant subjects is that when he wrote
that letter he was laborlng under a men
tai heat resulting from representations
made TO him in private-'possibly by Mil
Ter himself. possibly by Miller's friend,
Congressman Heatwole-to the effect
that the Bookbinders' Union was In re-
atty inspired by desire TO make laws
for the Public Printing Office IN advance
OF their being given a constitutional
right 10 do so by the citizens of this Re
public"
Miller Case Discussed.
After reviewing the case at length. and
adjusting IL TO what members Of the
committee construe to be the law on the
subject. the Miller case is taken up. and
final appeal made for his dismissal.
II IS charged that he sold labor union
secrets. and repeated this offense time
and again after he was called to ac-
count, before the union took action in
eypelling him from membership. The
committee then asks the President:
what would you yourself do with
such man II you were one OF the self
respecting people whom he is trying 10
obstruct and betray? Would you treat
him as sane and healthy roul whom it
would be safe to intrust with the die
tating OF common policy?
we know well what will be the an
sweT of your heart 10 these questions
We know that every fiber OF your moral
being viii thrill in sympathy with our
efforts and our determination TO do away
With at least those material distractions
which block our advancement and TO put
far from US the want and degradation and
anxiety which come forth from present
Industrial conditions TO check the de-
Nelopment of our higher natures"
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