The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-01
A STRONG POSITION.


The position taken by President
Roosevelt in the case of Foreman A.
w. Miller of the. government bindery
is so strong as to be impregnable.
Foreman Miller was removed from his
position because he had ceased to be
a labor union man. At one time he was
a member of the union. Some act of
his displeased that body-Miller's
friends say it was that he tried to re-
duce expenses in his department and
turn out a better class of work-and
he was turned out of 1t. Then, to meet
the wishes of the union men, who are
prohibited by their organization from
working with non-union men, Miller
was discharged by the public printer.
Thus it appeared that the union domi-
mated the government printing Office
and determined who should and who
should not be employed in that office.
The right to labor was denied those
who declined or were not permitted to
take the unions pledges.
The President some time ago ordered
Miller reinstated. The fact that he was
not member of the union. he said,
could not be allowed TO initiate
against him. This reversed the action
of the public printer and established
the principle of open shop" in the
government printing office. open
shop" means that there shall be no
discrimination aP inst a man because
he Is not a member of the union; that
unionism cannot have anything to do
with an employee in the public service;
that so far as the government is con-
cerned the shop" must be kept open
to all men alike, and that all must be
treated alike.
Efforts have been made to induce the
President to recede from this position.
Several labor unions have passed res
olutions condemnatory Of the position,
and a delegation of labor leaders, in
GLIDING John Mitchell and Samuel
Gompers, has waited upon the Presi-
dent in connection with the Miller
case. What he said to the delegation,
as reported in our dispatches yester-
udyf was lIitbl illAiiO was AiAoNeS ~
with respect to the matter and his de-
cision was final; that Miller could not
be displaced because of his non union
ism, and that, under the law, there
could be no discrimination between
union and non-union men. Il can no
more recognize the fact that man
does or does not belong to a union as
being for or against him than L can
recognize the fact that he is Protest
ant or a Catholic, a Jew or Gentle,
as being for or against him." declared
the President.
To have taken any other stand would
have been subversiHe of law and lib
erty. 1t would have turned over the
government printing office, and other
bureaus as well, to the walking dele
gates who instead of the legally con-
stituted secretaries and bureau chiefs,
would have been the real di-
rectors of their affairs. 1t would
have been notice to the public that no
man might enter the government serv-
ice in the capacity of employe unless
le Ildo d uillOl SdIN III Ills pOShOh. anu
what would have become of the vaunt-
ed liberty of our institutions under
such conditions? The constitution and
the laws were designed for equality
and Justice The Presidents action is
in line with those principles, 1t was
not in defense of Miller that he de-
clined to reverse himself. If Miller is
incompetent or personally unworthy.
he can be removed for cause. The
machinery is already provided for in
vestigating the fitness of employees OF
applicants for employment. 1t can be
set in motion with respect to Miller,
and if the charges against him are
well based he can be removed legally.