The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-30
He IL President of the Whole Country
and Cannot Discriminate Between
Creed, Color OF Occupation.
HIS DECISION IS FINAL
MILLER CANNOT BE DISMISSED BE-
CAUSE OF NONUNIONIsM.
Question of His Unftness as Book
binder Must BE settled I'm Routine
of Administrative Detail.

WASHINGTON. Sept. 2s-An important
conference took place at the White House
tonight between President Roosevelt and
ave members OF the executive council of
the American Federation of Labor, includ-
ing Mr.. Gompers and Mr.. Mitchell. head of
the miners union. during which the case
Of Foreman w. A Miller, of the Govern
ment Printing Office, who was dismissed
because he had been expelled by the local
bookbinders union and afterward was re-
instated by direction Of the President, was
the principal topic of discussion. The con-
ference was granted at the request Of the
labor leaders. The Miller case very
fully presented by the members Of the ex-
ecutive council, at the close of which the
President made a statement in which he
announced that his decision not to dismiss
Miller final and that the question of
his personal fitness must be settled in the
regular routine of administration
The statement in full is as follows;
THE STATEMENT.
Pursuant TO the request OF Samuel Com
pers president of the American Federation
of Labor. the President granted an inter-
view this evening to the following members
of the executive council of that body:
Mr.. Samuel Gompers. Mr.. James Dun
can Mr.. John Mitchell, Mr.. James OCOn-
subjects of legislation in the interest
OF labor, well as executive action. were
discussed Concerning the case Of William
A. Miller. the President made the following
statement:
II thank you and your committee for
funity to meet with you. 1t win always be
pleasure to see you or any representative
of your organizations or OF your fedora
tion a whole As regards the Miller case,
have little TO add TO what / have already
said. In dealing with IL ask you TO re-
member that / am dealing purely with the
relation of ths government to its employees.
/ must govern my action by the laws OF the
land which / am sworn TO administer. and
which differentiate any case In which the
government of the United States is party
from all other cases whatsoever. These
laws are enacted for the benefit of the
whole people, and cannot and must not b., be
against some of the people / am President
of all the people of the United States. with
out regard to creed, color, birthplace, occu-
patton or social conditions. My aim is to
do equal and exact justice among them
all. In the employment and dismissal or
men in the government service / can no
more recognize the fact that a man does or
does not belong TO union as being for or
against him than / can recognize the fact
that he is a Protestant or Catholic,
Jew or a gentle. as being for or against
him.
I'm the communications sent me by vari-
tention of Miller in the Government Print
ing Office the grounds alleged two
fold: First. that he is nonunion man;
second. that he Is not personally ht. The
question of his personal fitness is one to be
settled in the routine OF administrative de-
tail, and cannot be allowed TO conflict with
or to complicate the larger question OF
governmental discrimination for or against
him or any other man because he is or is
not member of a union. This is the only
question now before me for decision; and
as to this my decision is final.''
THE COUNCILS LETTER
The members of the executive council at
tending the conference constituted the sub
committee appointed to take up the Miller
case at the meeting of the executive coun-
Gil held in Washington last week. At that
time the subcommittee wrote letter to
the President asking that time be set
for a conference. 1t was dated Washing
ton, Sept. "A. and was sent to the President
at Oyster Bay. and is in part as follows:
The executive council OF the American
Federation of Labor is intrusted with the
affairs of the general labor movement in
the interim OF national conventions and has
received instructions regarding various SUBJ
tects Of legislation In the interest of labor
as well OF executive action There are
several subjects which have been COM
uitted to our and which we desire to
bring to your attention with the hope of
receiving your sympathetic support. Then
again the controversy In the case of w.
public service and reinstated by your order
has been submitted 10 us. Having these
facts In mind the executive committee has
selected subcommittee for the purpose of
having an Interview with you at which
these matters may be gone over with you.
The letter which was sent by Mr. Com
pers then asked that an interview be ac-
corced the committee, and expressed the
hope that inasmuch Mr. Mitchelis en-
gasemeuts required him TO leave Washing
ton Tuesday evening, and that his presence
at the interview was desired that the
President would set the time for the inter
view before his departure. The reply OF
the President was favorable to the request
of Mr.. Gompers and the interview was set
Tor tonight
From the manner of the labor leaders as
they came from the White House IL was
evident that they were not entirely salts
fed with the result of their interview They
declined 10 be interviewed, Mr.. Gompers
referring the reporters TO the statement
that would be given out by the President s
secretary regarding the Miller case While
he was talking one OF his associates wished
Il 10 be impressed on the reporters that
the Presidents statement should be under
stood by them to be an entirely ..independ-
ent statement, and not as an answer &c
the councils request. The council also
several matters Of legislation in which IL is
Interested Among these We're the en-
forcement OF the eight-hour and the anti
Injunction bills which passed the house OF
gress. The President. Mr. Gompers said
expressed himself as favorable 10 the prin-
ciples Of the short hour workday and his
deep concern for the interest of the wage
earners OF the country.
Mr. Mitchell took luncheon with the
President to-day.
Hanged I'm Jail.