Evening star., 1903-09-30
MILLER IS TO REMAIN
The President Reiterates His
Former Determination.
AN OPEN PRINTERY
CHARGES AGAINST FITNESS AN
OTHER MATTER
They Are to Be Disposed Of in the
Ordinary Routine of the Govern
ment Printing Office.
AN OPEN PRINTERY

President Roosevelt late last night an
nounced in the most positive manner, as-ln-
timated in The Star would be the case, that
w. A. Miller would not be disturbed IN his
position at the government printing Office,
and that all government departments would
be open to both union and non-union men.
The President said that his decision was
final
The announcement followed two hours
conference with a committee of the -Ameri-
can Federation of Labor. The conference
was granted at the request of the LABOR
leaders. who sent the President the Hollow
ing letter before he left Oyster Bay:
WASHINGTON. D. c., September "a, 1903
Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, President OF the unitea
Dear Sir: The executive council of the American
Federation of Labor is intrusted with the annirs OF
the general labor movement In the interim of ma
regarding various subjects OF legislation In tne III
terests OF labor as vel as OF executive S ae'lons nnn
mftted TO our care and which we desire 10 bring
to your attention with the hope OF receiving your
sympa thetc support. Then. again. the controversy
Of ". A. Miller who was dismissed lis Ea1 from tn the
Peen sa tn u.s. Having these in mind
the executive council selected subcommittee 1or
the purpose Of having an interview with you. az az
which time these matters may be gone over with
The members of the committee are James Dun
can, John Mitchell James OConneH, Frank Nor
rison and Samuel Gompers.
We have learned that you will return to Wash
-
accord the committee an interview: Inasmuch
as Mr.. Mitchell has engagements which viii re
and as we desire his presence. we hope that you
may set time before his departure Is1t9 co,prps
Very respectfully, SAMUEL GoMffihS.
The committee named in the letter went
to the White House shortly after 8 O'Clock
and left there at 11:2O o'clock. In the
afternoon the President had conferred with
John Mitchell and with James r. Garfield,
acting secretary of the Department of Com
merce and Labor, and Frank Sergeant.
commissioner of immigration, who had
handled the Miller case throughout.
The Presidents Statement.
The Presidents statement to the COM
mittee. made public by Secretary Loeb, was
as follows:
September o. 1903.
"I thank you and your committee for
your courtesy, and / appreciate the oppor-
tunity to meet with YOU 1t will always be
pleasure to see you or any representa-
tives Of your organizations or Of your fed
Grafton as a whole.
"As regards the Miller case, have little
to add to what I have already said. In
dealing with it l ask you to remember that
I am dealing purely with the relation or
the government to Its employees. l must
govern my action by the laws Of the land,
which am sworn to administer and which
differentiate any case in which the govern
ment of the United States Is a party from
all other cases whatsoever. These laws
are enacted for the benefit of the whole
people. and cannot and must not be con-
strued as permitting discrimination against
some Of the people. am President OF all
the people of the United States without re-
gard to creed, color, birthplace, occupa-
ton or social condition. My aim is to do
equal and exact Justice as among them all.
In the employment and dismissal of men in
the government service I can no more rec
ognize the fact that man does or does not
belong to a union as being for or against
him than can recognize the fact that he
" a Ia nr q
GENTLE as being for against him.
In the communications sent me by vari-
Gus labor organizations protesting against
the retention OF Miller in the government
printing office. the grounds alleged are two
fold: l. That he Is non-union man. z.
That he Is not personally fit The question
of his personal fitness is one to be settled
in the routine of administrative detail and
cannot be allowed to conflict with or to
cOmplicate the larger question of govern
mental discrimination for or against him
member OF union. This is the only ques-
ton now before me for decision, and as to
this my decision is final"
The labor leaders declined to discuss the
attitude OF the President, President Com
pers saying there would be no further con-
ferences with the President On this sub
Ject,
Matters Of Legislation.
The labor leaders also brought to the at
tention of the President several matters or
legislation in which it is Interested Among
these were the enforcement OF the eight
hour law and the anti-injunction bill which
passed the House of Representatives the
last session of Congress. The President,
! Mr.. Gompers said. expressed himself as
favorable to the principle Of the short
hour day and his deep concern for the In
terest of the wage earners of the country.
The President also was asked by his
visitors to take up the case of Ephra1rn w
Clark. who is confined in the Thomaston.
Me-. Jail. under a sentence Of life imprison-
ment for mutiny. The President was asked
to extend executive clemency in Clark's
case