The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-10-01
DISCUSS MILLER CASE
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT AND LA.
BOR LEADERS CONFER AT
THE WHITE HOUSE.
SAYS His DECISION is FINAL
CHIEF EXECUTIVE REFUSES TO
TAKE ANY FURTHER ACTION
IN THE MATTER.

Washington, Sept 30.-An import
ant conference took place at the White
House last night between President
Roosevelt and five members of the
executive council of the American
Federation of labor, including Presi-
dent Gompers and Mr.. Mitchell. head
OF the miners union, during which the
case of Foreman Miller of the govern
ment printing office, who was dismiss
ed because he had been expelled from
the local Bookbinders' union, and af-
forwards was reinstated by direction
OF the president, was the principal
topic OF discussion. The conference
was granted at the request of the la
DOR leaders. The Miller case was
very fully presented by the members
OF the executive council at the con-
ference, at the close of which the
president made a statement in which
ne announced that his decision not to
dismiss Mr.. Miller was final and the
question of his personal fitness must
be settled in the regular routine OF
administration.
The statement in regard to the Mil
Ter case is as follows:
Cannot Permit Discrimination,
LAS regards the Miller case, 1 have
little to add to what I have already
said. In dealing with it, ask you to
remember that 1 am dealing purely
with the relation of the government
to its employees. l must govern my &C.
ton by the laws of the land, which l
am sworn to administer, and which
dlHerentlate any case in which the
government of the United States is a
party from all other case whatsoever.
Ihese laws are enacted for the bene-
ut OF the whole people, and cannot and
must not be construed as permitting
discrimination against some of the
people. / am president of all the peo
pie of the United States, without re-
gard to creed, color, birthplace, occu-
patton or social conditions. My aim
IS to do equal and exact justice as
among them all. In the employment
and dismissal of men in the govern
ment service, l can no more recognize
the TACT that man does or does not
belong to union as being for or
against him than l can recognize the
TACT that he is protestant or Catho-
llc' Jew or Gentle, as being for
or against him.
Grounds of Complaint.
I'm the communications sent me bv
various labor organizations protesting
against the retention of Miller in the
government printing Office, the
grounds alleged are twofold:
t1rst-That he is a non-union man.
second, that he is not personally fit.
Inc question OF his personal fitness is
one to be settled in the routine of adj
mlnlstrative detail, and cannot be al
lowed 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 union. The is the
only question now before me for de-
clslon; and as to this, my decision is
final"
The members of the executive coun-
Gil attending the conference constitut-
Ed the subcommittee appointed to take
up the Miller case at the meeting of
the executive council held in Wash
1ngton last week. They asked the
president for a conference to discuss
labor legislation and the Miller case.
and the following labor leaders attend
cd the conference: Mr.. Samuel
GOmpers, Mr.. James Duncan. Mr.
John Mitchell, Mr.. James O'Connell
and Mr.. Frank Morrison.
Labor Leaders Not Satisfied.
From the manner of the labor lead
ers as they came from the White
House 1t was evident they were not
entirely satisfied with the result of
their interview. They declined to be
interviewed. Mr.. Gompers referring
the reporters to the statement that
would be given out by the presidents
secretary regarding the Miller case
= While he was talking. one of his as
soclates wished it to be impressed on
the reporters that the presidents
statement should be understood by
tnem as an "entirely INDEPENDENT
statement and not at the councils re-
quest"
The executive council brought to
the attention of the president several
matters in which it was interested
Among these were the enforcement of
the elght-hour and anti-injunction
bills which passed the house of renre-
sentatives at the last session of con.
gress
The president. Mr.. Goinpers said
expressed himself as favorable to the
principles of the short hour workdav
and his deep concern for the interest
OF the wage earners of the country.