New-York tribune., 1903-07-24

LABOR UNIONS AND THE GOVERNMENT.
It is a trife late in the day for the union
bookbinders in the Government Printing Office
to seek the removal of A. w. Miller. the
sistant foreman Of the blndery, on charges
against his official conduct. The issue has al
ready been made. The union has already an
nounced that its members will not work with
a nOn-union man. Having once secured Mr..
Nlillers dismissal simply on the ground Of his
expulsion from the union, the union now is
evidently with its charges merely seeking
means to enforce its prescription.
Whether Mr.. Miller was n first rate foreman
or not is now a question Of comparative insig-
nificance. The fight on him is really made be-
cause he was not the tool Of the organization.
According tc the statement of the union, he
offended by seeking legislation harmful to the
interests of the society,"" which it might have
been his duty to do as a faithful servant of the
government, and by furnishing Ito a certain
member of Congress price schedules of book
'binderies in other cities, with view to show
ling that the bookbinders in the Government
Printing Office were not doing sufficient work"
in which he was doubtless justified, for it is
we'll understood by everybody familiar with the
publishing business that the Government Print
ing Office is one Of the most extravagant plants
in the country and full of abuses. The other
thought. He was expelled because he threat
ened the particular graft of the bookbinders
union which could not tolerate a man who
cared more for the interests Of the government
than for ''the interests of the society"
Only one answer is possible to the threats
of the bookbinders' union. And there is only
one possible outcome Of a strike. if the union
cares to precipitate one. The fundamental
principle of the American nation is equality of
all citizens before the law. The non-uniOn man
has just exactly as much right to earn wages
from the government as the union man. gen
eraI sympathy with the aims of organized
labor has led to the practical unionization of
the Government Printing Office. This was all
right as a matter of practice, as long as the
organization was voluntary on the part of the
workers When, however, the pretensions of
. the union reach the point of forbidding the
government to employ any person not in good
standing with a private society, there is moth
ing for the government to do but to assert the
equality of citizens and maintain its own au-
thority. 1t is the case of the negro offiCehold-
er over again. 1t may be inexpedient to put
a negro in a certain office but when the right
Of the government to do it and the right of the
negro to hold an office which the government
gives him are assailed, there is nothing for the
government to do hut to keep him there. 1t
cannot yield to the dictation of the mob, no
matter in what form the dictation manifests
! itself.
The bookbinders say they do not blame the
President. He simply Obeyed the Constitu-
ton and laws in ordering MilleF's reinstate-
ment. But they have a constitution and laws
of their own, which forbid them to work with
"scab." Therefore they will strike if Miller
goes to work The law Of the labor organiza-
ton is with them superior to the law of the
/ United States. 1t is surprising that they do
not apply the same rule to the President who
we believe, is a member of labor union, and
declare that he must consider union law as
superior to national law on pain of being brand
/ ed a "scab" How can they concede that ma
/ tional law should come first with him, if it
/ does not come first with all labor unionsts?
/ Is not every citizen equally bound to support
! the law and stand for the equality Of all men,
/ unionists non-unionists, in the eyes Of the
! government? Whatever the Brotherhood Of
! Bookbinders may think on that subject, there
is no doubt about what the people in general
| will think, and IL the bookbinders force the
! contest it can result only in the complete elm
| ination Of organized labor from the Govern
! ment Printing Office The United States can
/ brook no divided authority and divided ale
/ glance on the part of its employees. If the
/ union workers are not content with the priv-
/ Ieges they now enjoy the government will be
/ compelled to forbid its servants to maintain
any active relations with unions which attempt
TO usurp its right to manage its own business
! and select its own employees