The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-30
|DIR HILL ER WILL STICK Roosevelt Refuses to Baek
 Down. WILL NOT DISCRIMINATE Question of llnlonIsm Has No WeiGit. As te tho sis.ess sek shs 1aadssy
 1ersnan fos IL 1o.isaan IT. Helds That is Ap- othsr story.
WILL NOT DISCRIMINATE

Washington. Sept. 2s.-9amueI 9omperA President of the American Federation ot Labor. Mr. Mitchell. the hs4d of the United Mine Workers and four or dve of the American Federation of Labor, were in conference with the President for | long time tonight with reference to the case of Foreman Miller of the boolh1nd- cry Of tho Government Printing Onlces whose dischargs is sought by the labor leaders.
 The conferencs broke up about Il 50 o'clock and shortly thereafter the follow Ing statement vas given to the press at
 Pursuant to the request of Samuel Gompers. President of the American Fed- eratfon Of Labor. the President granted an interview this afternoon to the foI-s jlowins members Of the Executive Council Of that body
 'samoel oompers. James Duncan. John Mitchell. James o'connell and Frank Mor- rison. at which various subjects of ieg- islation in the interests of labor. as well as executive action. were discussed. Con~ cernin6 the case of William A. Miliers tho President made the following stats- ment:
 Glad Of the Conference.
 T thank you and your committee for your courtesy and appreciate the oppor- tunity to meet with you. ft will always be pleasure to see you CT any represent- ativea of your organizations or your fed- erations as a whole
 "As regards the Miller case, have lit- tie to add to what } have already said. In dealing with it ask you to remember that I am dealing purely with the rela~ ton of the Government to its employees. must govern my action by the laws of the land which am sworn to adminis- ter and wiaicn difrerentiate any case in which the Government of the United States is a party from all ether cases whatsoever. These laws are enacted TOT the benefit of the whole peapIe and can ID q s,1fz fn3atz not lhe construed as re1-. n1ittinR discrimination against some Of che people. am President of all the peo- pie of the United States without regard to creed, color, birthplace, occupation 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 Government service. can no more recognize the fact that a man does or does not belong to a union as being for or against him than I can recognize the fact that he is a protestant or Catho- lie, a Jew or 8 Gentile as being for or against him.
 Merely a Detail.
 "In the communication sent me by vari-
  against the retention of Miller in the government printing office the grounds alleged are two-fold: First, that he Is non-union man; second. that he Is not personally fit. The question of his per sonal fitness Is one to be settled in the routine of administrative detail and can not be allowed to conflict with or to com plicate the larger question of govern mental discrimination fon or against him .~NI. hnA hA 4o OP Id a member of a union. This is the only question now before me for decision and as to this my decision is finally
 The members of. the executive council attending the conference constituted the subcommittee appointed to take up the Miller case at the meeting of tn execu- tive council held in Washington last week.
 From the manner of the labor leaders as they came from the White House it was evident that they were not entirely satisfied with the result of their inter view. They declined to be interviewed, Mir. 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 asso-l ciates wished it to be impressed on the that the Presidents statement should be understood by them to an en- tirely independent statement and not as an answer to the councils request. The council also brought to the attention of the President the enforcement of eight hour and the anti-injunction bills which passed the House of Representatives at the last session of Congress. The Presi- dent, MT. Gompers said expressed him. self as favorable to the principles of tho short hour work day.