The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-22
MOTHER JONESON COURTESY"
DEPLORES THE BAD MANNERS
OF ROOSEVELT'S SECRETARIES.


Merely strenuous. Not DisOrherly.
Mother Jones is in West Hoboken She
is coming to New York to-day to make ar
engagements for tho progress OF her army
OF crusaders across the city She is going
to Oyster Bay week from to-day and hopes
to sea there the President OF the United
States
She persists in tho hope of seeing Mr.
Roosevelt in spite of the fact that her let
ter asking for an appointment has been
ignored, and in spite OF newspaper de-
spatches from Oyster Bay limiting that she
will be prevented from going there.
Mother Jones spoke last night in
Hefich's Hall in the Hudson county silk
mill district and there was large and en-
thlsiastic audience comfortable col
lection was taken up to be sent to the strk-
Ing textile workers. in whose cause the
Mother Jones army is parading.
The army slept last night at the estab-
lishment of William Nicoletty, Lager
Beer Saloon, Wines, Liquors and Cigars"
West Hoboken, where free hospitality was
rendered to them There are about fifty
crusaders in all. A hundred were in the
parade when it left Philadelphia, but Mother
Jones found that SO large an army was
difficult to keep in order and that many
OF its members were not physically able to
stand the rigors of the journey; she paid
the way Of fifty of them back to Philadelphia
out OF the common purse and came on
with a picked company. Mother Jones
il 90 years old and over and isn't much on
rigors herself, so she has kept up with the
army on railroad and trolley cars and has
left the actual leadership of what she calls
The Principal Walk" to Lieut.. Sweeney.
Sun reporter found Mother Jones last
night at Schnider's Hotel in West Hoboken.
She had Just heard that the room next to
the one she had occupied on Monday night
in Passaic hotel had been used by Secret
Service agents, who took turns at the key
hole of the connecting door. The news
annoyed her. She was grieved.
"If ] were violent person, conspiring
against the public peace, she said. such
means might be justified. But am so willing
to tell any agents, whether Of city, State or
nation. exactly what my plans and purposes
are that it does seem as though it were
needless for them to watch me like a
criminal.
Il suppose it is because | am going to
see the President. Why should / not see
him? | am a citizen of the United States
spokesman, duly delegated. of an or
ganized body of 1925 600 other law-abiding
citizens of the United States. l have an
errand which in their opinion is of the
most vital importance not only to their
organization but TO our national life.
Il have sent The President a respectful
a.. = =,
this country ever sent him a more respectful
letter, am sure-explaining to him what
my errand is and asking for an appoint
ment have received no answer.
wish to state my public belief that the
President has not seen my letter. He is
too much of a gentleman to have treated
with contempt any message as simple and
as respectful to his high office and to himself
as that letter was. Some clerk, or some
person who did not know, simply told
the President that an agitatoT named
Mother Jones wanted to come out and
make a scene and plague him. and the
letter was thrown aside. I cannot believe
but that when the matter is called more
closely to his attention by our nearer ap-
prOach to him he will have the letter looked
up--if the original was thrown away, copies
were printed in all the newspapeTs--and
override the action which was taken
which | am sure was taken--withOut his
authority.
we are marching in this way to attract
interest along our journey to our meetings.
We are trying by our labor and pains to
show our sincerity in our cause. That
cause is the abolition of child labor in the
textile factories We believe that every
DAYS work done by child in factory
is days work against the education and
development Of our national life. physically
and mentally. BY marching Az we have
we get the people to come out and listen
to US and to contribute to our cause.
But we do not mean to take our army
out on the Presidents lawn and make a
show of him He is too intelligent, too well
acquainted with the needs of our country
in education and physical development.
for US 10 beat drums and make music in
front of his house in order to fix his attcn
ton on our argument That sort OF thing
is necessary on our march across the coun-
try, but rot in the Presidents summer
seat Of government.
What | ask for on behalf of the 1875 600
textile workers | represent is an oppor-
tunity for a short interview with the Presi-
dent, with three of the little boys who have
come with me from the Kensington district.
l would like to have him see these little
fellows and question them, if he will.
president Roosevelt loves children. In
no way can he better impress his power for
good upon this nation than by examining
into the conditions of child labor against
which we protest. We simply want To
ask him to consider the advisability of
putting into his next message to Congress
some recommendation for national laws
which will prevent the stunning and degra-
dation Of our children by their being made
to so TO work when they ought to be in
school or out at play in Gods open air.
That all. That isn't an incendiary errand.
It will not take much time, IL liz as vital
AZ any errand which takes any one out
To Oyster Bay AT this time-far more vital
than most of them.
"Ah, no, | do not believe that the Pres
dent read our letter. or that he has been
truly informed about us. | prefer to be-
lieve that he was off with his own blessed
children on some picnic or excursion when
Is responsible for the way we have been
treated 1t is often so.
II was told that couldn't see President
Mckinley Mr.. Mckinley didn't know I
wanted to sec him. I went TO the White
House myself and insisted that my card
and an explanation of my errand be sent
to him and he saw me and talked to me so
kindly and sympathetically that the MEM
Dry Of the interview is one OF the most
precious memories Of hard and trying
life Yes, President Mckinley saw me
in July, 1897 Just before he started away
for his summer vacation, wher he was very
busy indeed, and there was every reason
for postponing all except the most pressing
matters But I would not have seen him
i