Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-11
LABOR MEMS PROTEST
FORMAL DOCUMENT PRESENTED
TO THE PRESIDENT
Upon His Arrival in Chicago Yesterday
Document Sets Forth Attitude
in Strike.

The following protest against sending fed
eral troops to Chicago on account of the
| teamsters strike was handed to President
Roosevelt by President Shea of the Inter
| national Transfers Union and other labor
| leaders upon his arrival in Chicago yes
| terday:
To the Honorable Theodore Roosevelt,
| President OF the United States of
America.
Honorable Sir: This labor difficulty began
as lockout. So far as there has been any
| striking done, it has been a strike for arbi-
| tration.
| The unions involved are committed both
upon principle and by specific contract with
| the employers for arbitration.
| These contracts grew out of the desire
OF the unions to protect the public peace
and welfare by providing to submit all
| disputes or differences of opinion to the
| umpirage of an impartial third party. and
accepting that decision-right or wrong
as binding upon both parties. Such a
| course Is a guarantee of the preservation
| of law and order. All that the unions ask
| for or desire in this controversy is that an
arbitration shall be granted specifically
| agreed to In the contracts involved All
| that is desired is that the public officials
| shall join with the labor bodies in demand
| ing that lawlessness shall not be allowed
to be used in forcing contracts to be broken.
| and that violence shall not be allowed
| to prevent differences of opinion to be
settled by the quiet, orderly method OF
| arbitration.
The contracts of June 90. 1908. provide
| for arbitration follows in the 9th. 18th
and Sth sections, respectively:
| Eighth: 1t is agreed that in the event
| of misunderstanding any dispute arts
| ing as to the construction of this working
| agreement, or any misunderstanding in re-
| gard to the operation or enforcement of
| this contract between the parties hereto.
o. as to all differences of opinion in regard
| to any section of this contract. between
the party of the first part and the party of
| the second part, no house shall lock out
| any member of said Local Union. No. II,
and no executive board or business agent
| shall declare strike and said Local. No.
| Il, shall not declare a strike, but such
| misunderstanding dispute or difference of
| opinion shall be referred within twenty
| four CAD hours to the representatives of
| the parties to this contract for settlement,
and in case such representatives fail to
| settle such controversy within twenty-four
| CD hours after the same shall have been
submitted to them. it is agreed that each
| representative shall, within said second
| twenty-four CD hours name arbitrator,
| and the two arbitrator SO selected shall,
| as speedily as possible. name disin-
! tereSted person. who shall not be a manu-
| facturer or member of any labor organi-
| cation. and three selected shall, within
| ten days time. settle the difficulty and the
| decision rendered shall be binding On
| all parties to this agreement.
Right to Demand Arbitration.
J You will therefore readily see that we
| have the written right to demand arbitra-
tion-a demand that has been repeatedly
| spurned by the employers in the presence
| of Mayor Dunno of Chicago.
| And why spurned?
| Because they openly boast that they can
| spurn 1t. and that the troops under your
! command will shoot down him who dares
| to openly protest against their action. They
| flatter themselves that the federal army is
| their ready tool to act upon their sugges-
tion-right or wrong-and they therefore
| refuse to have any inquiry made as to
whether they are right or wrong.
They can now say There is nothing to
| arbitrate:" but if a board should find there
| was something to arbitrate public SYM
| pathy might. be too strong for them and
| they might not be able to crush out
| unionism once and for an they openly
declare they intend to do. But can they
| do it?
Is the army all that these think it
| is? Is 1T not fact, after all, that the
power of the army even rests to great
! extent upon the support of the people?
What would few soldiers be against ma
| tion?
Without intending to be discourteous or
suggesting a threat, desire to call at |
| tention to clear and true statement of
| this fact by Gen. benjamin F. Butler OF
| Massachusetts in his celebrated speech OF
| some sixty years ago to the people OF
| Lowell |
"If the workingmen can be deprived of |
| their freedom and the rights by threats of |
| starvation of themselves and their wives |
| and children when they act according to |
| the laws and their own judgments. then |
| they had better be slaves indeed. having |
| kind masters instead of being free men. |
| who are only at liberty to do what their |
taskmasters impose upon them, or starve. |
| And this question must be settled here and |
now.
| Il know the power of these corporations;
| / know many of the men who have been |
| in charge. They have made mistake in |
appeal to force. When that weapon is |
| tried they weak and you are strong. |
| They have their mills and machinery, their |
bricks and their mortar, and that is the ex- |
! tent of their power. You are stronger than |
| they. You have your right arms and your |
| torches and by them we will blot out this |
accursed outrage
LAS God lives and l live, by the living |
| Jehovah If one man is driven from his |
! employment by these men | will lead you |
| to make Lowell what it was twenty-five |
| years ago-a sheep pasture and fishing |
| place; and / will commence by applying the |
torch to my own house. Let them come |
| on. AS we are not the aggressors, we |
seek not this awful contest.
The Petition of Peace.
Peace rests not upon the militia or the |
army, but upon the patience and long suf- |
fering of the toiling mass. The army, so |
far as IL has any effect, is not to quiet |
but to disturb it is not to terroriZe. but to |
make the people mediate. They wonder |
what all this ''bluffng" is for. Can few |
soldiers scare the men who make armies |
and who compose the flower of American |
manhood? Are we serfs that we cringe at |
the mention of troops?
If the laboring men are wrong. the de- |
cision of an arbitrator without cannon or |
club will command the obedience of every |
toiler affected.
Even If we are right and the arbitrator
decides against US. still we will bow to that |
decision
Then if the decision of one man, unarmed
and alone can exercise this vast power,
mha+ 10 the use of the sacrifice of lives.
calling out armies and making an opera
bouffe of government?
II is evident that a blunder has been made
somewhere somehow. Let us ascertain It's
source. -, A.. |