Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-11
Made by Chicago Strikers
to the President
Against Calling Out United
States Troops During Strike.
President Receives Them Grscious|y- Says as
Yet He Has Had No Call.

Chicago. May 10.-A committee Of
Labor men appointed 10 call on Prcsi-
dent H"uScV"lt and lodge with him 4
! protest against the employment Of fed
| cral troops during the present team
STEERS strike was granted an audience.
| this afternoon. The committee consist
ed Of Cornelius p. shea, president of
| the International brotherhood of Team
StCrs; ChaS. pold. president of the Chi
caGO Federation Of Labor; Joseph
O Neil. vice president Of the Chicago
Federation of Labor: i. =. Quinn, a
member of the Canvassers Union. AMI
r. Rickcrt. president Of the Garment
Workers International Union. The
| members Ct the committee, President
Roosevelt AMI Secretary Loeb were the
only persons at the conference. Secr"-
| tlry Loeb later-gave out an account of
| the Interview.
After presenting the protest to tn"
President, Mr.. Shea, acting as spokcs-
man said:
| We are here as a committee to pre-
sent tn you a statement stating our po-
Sitinn in this controversy between tho
| Employers Association and the Team
stcrs' Association. We have understood
| that they had asked your aid for bring
| ing troops to Chicago"
The President after reading the pro-
| test said:
Il have read thu petirior you have
presented me, the conclusion Of which
| is a request for bearing before any
action he taken by til, f, dcrai Prcsi-
| dent relating to the Chicago strike sit :
Uatun. AS vet no Suggcs tion of any
| kind has come to me from any SQUIRE"
| that should take any action. OF the
merits of the ease 7 am wholly ignorant.
! i have no knowledge If What the sit
uation is or If what step; should prop
| crly he taken to end il. | Eel. however
| that in view Of one statement or series
| of statements in your lrttCr | ought to
say this: I regret that you should in
| the letter have spoken at all of the uSe
of the Federal army as yuu have Their"
| spoken. No request has been made to
| me for action by thu Federal govern
| mcnt. but 1T the sam time. Mr.. Sh q.
| rs YOU hav" in this communication 10
me brought up that fact. | want to say
| one thing with all the emphasis in my
power In unfolding law and order. in
| doing what he is abb to 10 to suppress
| violence in any shap" or way, the may
or of Chicago Mayor Dunno, has my
hearty support. Now. let me repeat that
| I know nothing Of the facts of the sit
Iuation. | know nothing from the right
| or wrong of the points ut issue. what
| 7 have to say is based purely upon on
Iwhat | regard as the unfortunate phrns-
/ ing OF n lctt"" presented IL the Presi-
| dent Of the United states. I have not
Il been called upon t. interfere i'll any
II way but YOU must not misunderstood
/ my attitude that in every effort of May
| or Dunno to prevent violence by mobs
| or Individuals to see that the law be
obcv,d. and that order is preserved, he
has thc hearty support of the President
Of the United States. and in my judg-
ment he should have that Of every GOO
citizen of the United States. Now. gen.
tlcmen il has been great pleasure to
sec YOU and I am glad to have to had
the chance to say this to YOU
Mr.. Quinn. who knew the President
in his youth. said:
Mr. President. what prompted US TO
come to you with this statement is that
for the last two or three weeks there
has been a continual howl for the Fed
craI army. I have known you long
CROUCH to know that you would not re-
spond to a one-sided demand. that you
will not respond until you have thor
oughly investigated the case"
"Mr. Quinn, as yet the mayor of chi
cage mas not made the application TO
the governor and therefore of course.
the governor has made none to me. ara
as yet. nothing in the situation has de-
| manded action by me-"
4 To an explanation by Fir Shea that
the unions We're not in sympathy with
violent methods ana that they realized
i that their employers prosperity was one
Il with their own. the President replied:
II Mr.. Shea. I can only repeat what |
have said. am believer in unions,
an, an honorary mtmber of one union.
But. the union must obey the law just
as the corporation must obey the law.
lmst as every man. rich or poor. must
obey the law. AS yet no action mas
lbeen called for by me and most GER
lta:nly if action is called for I shall try
lto do Justice under The law to every
man so far as ] have power. But the
first essential is the preservation of law
land order. the suppression of violence
Inv mobs or individuals"
This closed the interview and tbs
,,,,;ttaa Withdrew