Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-11
The President and the Law.

Speaking to the president of the Interna-
tional Brotherhood of Transfers at Chicago
yesterday, President Roosevelt said:
"Mr. Shea, can only repeat what have
said. 1 am believer in unions. I am an
honorary member of .one union But the
union must obey the law, just as the cor
poration must obey the law. just as every
man, rich or poor, must obey the law. AS
yet no action has been called for by me,
and most certainly if action is called for by
me shall try to do exact justice under the
law to every man so far as 1 have power.
But the first essential Is the preservation
of law and order, the suppression of vio-
lence by mobs or individuals"
At a later hour, as guest of the Iroauois
Club, President Roosevelt, in replying to an
address of welcome, turned to the mayor of
Chicago, who was present. and said:
Mayor Dunno, as President of the United
States, and, therefore, as the representative
of the people of this country, give you, as
a matter of course, my hearty support in
upholding the law. in keeping order, In put
ting down violence, whether by a mob or
by an individual. And there need not be
the slightest apprehension in the hearts of
the most timid that ever the mob spirit will
triumph in this country. Those immediate
ly responsible for dealing with the trouble
must exhaust every effort in so dealing
with it before call Is made upon any out
side body. But If ever the need arises, back
of the city stands the state, and back of the
state stands the nation
These deliverances were worthy of the
man, of the Office he holds, and of the oc-
casiOns which invited them. Chicago has
been the scene for several weeks of mex
cusable violence. Mobs have paraded the
principal streets, taken human life, and
interfered with traffic. Not only a dis
graceful but an intolerable state of affairs
has existed. The law has been openly de-
fed, and it must be said in all frankness
that the municipal authorities have not met
the emergency with the resolution that was
required. They are somewhat more wide
awake now.
The Presidents theme therefore was
pat, and in his treatment of 1t he left moth
ing to be desired. The law, the law. and
always the law. The law over everything
and everybody. The law for all alike. to be
obeyed by everybody and to yield its pro-
lection to everybody.
We need not examine too closely the
wisdom or propriety Of the call of the
representatives of union labor on the Prest
dent at such a time. or the terms Of their
appeal to him. We may cordially approve
however, mis- decision to receive them, and
heartily applaud his reply to them. He
spoke directly to the point. The union labor
leaders left his presence thoroughly ad-
vised as to his true position in the premises,
and the newspapers which scattered his
utterances over the city carried to every
body within reach the assurance that, If
no other power was sufficient, the ma
tional power, exercised by the man intrust-
ed with 1t by the people, would save the
city from anarchy.
Maybe Mayor Dunno will take increased
courage from the Presidents words and
employ his full resources in restoring or
der The sooner the better. The President
has cleared the atmosphere.