Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-25
SOME OF THEM VERY ANGRY
Dire Threats Made Against the
President for Prejudging the
Moyer-HayWood-P
bone Case.

MlLW Az NEE, ApTll IS. n
movement, national in scope, to set
aside a neutrality-suspicious.
day early in May, on which day
every union in the country is to
protest against the action of Presi-
dent Roosevelt in denouncing the
western miners before they have
been tried, was started today in Mil
waukee. The plan is to have labor
leaders in every city in the country
agree on day on which demonstra
tons shall be arranged and the
President taken to task, especially
for his communication to Honore
Jaxon Of Chicago.
PHILADELPHIA. Pa, April 25.-Presi-
dent Roosevet's answer to the Chicago
unions which protested against his denun-
citation of Meyer and Haywood the officials
of the Western Federation of Miners
charged with the murder of Ex-Gov.
Steunenberg of Idaho, was the main sub
ject Of discussion yesterday at all the labor
headquarters in this city. Many of the
unions during the week VIII adopt resolu-
tons protesting against the Presidents an
swer.
The unions in this city mainly object to
the inference drawn by the President that
they have been agitating to have the &C
cused officials liberated without trial. All
the members of organized labor in this city,
from the most conservative to the most rad
zeal. are a unit in declaring that the infer
ence of the President is unwarranted, and
that at no time have they agitated for any
thing else than "a speedy trial. not a re-
lease of the men.
perhaps there has been too much haste
and too quickly drawn differences and con-
illusions on both Sides" said Frank Feeney,
the president of the Central Labor Union.
The Presidents letter no doubt is severe.
But then it may, too, have been rather Sc
we're on him to accuse him of attempting to
prejudice the case of the arrested men by
saving that he regarded them as undesira-
BILE citizens.
ut is too bad that so much i'll feeling has
been stirred I'D over the Presidents slip,
and 1t has not been bridged by the fact
that in his calmer moments he makes the
mistake of inferring that organized labor
has been clamorng for the release Of the
accused men The President is m:sinformed
on that point.
"All that organized labor throughout the
land has Seen clamorng for is speedy
trial for the men and fair trial. l know
not of single ma ss-meet!ng held in behalf
of Meyer and Haywood that has demanded
mere than trial for them. 1t only goes to
show how much misunderstanding there is
on both sides, and how easily it could have
been averted if the President had only
counted ten before he spoke in the first
place"
1T is squarely III line with his open shop
dec 'araton,'' said William Mcclure, who
for tWenty-four years has been prominent
members of the Cigarmakers Union, No.
1867 Il made up my mind after the Miller
case that President Rooseve-- had no use
for organized labor and my opinion has
been strengthened ever since. Roosevelt has
no square deal fer labor"
President Roosevelt might have waited
to express his opinion of the men until after
their trial" said Harry Rostock another
knows as well as everybody else knows
what tremendous weight his word carries,
and consider his untimely opinion as much
a breach Of propriety as an editorial con-
demning a man while his trial is in prog
ress He voluntarily threw his weight and
influence against the accused men with no
provocation or occasion whatever to excuse
his action.
I'm his answer to the Chicago union he
again takes occasion to hurl uncalled- for
defiance anu insult at labor. Why should
he tell the country at large that we have
agitated to have the men liberated without
trial when there Is absolutely nothing on
which he can base such an assertion? In the
whole country there has not been a single
meeting at which any speaker has asked
for more than trial for the accused men
who are langu.shing in jail and pleading
only for chance to be judged by a jury
Whether Roosevelt cares or not, 1 will vote
at our meeting on Friday night to protest
against the unwarranted assertions and in