The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-10

member of the Typographical union, that he Is inviting disobsdisnee of his own orders regarding the Government Printing ofiee. He has declared 1t must De an open shop; But the ,rs Ty, for e single day.. it IL could have it's way. To enforce. the closed shop. the Union has been conducting a strike m % Gose to 'sis' aii eoncerned l @ % of millions P of dollars. That It will now take the selection of one of It's own faithful members for Pubic Printer as 1psrsS prSSf may be regarded as certain. The life of every non-union printer In Govern ment employ will be made miserable. The Union being in It's very nature an exclusive society and an oppressive ty- ranny, it will endeaver to monopoltze the Government Printing ofiice. But Is ready to abandon his, manly stand for square deal for the non-union man In the employ of the Government. The exigencies of politics may make him very anxious to placate the lead- CTS of organized labor. but even their arrogance can scarcely be equal to ex- pectlnk him to retreat and recant. We strongly wish. however. that he had Public Printer. with renewal of his old declaration that. under the laws and the Constitution, the Printing Of fce must remain open"
 The Post surely cannot be unaware of the fact that the President goes for ward or back ward or sideways. just as inclination or policy dictates. That would be to attribute ignorance to a newspaper which is unusually we'll in formed. And yet The Post seems to feel surprised that the President should have made an appointment which is in direct conflict with some of his most positive assertions and pledges. just as though It was something new.
 It is all politics. of course. It is only few months until an election will be held which may decide the des- tiny of the Republican party, at least for a time. There are districts. if not entire States. in which organized labor may decide the result for or against the Presidents party. if that vote should be solidiied. Only a few days ago Samuel Gompers, addressing the Judiciary Committee of the House. gave them to understand that if Congress refuses to meet the wishes of labor there will soon be oath bound secret organizations of workinglnen all over the country that will do--well. we don't know exactly what they are go-. ing to do. but the inference was that they are going to put the dominant party out of business for its refusal to do what the labor organizations de- mand, 4sss
 Isit any wonder that a lightning change artist like Roosevelt should turn his back on his own words and yield to the arrogant demands of the Unions? We should say not. The wonder would be if he had kept his pledges and dehed the organizations, as morally brave man would have done.
 The government printing business is big thing, and in all the depart ments connected with the printing and binding and other government work there are many hundreds of people erly ploysd. If any industryin the entire country should be open to all who are qualified for the work this is one of them. If ever the theory of the open shop" should be endorsed agaA carried out this is the place for tt9. ..Bher idea that good and competent men must, not be allowed to work for the govern nent unless they wear the union collar Is abhorrent to all principles of justice and fairness They might with equaI justice and consistency unionize the army and navy.
 And yet what chance has free nom union man to obtain and retain a po- sition under a Public Printer who rec ognizes' the obligation of the union as superior to all other considerations? Congress may enact laws and regula- tions which will prevent non-union men being driven out. but as The Post says their lives will be made miserable, and the principle of the closed shop VIII DC enIOTCeu secretly anu eHeCJudi- ly, if 1t cannot be done openly. This is the result that may be expected to follow the Presidents action. It was done for purpose, and no one should be surprised at it.
 There was. however, in connection with the threat of MT. Gompers. one point which Is not exactly clear. When he spoke of an oath bound sec ret organization that would do things die he mean an organization like the Black Hand. the Night Riders. or some thing of that kind? Or. does he mean that Congress and the administration must recognize and legalize the boy colt and other methods employed by unions to enforce their demands? In either case his demand is outra geous, and his threats are of kind that should be treated with contempt or dealt with in a way to turn them on those who threaten, Still. we don't know how Roosevelt will look at the matter.