The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1910-11-04
POOSEVELTS LABOR POLICY
ATTACKED BY MASON


Mason of the democratic state com
mittee Saturday night made public .
statement attacking Theodore Rooea
yelts labor record. The statement
says in part
"The democratic committee has AP
"The democratic state committee has
been looking up Colonel Rooseyelts
labor record. One of the most strf,.
ing incidents in which the former pres.
/ ident clashed with union labor was re-.
called yesterday. When the Bookbind.
ers union demanded that William
Miller be removed from his position as
assistant foreman of the government
printing office at Washington, after
having been reinstated by order of the
president. the latter laid down the fol.
lowing rule:
"'There is no objection to employees
| of the government printing office con.
stituting themselves into a body if
! they so desire, but no rules or regula.
tions of that union can be permitted
to ride over the laws of the United
States which it is my duty to enforce.
"Miller had been expelled from the
union and appealed to the civil sery.
ice commission, which sustained him.
When the public printer did not rein.
state Miller President Roosevelt fatty
ordered that Mr.. Miller be reinstated.
"On the same day Colonel Roosevelt
had written to the secretary of com.
merce approving of the decision of
| the coal strike commission that no
person should be Disseminated against
on account of non-membership in a
union organization
"The action of President Roosevelt
brought on a storm in labor circles
and there was talk of a strike, but
Secretary Cortelyou stepped into the
breach and shifted the responsibility
from President Roosevelt to Public
Printer Palmer.
"The officers of the Bookbinders'
union attempted to secure an inter
view with the civil service commits
sion and asked leave to file a copy of
the charge against Miller, but the com
missioners referred everything to Pub
hc Printer Palmer, and added that any
person who went out on strike will
be forced to take a new civil service
examination before being taken back.
This threat sufficed to prevent a strike.
Owing to the rumor that Colonel
Roosevelt had ordered an investiga-
tion to find out whether any non-union
man had been denied work in any of
the departments it was discovered that
the following letter marked personal
had been sent to all the cabinet min
listers on July %. 1908:
My Dear Sir-The president di-
reefs me to send you copies of the two
letters sent to Secretary Cortelyou
with reference to the government
| printing office which defined the atti-
tude of the administration in connec-
| tion with the subject discussed. They
are sent to you for your information
and guidance as they indicate the
policy OF the president in this matter
Very truly yours, B. F. Bornes.
acting secretary to the president
When a committee of the Book
binders union called on Secretary
Cortelyou on August %, 1908, and filed
with him copies of all the evidence in
!! their charges against Miller, he replied
that it was up to the president. No
action being reported. the Central La
Dor union in Washington requested all
labor organizations in the United
States to unite in a petition to have
Miller discussed. This action was i'm
mediately indorsed by the Central Fed
Grated unions.
The resolutions were circulated
among 2.500,0O0 union laborers through
out the country. Charles ". Winslow
reported that large proportion had
/ requested the president to reseind his
decision.
"A conference was held with the
president at the White House on Sep
tember 80, 1903. which was attended
by Samuel GomperS. president of the
American Federation of Labor. James
Duncan, first vice president; John Nit
chell. president of the United Mine
Workers; James O'ConneH. president
OF the Machinists union. and Frank
Morrision, SECRETARY Of the federation.
But President Roosevelt refused 10
order Miller's dismissal on either
charge Of being unfit or a non-nnion
man"