Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-10-31
DEMOCRATS AIM
ATTACK ON 7. R.
New York Committee CirCulateS
Statement to Win Union
Labor Vote
Associated Press)

NEW YORK, Oct. 9O-Secretary John
Mason of the state Democratic commit
tee tonight made public a statement
attacking Theodore Roosevelts labor
record. He says in part:
1.-The Democratic state committee has
been looking up Col. Roosevelt's labor
record. One of the most striking incl
dents in which the former president
clashed with union labor was recalled
Yesterday When the Bookbinders
union demanded that William A. Miller
be removed from his position as as
sistant 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:
d" There is no objection to employees
of the government printing Office con-
stituting themselves into body if they
so desire, but Nc rules or regulations
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 service
commission, which sustained nm.
| When the public printer did not rein
state Miller President Roosevelt fatty
ordered him to do so.
con 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 &C
| count of non-membership in union
! organization.
PUBLIC PRINTERS FAULT
"The action of President Roosevelt
brought on a storm in labor circles
and there was talk of strike, bu'
! Secretary COrtelyou stepped INTO tnt
! 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 commls'
sion and asked leave to file copy OF
the charge against Miller, but the com
mission referred everything to Palmer
and added that any person who Wen
out on strike would be forced tt
take new civil service examination
before being taken back. This threat
sufficed to prevent strike.
lowing to the rumOr that Colone
! Roosevelt had ordered an inVestlga
ton to find out whether any non-unlor
men had been denied work in any o!
the departments. it was discovered
that the following letter, marked Per
| sonal,' had been sent to all caplhe
ministers on July %, 1903:
" NY Dear Sir: The president directs
me to send you copies of the two let
ters sent to Secretary Cortelyou VIII
reference to the government prlntlne
office. which defined the attitude o
the administration in connection WIZ
! the subject discussed. They are sen
to you for your information and guild
ance as they indicate the policy OF th'
president in this matter. Very respect
| fully yours, Is. +. Barnes, acting sec
rotary of the PRESIDENT
"Whpn a committee of the Book
| binders union called on Secretary Cor
telyou on August %, 1903, and filed
with him copies of all the evidence II
their charges against Miller he replied
! if was M to the president No actor
being reported the Central Labor
union of Washington requested al
labor organizations in the UnlteC
States to unite in petition TO nave
Miller dismissed. This action was i'm
mediately indorsed by the Central Fed
Grated union. The resolutions We're CIR
culated among , 500 900 union laborer'
throughout the country. Charles w
Winslow reported that a large pro
norton had requested the president u
rescind his decision.
"A conference was held with the pres
ident at the White House on Septem
her go 1903, which was attended b!
) Samuel Gompers, president of TIT
p American Federation of Labor; jane
Duncan. first vice president; JONI
Mitchell president of the United MINI
Workers. James O'Connell, preslden
Of the Machinists' union, and FRAN
Morrison, secretary of the tederatloh'
"But President Roosevelt refused t.
order MflIer's dismissal on eithe
charge of being unfit or non-unlol
. : ~