The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-06-15
ROOSEVELT RAPS
GENERAL \. 6. OTIS
Replies in Outlook to Lo
Angeles Times Denun-
ciatory Editorial
REFERS TO GOMPERS'
FAIR UTTERANCES
Contributing Editor Protest
Against Declaring Any
Man Guilty Before

NEW YORK, June 15.--"Certain
of the capitalist newspapers of the
stamp of that owned by General Otis
have been responsible for far more
brutal utterances than can be attrip-
uted to any recognized labor leader"
says Theodore Roosevelt in a leading
editorial in the current outlook, head
ed Mr.. Gompers, General Otis and
the Dynamite Charges The article
is Colonel Roosevelt's direct answer
| to editorials Of General Otis In the
Los Angeles Times tand President
Gompers in the American Federation
list. Roosevelt refers to his original
editorial on the Mcnamara arrests in
the Outlook, which, he says. was only
personal plea for fair and i'm
partial trial OF the accused men. He
Otis reply to him:
If the Times building was dy-
namited, says Mr.. Facing Both Ways.
then those who did the work should
be punished. The Times feels that
the if is an unfolding of the cause
of disorder. and distinct aid to the
villains who melted and procured the
murder of twenty innocent men and
the destruction of 100000 worth of
property.
General Otis In this article has
taken the very position against which
all good citizens should protest when
taken by the labor men," continues
Colonel Roosevelt. That u.s. the pur-
| pose of my article was to protest
against the assuming before the trial
| what II was hoped to prove or dis
! approve at the trial: and in this way
/ General Otis is guilty of conduct
| which could not be too severely de-
nounced II the offender We're a labor
leader. and which therefore cannot be
! too severely denounced when the Of
! fender is violent opponen, of or
ganized laobr and a consistent enemy
/ of every movement for social and eco
| nomic betterment--just as he has
shown himself the consistent enemy
| of the men in California who have
| dared TO stand resolutely against cor
ruption and In favor of honesty.
Compares With GomI,crs' Utterance.
The article BY Mr.. Gompers in
the American Federationist offers the
most striking contrast, in tone and
temper to the article of General
Otis. Mr.. Gompers' editorial is fair
and honorable statement of posi-
ton with which I only in part dis
agree. couched IN language which
warrants respectful and careful atten-
ton.
THE attitude OF General Otis In
his paPt djQfoS "A VII aAtStnfsSC
of the anarchy of soul which comes
to the man who In conscience1ess
fashion defies property at the ex-
pense OF human rights---no less surely
than 1t come to the man who in the
name of human rights wars upon all
men OF property, good and bad"
Roosevelt then quotes Gompers' In
vitation to read current trade union
literature to secure first hand infor-
lxls ID 4~xx
and says:
This Is an honorable invitation
expressed in an honorable way and
shall certainly take advantage Of It.
Mr.. Gompers says that the trades
unionists only want fair trial. That
Is all wish. Let US find out who II
guilty and who is innocent. Now
let me most earnestly ask Mr.. Com
pers and those associated with him In
the cause of labor that they. in their
turn, make 1t equally evident thai
they do not intend to stand by this
men, right or wrong: that they wish
them to have an absolutely fair chance
to prove their innocence. but tina,
they will join with every other either
in hearty condemnation OF them and
will endeavor TO bring them to pun
Iishment II they are guilty. No feel
ing of hostility 10 -the Los Angeles
Times must be allowed to interiors
with this.
ut may be quite true that this pa.
per has again and again shown Itself
, to be as much an enemy OF good citi
zenship. OF honest and decent govern
ment, and Of every effective effort Il
secure fair play for workingmen ant
women. as any anarchist could show
himself to be. But that has nothing
to do with the case. II the paper dy
lnamited had been Socialist paper II
Milwaukee. should strive just a.
/ hard to bring to justice the wrongdoel
as now when the paper dynamitet
;. happens to be capitalist paper In Lol
Angeles"