The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-06-15
COLONEL
ROOSEVELT
editorial.
Ex.pREslDENT DISCUSSES UT.
TERANCEs OF GENERAL OTIS
PAPER in THE CURRENT NUM-
Der OF THE OUTLOOK.
4 VERY WARM LRT!gEE
HE STATES THAT PAPERS OWN.
ED BY CAPITALISTS ARE FAR
MORE BRUTAL THAN THOSE
EDITED BY RECOGNIZED LABOR
LEADERS,

NEW YORK, June 15.-"C 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 attributed to
any recognized labor leader" says
Theodore Roosevelt in leading edi-
torial IN the current Outlook, headed
"Mr. Gompers, General Otis and the
Dynamite Charges"
The article is Col. Roosevelts direct
answer to editorials of Gen. Otis In the
Les Angeles Times and President
Gompers In the American Federation
ist. Roosevelt refers to his original ed
itorial on the Mcnamara arrests in
the Outlook which, he says, was only
a personal plea for fair and impair
tial trial Of the accused men. He then
quotes the following as Gen. Otis re-
ply to him:
"If' the Times building was dyna-
mlted, says Mr.. Facing Both Ways,
then tohse who did the work should be
punished. The Times feels that the
ll' is an upholding OF the cause OF dis
ORDER and a distinct aid to the Williams
who incited and procured the murder
of twenty innocent men and the de-
struction Of 100000 of pfopeEtyiS
'FGen. Otis in this article has taken
the very position against which all
good citizens should protest when tar.
en- by the labor men," continues Roose=
Welt. .'Thstis the purpose of my ar
sticIe was tolprotest against the assIm,
ing before the trial what II was hoped
to pfoVs 6f diispfo4e at Etiaiss aIiti
IN this way Gen. Otis is guilty Of con-
duct which could not be too severely
denounced when the ioffenderls "a vic.
,Ient opponent of organized labor and
consistent enemy of every movement
for social and economic bettermeptI-
lust as he has shown himself the con,
sistent enemy of the men in CaltfoEnia
who have dared resolutely to stand
against corruption and in favor Of hon
esty."
"The article by Mr.. Gompers in the
American Federationist offers most
striking contrast, in tone and temper,
to the article Of Gen. Otis. Mr.. Com
pers' editorial is fair and honorable
statement Of a position with which l
only in part disagree, couched in Ian.
guage which warrants respectful and
cert!nl attention.
"The altitude of Gen, Otis In his pa
pcr aIards curious instance OF the
anarc,y Of coul which comes to the
nan " 40 in conscienceless fashion de-
fies to the man who in the name OF hui
man rights wars upon all men Of prop
erty good and bad"
Roosevelt then quotes Gompers' In
vltation to read current trade union lit
erature to secure first hand lntorma-
dion of tho labor union situation and
says:
"TLis is an honorable invitation ex:
pressed in an honorable way, and
shall certainly take advantage OF It,
Mr.. Gompcrs says that the trades un'
ionists only want fair trial, That is
all l wish. Let us find out who is
guilty and who is innocent. Now let
me. most earnestly ask Mr.. Gompers
and those associated with him in the
cause of labor that they, in their turn,
make it equally evident that they dc
not intend 10 stand by the men right
or wrong, that they wish them to have
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