Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1911-06-15
ROOSEVELT ON
OTIS ATTITUDE
In Leading Editorial He Re-
plies TO His Critics on
Labor Stand.
COMPARES THE LEADERS
He PRAISES Gompers and
Condemns Harsh Words
of Los Angeles Times.

OF Los Angeles lines.
Special Jy United Press Wire.
New York, June 10" 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 at
tributed to any recognized labor
leader" says Theodore Roosevelt in
leading editorial in the current
Outlook headed, Mr.. Gompers, Cen
eral Otis and the Dynamite Charges"
The editorial is Colonel Roosevelt's
direct answer to the editorials Of
General Otis in the Los Angeles
Times and to President Gompers in
the American Federationist Roose-
welt quotes his original editorial on
the Mcnamara arrests in the Out
look which, he says, was only a per-
sonal plea for a fair and impartial
trial of the accused men. He then
quotes the following as General
Otis's reply to him:
Quotes Gen. Otis.
# 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 upholding of the cause
of disorder and a distinct aid to the
villains who melted and procured the
murder of twenty innocent men and
the destruction of $500 900 worth of
property"
General Otis in this article has
taken the very position against
which all good citizens should pro-
test when taken by the labor men,
continues Roosevelt. That is, the
purpose Of my article was to protest
against the assuming before the trial
what it was hoped to prove or dis
prove at the trial; and in this way
General Otis is guilty of conduct
which could not be too severely de-
nounced if the offender were a labor
/ leader, and which therefore cannot
be too severely denounced when the
offender is violent opponent of or
ganized labor and a consistent en
emy of every movement for social
and economic hetterment-just as
he has shown himself the consistent
Ienemy of the men in California who
have dared resolutely to stand
against corruption and in favor of
honesty.
The article 6y Nj, ca -
the American Federati0nTs-- y 81 Tf7-sss -
the most striking contrast, in tone
and temper. to the article of Gen
eral Otis Mr.. GompeTs' editorial is
a fair and honorable statement of a
position in which I only in part dis
agree, couched in language which
warrants respectful and careful at
Itention. On the point that General
Otis raises that his building was dy-
namited, Mr.. Gompers takes the op-
posite side. In my article I confined
myself to stating what was the right
full path to follow if it proved that
the building had been dynamited
and if any union men were tmplica-
ted in the crime. After reading Mr..
Gompers' article carefully, I still
feel that at least some of the labor
men so framed their statements
about the explosion as TO convey the
impressiOn-and, I fear, to excite
the feeling among their followers
that this matter was to be treated as
a case of class conflict, and that the
labor men were TO rally behind the
/ accused as matter of class duty and
loyalty.
The attitude of General Otis in
his paper affords curious instance
of the anarchy Of soul which comes
TO the man who in cOnscienceless
fashion deifes property at the ex-
pense of human rights-no less
surely than it comes TO the man who
In the name of human rights wars
upon all men of property good and
bad"
Roosevelt then quotes Gompers'
invitation to read current trade
union literature TO secure first hand
information of the labor union situ-
alton, and says:
Gompers' Invitation.
This is an honorable invitation
expressed in an honorable way, and
4 shall certainly take advantage of
it. Mr.. Gompers says that the trades
IuniOnists only want a fair trial. That
is all I wish. Let US find out who is
guilty and who is innocent
Nov let me most earnestly ask Mr.
Gompers and those associated with
him in the cause of labor, that they
in their turn, make ii equally evil
dent that they do not intend TO stand
by the men right or wrong, that they
wish them to have an absolutely fair
|Chance to prove their innocence, but
that they Will Join with every other
citizen in hearty condemnation OF
them to punishment # they are gull
lty. No feeling of hostility to the
Los Angeles Times must be allowed
to interfere with this
1T may be quite true that this pa
per has again and again shown IT,
self TO be as much an enemy of good
citizenship. of honest and decent
government and of every. effective
effort to secure fair play for work
ing men and women, as an Anarchist
could show himself to be- But that
has nothing to do with the case. If
the paper dynamited had been a So
Fcialist PAPER in Milwaukee. I should
strive sust as hard 10 bring TO jus
tice the wrong-dOer as now when the
paper dynamited happens to be a
capitalist paper in Los Angeles.
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