The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-03-26
Violence Put Down.

for Instance. with the Croton dam
strike riots. all you have to do IL to
turn back to what took place last
June In Arizona-and you can ma
out about IL, from tMr. N OF New
York The miners struck. violence
followed. and the Arizona Territorial
authorities notified me they could not
grapple with the situation. Within
twenty minutes OF the receipt of the
Telegram. orders were issued to the
nearest available troops. and twenty
four hours afterwards General Bald
win and his regulars were on the
ground. and twenty-four hours later
every vestige OF disorder had disap-
Feared The Miners Federation in
their meeting. I think at Denver,
short while afterwards. passed reso-
lutions denouncing me. do not
know whether the Mining and Engi-
neering Journal paid any heed to
this incident or knew OF IL. II the
Journal did, | suppose n can hardly
have failed to understand that to put
an Immediate stop TO rioting by the
use OF the United States army Is
fact OF importance beside which the
criticism OF my having labor leaders
TO lunch. shrinks into the same insig-
nihcance as the criticism in a differ
ent type OF paper about my having
trust magnates' TO lunch.
Draw the Line On Conduct.
while l am president | wish the
labor man TO feel that ne has the
same right OF access TO me that the
capitalist has: that the doors swing
open as easily TO the wage-worker as
TO the head of a big corporation-and
no easier. Anything else seems to be
not only un-American. but as sympto-
matte OF an attitude which will cost
grave trouble II persevered in. To
discriminate against labor men from
Hn1fR hRCanga thara d N ha-
heye that rioting has been excited in
other districts by certain labor unions,
or individuals I'm labor unions in Butte
would be TO adopt precisely the atti-
tude OF those who desire me to dis
criminate against all capitalists In
Wall Street because there are plenty
OF capitalists in Wall Street who have
been guilty OF bad financial practices
and who have endeayored TO override
or evade the laws of the land In my
Judgment, the only safe attitude for a
private citizen, and still more for a
public servant, TO assume. is that he
viii draw the line on conduct. dis
eliminating against neither corpora
ton nor union as such. nor In favor
OF either as such, but endeavoring to
make the decent member of the union
and the upright capitalists alike feel
that they are bound. not only by self
interest, but by every consideration OF
principle and duty, to stand together
on the matters of most moment TO
the nation"
Morrissey and Morley.
On another OF the various occa.
sions when | had labor leaders to
dine at the White House, my critics
were rather shocked because I had
John Morley to meet them. The la
Dor leaders in question included the
heads OF the various railroad BROTH
erhoods. men like Mr.. Morrissey, in
whoa CnfInd
standard of citizenship I had peculiar
confidence; and | asked Mr.. Morley
TO meet them because they REPRESENT
ed the exact type OF American citi-
zen with whom ! thought he ought TO
be brought in contact.
Threats OF a General Strike.
One OF the devices sometimes used
by big corporations TO break down
the law was TO treat the passage of
laws as an excuse for action on their
part which they knew would he re-
scented by the public. IL being their
purpose to turn this resentment
against the law instead of against
themselves. The heads of the Louis
Vile a. Nashville road were bitter
opponents of everything done by the
government toward securing good
treatment for their employees. In
February. 1908, they and various 9th
er railways announced that they in
tended TO reduce the wages Of their
employees. \ general strike. with all
the attendant d>order and trouble.
was threatened in consequence. I
accordingly sent the following omen
letter 10 the Interstate Commerce
Commission:
February IS. 1908.
To the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion.
= am Informed that number of rail-
road companies have served notice OF n
proposed reduction Of wages OF theim
employs. one Of them. the Louisville &
nashville. in announcing the reduction
states that the drastic laws fnimicaI TO
the interests Of the railroads that have
IN the past year or two been enacted by
congress aud the state legislatures' are
largely or chiefly responsible for the
conditions requiring the reduction
=, nder such circumstances u il possI-
PIE that the public may soon be con-
fronted b. serious Industrial disputes
ana inc law provides that in such case
elther party NAV demand the services Of
your chairman ard Of the commissioner
or labor as n board of mediation and
concilation. Those reductions In wages
may ne warranted. or they may be not
As 10 this the public which is a vitality
Interested party. can form no Judgment
Mithout more complete KNOWLEDGE OF
ne essential facts and real merits or
4. INC case than 10 now has or than n can
possibly obtain from the special plcsd.
ings. certain ~ be put forth by each side
IN c"so thcir dispute should bring about
reduction IN waEes is due to natural
causes. the loss 81 business being sucb
bat the burden should be-. and ~. equifa-
bly, distributed between caplfaiist ana
waEe-worker. the public should know IN
" " De- caused by misconduct IN tho pass
financial or other operations 81 any rafi-
road. then every body should know ~ es-
pecinlly tf the excuse a. y method or
covering up psst business rnieconduct b,,
the railroad MANAGERS. or ~ n iuefIfira-
ton Tor fniiure TO treat fairly tho wage.
earning employees Of the COMPANY
moreover. an industrial ronnfcf he
iWecn railroad corporation and lie EN-
pi"FFs umer1 REGULAR ouuortunifiea 70
any small number % evii-diapored ner-
sons 90 destroy life and uropcrtv and
flfucuf public disorder ~ coffrse ~
hfe. property and public order arc en-
nauFcrrd. prompt and drastic rnoa sursa
Igr tnclr protection become tho rref
rItu duty. AT other issues then be
come subordinate 20 the preservation ~
ne public uF1re. nud the real merits or
tnn original rputrOreruv are necaua4rffv
lost from view This vital couaidera-
ZION should BE- ever Kept in mind ~ air
iaW abiding md far-FlEhted members 81
labor examinations
'1t D. sincerely % he hoped. there
f'rf. mat guV wage runtr0verav mat
NAV arise between the railroads ana
thrir rwuloFcH may hnd N rcacefrt co.
iInn nnH trhifrnti0n already provided bv
congress. which have proven - erect
I've during the past year To fhia ena
the Communication should be in p position
60 have available Tor any board Of con.
IfIIHfInu nFNIfFnfIUr HrfFa.aF n.f.