The Washington herald., 1914-03-15

OF an unwarranted cutting OF wages, OF Hagrant
violations of factory laws and tenement house
laws, of the deliberate and systematic cheating
of employees BY means of truck stores. of the
speeding up of work to a point which is fatal
to the health of the workman. of the sweating
of foreign-born workers, of the drafting OF fee
bic little children into dusty workshops, of black
listing, of putting spies into union meetings, and
of the employment in strike times OF vicious and
desperate ruffians, who are neither better nor
worse than are the thugs who are occasionally
employed by unions under the sinister name,
Entertainment Committees.
| believe that the overwhelming majority.
both of workmen and of employers. are law
abiding. peaceful, and honorable citizens, and
do not think that it is just to lay up the errors
and wrongs of individuals to the entire group to
which they belong. l also think-and this is
belief which has been borne upon me through
many years OF practical experience-that the
trade union is growing constantly in wisdom as
well as in power, and is becoming one of the
most efficient agencies toward the solution OF
industrial problems. the elimination of pow
erty and of industrial disease and accidents, the
lessening of unemployment, the achievement of
industrial democracy, and the attainment of
larger measure OF social and industrial justice.
If | were factory employe, workman on
the railroads, or a wage-earner of any sort, |
would undoubtedly join the union of my trade.
If l disapproved of its policy, | would join in
order to fight that policy; if the union leaders
were dishonest, | would join in order to put
them out. | believe in the union and believe
that all men who are benefited BY the union are
morally bound to help to the extent of their
power in the common interests advanced BY the
union.
Protect Unionist and Nonunionist Alike.
Nevertheless, irrespective of whether man
should or should not, and does or does not, join
the union of his trade all the rights, privileges,
and immunties of that man as. an American
and as citizen should be safeguarded and up
held by the law. We dare not make an outlaw
of any individual or any group, whatever his or
its opinions or professions The nonunionist,
like the unionist, must be protected in all his
legal rights by the full weight and power of
the law.
This question came up before me in the shape
of the right of nonunion bookbinder named
Miller to hold his position in the Government
Printing Office. AS l said before, believe in
trade unions. l always prefer to see union
shop. But my private preferences cannot con-
troll my public actions. The government can
recognize neither union men nor nonunion men
as such, and is bound to treat both exactly alike
In the Government Printing Office not many,
months prior to the opening of the Presidential
campaign of 1904, when l was up for re-elec-
ton, | discovered that man had been dis
missed because he did not belong to the union
| reinstated him. Mr.. Gompers, the president
of the American Federation of Labor, with va
rious members of the executive council of that
body, called upon me to protest on September
go, 1903, and l answered them as follows:
Il thank you and your committee for your
courtesy, and | appreciate the opportunity to
meet with YOU. 1t will always be pleasure to
see you or any representatives of your organiza-
tions or OF your Federation as whole.
'As regards the Miller case, | have little
to add to what have already said In dealing
with it / ask YOU to remember that am deal
ing purely with the relation of the government
to its employees must govern my action by
the laws of the land, which | am sworn to ad-
minister, and which differentiate any case in
which the government of the United States is
party from all other cases whatsoever. These
laws are enacted for the benefit of the whole
people, and cannot and must not be construed
as permitting discrimination against some of the
people. l am President of all the people of the
United States, without regard to creed, color,
birthplace, occupation, or social condition. My
aim is to- do equal and exact justice as among
them all. In the employment and dismissal of
men in the government service l can no more
recognize the fact that a man does or does not
belong to union as being for or against him
than | can recognize the fact that he is Prot
estant or Catholic, Jew or Gentle, as being