The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-09-26
TRY TO Save
JOBS OF POLICE
Governor Coolidge Wires to La
Dor Leader Boston Case Is
Not Like Washington's.
GENERAL STRIKE SITUATION.
Plan to Adjust Trouble Reported
Statement of Gompers Construed
as Admission Labor Heads
Blundered-city is Now Quiet.

Boston. The fate of the locked-out
policemen Of Boston was definitely de-
cided when Governor Coolidge, in a
telegram to Samuel GompeRs, sent in
reply to the latter's message to the
governor begging him to arrange the
police controversy amicably and to re-
instate the striking policemen, de-
clares that the authorities of Boston
and Massachusetts will not debate or
arbitrate their control over the officers
of state and city and that any kind OF
union on the part of policemen is
henceforth prohibited.
The governor said he was de-
termined to uphold at all costs the au-
thority of the state, its constitution
and its laws and denied Mr.. Gompers'
analogy between the situation here and
that in Washington, where the police
men did not leave their posts while
those here did.
Governor Cooldge's telegram reads ::
'Replying to your telegram, l have
already refused 80 remove the police
commissioner of Boston. l did not ap-
point him. He can assume no position
which the courts would uphold except
what the people have, by the authority
of the law, vested in him. He speaks
only with their voice The right of the
police of Boston to affiliate has always
been questioned, never granted and is
now prohibited.
"The suggestion of President Wilson
to Washington does not apply to Bost-
ton There the police have remained
on duty. Here the policemen's union
left their duty, an action which Pres
ident Wilson characterized as crime
against civilization. Your assertion
that the police commissioner was
wrong cannot justify the wrong of
leaving the city unguarded. That
furnished the opportunity; the criminal
lement furnished the action. There
is no right to strike against the public
safety by anybody, anywhere, any
time.
You ask that the public safety
again be placed in the hands of these
same policemen while they continue
in disobedience to the laws of Massa-
chusetts and in their refusal to obey
the orders of the police department.
Nineteen men have been tried and re-
moved. Others having abandoned their
duty and their places have, under the
law, been declared vacant on the
opinion of the attorney general.
Il can suggest no authority outside
the courts to take further action. I
wish to join and assist in taking a
broad view of every situation A grave
responsibility rests on all of us. You
can decide ON me to support you in
every legal action and policy. l am
equally determined to defend the SOW
ereignty of Massachusetts and MAIN
tain her authority and jurisdiction
over her public officers where it has
been placed by the constitution and
laws of her people"
Great significance was attached to
that reference in Samuel Gompers'
statement in which he pointed out that
when policemen accept charters from
the American Federation of Labor it
is with the distinct understanding that
strike action will not be reSorted to,
as no obligation is assumed which in
anyway conflicts with their oaths of
duty"