Evening star., 1922-07-27
Right Of Any Glass to Maperl
US. Is Disputed by President

Declaring that tho right Of en-
ployes to strike Is unchaIlenged by
the government, but that the right
eousness of free men to be protected
| in their lawful pursuits against inter-
ference and violence" might be sub
mitted to the decision of the Ameri-
can people. President Harding last
| night directed a letter. to ]. Cleve
Dean. of, chattanooga. Tenn. chair
man of the Railway Employees Pub
licity Association. asserting that the
government represents neither capi-
tai nor labor and disputes the right
of any group or class to imperil
! American welfare
The Presidents letter follows:
Text of Letter.
Since you speak as chairman of
the Railway Employees Publicity As
| important that the American people
| know precisely the questions at issue
| in the present railway and coal
strikes. ! am more than glad to an
swer your telegram. though I can
only treat YOUR politically partisan
| references with that contempt which
| is felt by every good citizen in the
| hour of deep public concern.
Happily for the American public.
everything done and everything said
by government authority relating to
| the two strikes is matter of record,
| There is no dispite about the loyal
! American citizenship of the men on
! strike nor will any one question tina t
| many OF them gave everything that
men can give for the service of this
country in the world war Nor is it
Sril
exercising their constitutional and law
ful rights. under existing statutes.
in declining to work under the terms
decided by the Railroad Labor Board
or rendered to the workmen by the
! mine operators of the country. No
| one has attempted or proposed to
draft free men into either the railway
or mining service, or suggested CO.
ercion under military force. The
military forces of free America are
never used for such a purpose. Their
service is only that of preventing
lawlessness and violence.
Workers Aid Country.
That same unchallenged freedom
which permits you and your asso-
ciates to decline to work is no less
the heritage of the free American
who chooses to accept employment un-
der the terms proposed. The differ
ence @ between the two positions is
exercise their rights of freedom in
seeking to hinder the necessary
transportation OF the country. not
withstanding the provision made by
law for the consideration of any just
grievance, and the striking miners
seek to prevent the production Of coal
necessary to common welfare. not
withStanding the offer of an agency
to make an impartial settlement.
while the men who choose to work in
response to the call of the country
are exercising their like rights, and
at the same time are making their
contribution to our common American
welfare.
THE decisions of the Railroad Labor
Board are in compliance with a man
United States. Without discussing
the decisions at issue. 1t is fair to as
sumo that government agency is ever
ready to correct an error which is
made. else government iself would
become unjust. Moreover. it is in
disputable that there can be no gov
ernment unless its mandates are ac-
cepted by the citizenship of the re-
public. This observation relates more
particularly to the railroad situa-
ton.
Sought to Give Aid.
When the mining situa ton became
menacins I invited representatives of
the mine workers and the operators
70 conference. They came together.
they were advised as to the call of
common welfare, yet in eight days of
opportunity no progress was made.
I'm the absence Of any tribunal au-
thorized to settle disputes between
mine workers and their employers the
federal government then voluntarily
proposed the creation Of national
commission before which the disputes
might be settled justly. IN the light Of
full information and in accordance
with the best expressions of our mod
ern civilization. Instead of contem-
plating the resort to force. 1t antici-
pated the very opposite-industria
peace with justice to every man con-
cerned. Instead of aiming at 'invoi-
untary servitude.' to which you mex
cusably refer. the government asked
the mine workers to resume their
activities, in response to manifest
public need. at precisely the same
wages and under precisely the same
which they had been working con-
!, tentedly for the last two years.
Those who spoke for the mine
workers refused such proposal.
There is. no dispute of the right to re-
fuse. Since they declined to respond.
enough men who love this country
and cherish its security, and believe
in serving the common welfare. to
come to the relief Of the mining stu
alton, and avoid suffering. privation
and paralysis. I asked the governors
Of the coal-mining states to invite
mine operators and mine workers to
resume their activities. and to promise
that to which every man is entitled.
namely. protection in his lawful pur-
suits. This protection applies alike
to the men on strike who observe the
law and make no 'lawless interference
with men at work and to the men
who are lawfully at work and entitled
to protection by every agency Of gov
ernment in that work. If you mean
to challenge the righteousness of free
men to be protected in their lawful
pursuits against interference and
violence. will be glad to join you in
submitting that question to the de-
cision of the American people.