Theodore Roosevelt Defies Civil Service Union Officials
■■ ■ ~ *?
** Orders Employe
They Discharged
Back on Payroll
»
No Objection to Organiza
tion. He Writes, If It Does
Not Override Laws of
United States.
fNot Inns ftfti-r ths rout strike was set
tled. President Koosevelt had on his
hands the question of labor union Influ
ence in Ihe government printing office.)
WHITE HOUSE,
WASHINGTON.
Oyster Bay, N. Y., Sept. 3, 1903.
Dear Cabot:
I was delighted to get your letter
referring to what I said about lynch
ing. I was sure you would heartily
approve of my course, both on that
occasion and also In reference to the
trouble In the government printing
office. As you may not have seen
about tlie latter, I will say briefly
what it was.
The Bookbinders union, it appears,
contains all of the employes in
that branch of the government print
ing office. It disciplined one of its
members, expelling him from the
union, and then notified Palmer that
in consequence he must be turned out
of the printing office. Palmer lay
down and Consented. The facts were
brought to my notice and I sent the
two following letters:
Orders Reinstatement.
“Oyster Bay, N. Y.. July 13, 1903.
"My Dear Secretary Cortelyou:
"In accordance with the letter of
tlie civil service commission of July
6, the public printer will reinstate
' Mr. A. Miller in ills position. Mean
while I will withhold my final decision
of the whole case until I have re
ceived the report of the investigation
on Miller's second communication,
which you notify me has begun today,
July 13.
“On the face of the papers present
ed Miller would appear to have been
removed In violatioh of the law.
There Is no objection to the em
ployes of the government printing
office constituting themselves Into a
union if they so desire; but no rules
or resolutions of that union can be
permitted to oVerrlde the laws of the
United States, which It is my sworn
duty to enforce.
“Please communicate a ropy of this
letter to the public printer for his
• information and that of his subor
dinates.
Very truly yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
lion. George B. Cortelyou,
Secretary of Commerce and Labor."
"Personal
•'Open Shop" Order.
Oyster Bay, N. Y., July 14, 1903.
"My dear Mr. Cortelyou:
■ In connection with my letter of
ye-terday 1 call attention to this
judgment amt award by the anthra
cite coal strike commission in its re
*** port to me of March IS last:
" It Is adjudged and awarded
that no person shall he refused em
ployment or In any way discriminat
ed against on account of member
ship or non-membership in any
labor organisation, and that there
shall be no discrimination against
or interference with any employe
who is not a member of any labor
organization by members of such
organization.'
"I heartily approved of this award
and judgment by the commission ap
pointed by me, which itself included
a member of a labor union. This
commission was dealing with labor
organizations working for private
employers. It is of course mere ele
mentary decency to require that all
tlie government departments shall ho
handled in accordance with the prin
ciple thus clearly and fearlessly enun
elated.
“Please furnish a copy of this let
ter both to Mr. Palmer and tlie civil
Service commission for their guid
tmee.
Sincerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Hon. Georgs B. Cortelyou,
Secretary of Commerce and Labor.”
• Accordingly Miller was was imme
diately reinstated. There was a good
deal of wild talk for the time being
fcnd then things settled down. They
threatened to strike and Clarkson
Wrote to me in great agitation they
Tnight do ro. I wrote him back that
if they did not a man jack of the
strikers should get back Into the gov
ernment service while I was presl
dent.. The result was that they
fizzled out.
Ijilior Angered.
The country as a whole is well
pleased. At the same time from tlie
political standpoint there Is no use in
disguising the fact that the country
a* a whole will probably forget ell
about it; while the labor union people
who are angry will not forget, just
as the country as ft whole may for
get all about the legislation and exe
cutive action which Really has result
ed during the last two venra ip niak
log the big corporation people hold
themselves amenable to the law anil
tlie public sense of SBecency, while
these same big corporation people will
not forget, and In every way, Includ
ing the use of their organ. The Sun,
will keep on doing all the damage in
their power.
The Wall street aituation li rreat
ly Improved. The chance of a panic
aeeme to be pretty well over. Of
course the check to the boom and
the Wall Street disturbance general
ly will have enme effect on the whole
business world and times will not be
ao good for the nrxt year or eo as
they have been during the last year.
The fault belongs wholly of course to
1 bin speculators, the promoters who
have over-capitalized the great trusts,
and the rerkless, greedy and over
sanguine men generally; hut equally
of rouraa these people and a rnnsld
ernhle number of their follower* will
not wish to shoulder the blame and
wit! put It on me If they ran.
Give my love to Nannie. Ws have
had a lovely summer here at Oyster
Bay, although of course with a good
deal of work and worry.
Ever yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Hon. H. C Lodge,
>ar« United States Embassy,
,i London, England,
I
I ■ ■ ■- I.
A LA SICA BOUNDARY TRIBUNAL.
FOREIGN OFFICE.
S. W. *
Confidential
Sept. 24, 1903.
Dear Theodore:
Th® Wall street opposition has very
much subsided; it had begun to be
fore I left, but the labor men seem
to be pretty violent about the printing
office business and I see you are fo
meet Gompers and Mitchell this week.
I believe myself you are not only
absolutely right In the proposition,
but that It will prove a source of
strength ot you. As Root said, in a
case where there are two courses be
tween which one has to choose, after
decision It Is permissible to feel anx
iety as to whether choice has been
wise, but where there is only one
possible course one Is at least reliev
ed from all anxiety. Your action was
so thoroughly right In the printing
office case that I do not see how
anybody, labor leader or other, can
make an Issue of It.
Best love to Edith.
Always yours,
H. C. LODGE.
To the president.
WHITE HOUSE,
WASHINGTON.
September 30, 1903.
Denr Cabot:
Well, the summer has come to an
end. On Monday, the 28th, we came
back here. The last three days were
very pleasant. It was brilliant fall
weather. Grant La Forge and Dan
Wister came out on Wednesday night,
and Friday morning T took them on
a three hours' ride. Dr. Lyman Ab
bott was at lunch.
The afternoon I spent chopping—
having practically struck out all offi
cial work, attending to my corres
pondence In the evening. Friday was
a delicious day, cool and fresh, and
X on Blelsteln and Edith on Yakenka
hod a four hours' ride. It was really
delightful. George Bird Grtnnell, with
whom 1 wanted to talk Indian reser
vations. and ineldenlally some points
on liig game zoology, was out for
lunch. In the afternoon I played ten
nit.
Tells of Picnic.
Saturday I took Edith off In a
rowboat and we were out all day,
rowing down to the great marsh at
the end of Lloyd’s Neck, where we
took our lunch and watched the white
sails of the coasters passing up and
down th* sound. I had a stiff row
home against the wind and tide
Edith thinks that the enclosed
clippings, describing the woes of my
tailor over my taste In dress, may
amus® you and Nannie. Send them
back to me when you have read them.
Do the same with Mrs. Htuyvesant
Fish's "appreciation" of Edith’*
dress and my social habits.
I have been reading Aristotle’s pol
itics and Plutarch’s miscellany, and
as ustiul take ru Immense comfort
out of the speeches of Lincoln. 1
have just ran across a speech of his
on lynching, delivered, I think, In
IS36, which I wish 1 had remembered
when I wrote to Governor Durbin. I
should have quoted from It with a
free hand.
As soon ns I got hsrk here I had
to take up various hits of work, espe
daily the Miller case with the labor
unions, and the postoffice scandals.
Meets labor Meun.
John Mitchell, Gompers and vari
ous other leaders of the unions called
upon me about the Miller case, and
the announcement that they Intended
to do so caused one of those curious
panics habitual among our friends of
the wealthy and cultivated classes.
They got It Into their fool heads
that as I was to hold a "conference”
with the labor men, this meant that
I Intended to weaken. They Immedi
ately fell Into a panic anti screamed
that I had weakdhed.
It wa* some time before I discov
ered that their trouble was with the
terminology of the affair. I happened
to soy to one shrill remonstrant that
I certainly could not deny to anybody
a bearing, whether It was !o the la
bor people or the trust magnates. He
seemed Immensely relieved, and said
(hat as long as It was a "hearing"
and not a "conference" It was all
right. I did not attempt to find out
exactly what the distinction was In
his mind; but whatever It Wu» It
seems to have been widespread, for
all my financial and Intellectual
friends have solemnly agreed that
while It would be wicked to hold a
conference It would be eminently
proper to hold a hearing.
Gompers “Sleek Article.”
The labor leaders who saw me were
entirely reasonable, Mitchell, of
course, especially so; Gompers (who
Is a sleek article) thought It better to
be so. The others counted less. When
not in my presence thev have passed
multitudes or denunciatory resolu
(Ions, but I had no difficulty with
lliem when far® to face, in order
that there should he no etinnee of rnls
Interpreting nr misquoting roe, I fin
ally read them my decision.
(Hers the president quotes to T.ndge the
derision renoertd In ths printing office
case, tn it ha informs the labor leaders
that he governs hs actions according to
tite law of the land, and that he le "pres
ident of ail t)te people of the lulled
Htatee. without regard to rretd. color,
birthplace, occupation or aoriat condition "
Ha continues. "In t lie employmmit and
dismissal of men in the government serv
ice I can no more recognise the fast that
a man doee or doca not belong to a union
aa being for or agsinat him, titan t can
racognlze ttia fart that he le a J'rntestant,
or a Catholic, a .law or a tlentlle, as be
ing for 0r against hint." Ilsnre he has
AIIVRRTIHKMKNT.
Don’t Shirk
YourJIeals
If Food DittrwM Dm to iMfigoatioa
Sturt’* Dyapopaia Tablet! WHI
Giro You a Now Stomack.
Tt la really aatonlahlng tha way
•no or two Htuart'a Iiyapepala Tab
let* awaeten your aour atnmarh, atop
faaalneea, end heartburn. taka off
he bloat, make you feel eaay, con
tented and ready for th* nant meal
With a zeatful appetite.
It In beoauaa theae tablets jrtra
your atnmarh an alkaltn* affect.
They alao aid dlgeatlon. You may
eat meat, heana. pie, hot bread, aea
aoned dlahaa, *a image, rbeeae and ao
on and yet theae tablet* not only
prevent dletre** of Indlgeatlon but
aerve to atlmulate atomach and In
teatInal aecretlona that enable you
to get tha nutritive value of what
you eat.
They ar* th* atandard for dyapap
tic ecndltlona and are void in drug
atura* everywhere at «0 rant* a ho*.
Try than today. They won’t fall
na.
ordered the retention of Miller, the dis
charged employe of the government print
ing office.)
Mitchell slated he was absolutely
satisfied with what I had said. The
others appeared to be also. The union
controlled by that indicted scoundrel,
Sam Parks, thp Bridge Builders union,
has just added Its mite of denuncia
tion. Moody has been of the ut
most assistance to me throughout
this incident; so have Cortelyou.
Garfield and Sargent (head of the Lo
comotive Engineers.)
Ever yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Hon. H. C. Lodge,
care American Embassy,
London, England.
ALASKAN BOUNDARY TRIBUNAL
Foreign Office
S. W.
Oct. 12, 1903.
Personal
Dear Theodore:
I need not say how much I was In
terested in all you tell me about the
labor men. Nothing could possibly he
hetler than the statement you so
wisely wrote out and read to them.
[ have been over It two or three
times and I cannot see anything In
it that Is not absolutely solid and
right. That Is a platform on which
we can all stand. I am not surprised
that Mitchell behaved well; still less
than that convict Parks has been
passing resolutions against you. Ills
re-election Is really u menacing in
cldent.
Ever yours,
IT. C. LODGE.
To the President.
(In enforcing the civil service lawn,
Coimnly*loner Roosevelt wan frequently at
mlds with powerful politicians, end often
ha found President benjamin jl unison
none too positive a backer.)
UNITED STATES
CIVII, SERVICE COMMISSION,
WASHINGTON, 1).
June 29, 1389.
Dear Cabot:
I am having a hard row to hoe. I
have made this commission a living
force, and In consequence Hie outcry
among the spoilsmen has become furi
ous; It has evidently frightened both
the president and Halford* a little.
They have shown symptoms of telling
me that the law should be rigidly en
forced where the people will stand It,
and gingerly handled elsewhere. But
I answered milltantly; that as long ns
t was responsible the law should he
enforced up to the handle everywhere;
fearlessly and honestly.
I am a great believer In practical
politics, hut when my duty Is to en
force a law, that law Is surely going
to he enforced, without fear or favor.
[ am perfectly willing to he turned
out—or legislated out—but while in I
mean business. As a matter of fact,
I believe 1 have strengthened this ad
ministration by showing, In striking
contrast to the faclR under Cleveland,
that there was no humbug In the law
now.
All the Chicago and Milwaukee
papers are hacking me up heartily.
The Indiana men are very angry—
even Browne** has gone hack on his
previous record. It Is disheartening
to see such folly, hut Its only effect
on me personally is to make me more
doggedly resolute than ever to Insist
on exact and full justice.
Yours,
T. R.
•Ft. tV. Halford, secretary to the presi
dent.
••Thomaa McClelland Browne, eon
greasmun from Indiana.
(Aa In previous letters, Ttoosevelt volcoa
hr low his dislike of ths "mugwumps'’ ns
voters of no party were known In those
days.)
SAGAMORE HILL,
Oyster Ray,
Long Island, N. Y.
July 1, ’89.
Dear Cabot:
I have now read your book (Lite
of Washington) carefully through, and
can otily reiterate what I have al
ready said as to Its worth. It is head
and shoulders above what you have
already done; and it is ttie life of
Washington.' You have now reached
what I am still struggling for, a uni
formly excellent style. The contrast
between your description of Virginia
society in this hook and in your "His
tory of the colonies" is bo great ns
to be almost amusing. Moreover,
though you have no absolutely new
material, your chapter on “Washing
ton as a party man" (I am thankful
you took that exact title: It acts as a
mordant to set the picture) la in
reality as absolutely new as If based
on Mass, never before unearthed. It
is a great work.
I was glad to hear from you in ap
proval of my western trip, when I
made “a slam among the postoffices."
I have been seriously annoyed at the
mugwump praises, for fear they
would discredit me with well meaning
but narrow republicans, and for the
last week my party friends in Wash
ington have evidently felt a little
shaky. This has no effect on me
whatever; I took the first opportunity
to make a slash at the Port Huron
man especially to show that I was
resolutely bent on following out my
course to the very end.
Even Halford, however, says he is
alarmed at the feeling against the law
in the west; but as I told him, it had
far better be repealed than allowed to
remain as under Cleveland a non
enforeed humbug. If you get the
chance do dwell on the fact that It Is
to Harrison's credit, all that we are
doing In enforcing the law. I am
part of the administration; if I do
good work it redounds to the credit
of the administration. This needs to
be Insisted on; both for the sake of
of the mugwumps and for the sake
of Harrison himself.
How fortunate it is that I did not
get the assistant secretaryship of
state! I could have done nothing
there; whereas now I have been s
real force, and think I have helped
the cause of good government and of
the party.
Best love to Nannie. T. R.
Sagamore Hill, July I, S9.
Oyster Bay,
Long Island, N. Y.
You blessed but jaundiced sage:
Your letters were so very gloomy
that they made me quite regain my
spirits. Edith thoroughly agrees with
you about interviews; so I cry pec
cavi and will assume a statesmanlike
reserve of manner whenever report
ers come near me. Seriously, 1 was
only led into saying as much by the
not unnatural desire to hit bark at
the western politicians who were hit
ting at me.
I had an extremely good letter
from Col. Clapp,* which I shall show
to Halford and the president. I have
no Idea that I shall he asked to re
sign, and it would need really treach
erous treatment to make me do so of
my own accord. As fat- as I can
see at present all that the commls*
sion will do before October will he to
finish the fight with the Milwaukee
postmaster and try to get one In
Grand Rapids Indicted (both are dem
ocrats!; and I may have a single ‘'in
terview" on the practical character
of our examinations just before leav
ing In July or August, for the west.
The praise I am now receiving
from the mugwumps excites in mo
more good-natured amusement. Your
book has permanent value; your
work In congress for the country has
permanent value; your children's
children will feel honored to bear
your name:—you can snap your fin
gers at the snarling host of little
yclpers, whose lies are predestined to
rot in forgotten obscurity.
Best love to Nannie.
Yours,
T. R.
•editor of the Bouton Jsurnsl.
UNITED STATER
CIVIH SERVICE COMMISSION,
WASHINGTON, D. C.
July 11, 1889.
Dear Cabot:
1 read your speech with great care.
I wonder whether It did not occur to
our mugwump friends that it wa* an
honor to the community to have in
congress a man capable of making
such a speech.
Your remarks about Indiscriminate,
abusive criticism of course go to my
heart; I'm going to try to drag In
something of the sort Into my volume
for New York*—for Freeman's series
if I ever write it. I regard this dis
honest jealousy of decent men on the
part of the people who claim to be
good, and this wholesale abuse, as
two of the most potent force* for evil
now exlatent in our nation. The foul
and coarse abuse of an avowed parti
san. willing to hurt the nation for the
sake of personal or party gain, is bad
enough; Hut It receives the final touch
when steeped In the mendnclous
hypocrisy of the mugwump, the mis
railed Independent.
I have rome hack to my work. The
commission had a very satisfactory
interview with the president. The obi
boy la with us—which was ralher a
relief to learn definitely.
During the hot weather we ahall
have comparatively little to do; It is
pretty dreary to sizzle here, day after
day. doing routine work, ami I shall
take tnv six weeks In the west with n
light heart and a clear conscience. I
shall start about August 8.
Give my bent love to Nannie, and
tell tie it is everything for me to have
1211 as a home. Yours ever.
T. R.
T guess from what the Press says
I will stay in unless knocked on the
head by congress.
♦History of V..rU City It. C. I,.
UNITED STATES
CIVII- SERVICE COMMISSION,
WASHINGTON, J). C.
July 28, ‘SS.
Dear Cabot:
I do wish the president would give
me a little active, even If only verbal,
encouragement; It la a deadweight to
staRged under, without a particle of
sympathy from any one of our lead
ers here, except old Proctor.* 1 am a
little weary over the case of the—
postmaster; he has a strong pull, and
the president has slumbered on his
case over a week; if he is not dis
missed, as we recommend, it will be a
black eye for the commission, and
practically an announcement that
hereafter no man need fear dismissal
for violating tlie law; for if tills man
has not violated it, then it can by no
possibility tie violated.
The other day I wasted a dollar and
a half on Swinburne's new volume of
poems—but threw it away when I at
last came 1o a sonnet addressed to
"Our J-ady of I-aughter," Nell
Gwynn, and containing the rather
startling assurance that the virtuous
Nell was one whom "neither court nor
state could taint.'* I cannot count •
nBrno idiocy beyond a certain point.
Yours, T. B.
•S«cr*t*ry of War Proctor, later »*n
a tor from Vermont.
(For many year* William McKinley and
Thomas B. Rce«l wers outstanding figure*
in t ho republican party. Roosevelt *«»
h Reed man In 1*89 Reed won ths
speakership of the house. He became
known h* f,C*ar" Reed Seven year* later
he was t® be one of the aspirant* for the
republican presidential nomination, won
by McKinley.)
UNITED STATES
Civil, SERVICE COMMISSION,
Washington, D. C.
August 1, '$9.
I)i'ji r Cabot:
Today I caught a glimpse of the
president, and repealed to him the
parable of the backwoodsman and the
bear. You remember that the praper
of the backwoodsman was "Oh I.ord.
help me kill that bear: and if you
don't help me, oh Herd, don't help the
hear.’’ Hitherto I have teen per
fectly contented if the president
would preserve an impartial neutral
ity between me and tlie bear, but now,
as regards Postmaster Paul of Mil
waukee, the president must help
somebody, and I hope It won't be the
bear. I guess he'jl stand by us all
right, but the old fellow always wants
to half-do a thing.
I saw McKinley the other day; a ml
explained to him that I was support
ing Reed; he was as pleasant as pos
sible—probably Ihicjlum be considered
my support worthless. Yours,
T. R.
(To b# Continued Tomorrow, with more
letters of Roosevelt’* earlier jears).
(Copyright, 1925.)
African Missionary Talk*
to Newcastle Congregation
Hpi-clsl Oi.pHtcli to Til, O mu Ini Bee.
Newcastle, Neb., March 8.— Rev. K.
D. Alvord, an agricultural missionary
to East Africa under th. American
board, who 1* on furlough, spoke here
tc^day at both morning and evening
service* 1n the Community Congrega
tional church. The lecture Sunday
evening which showed the industrial
side of the mission work, was Illus
trated with slides and Mr. Alvord
spoke of the native life, customs and
the African big game for hunters.
It means Quaker flavor—the ‘world's
richest and quickest breakfast '
Get QuiOKjQUAKEBr—Cooks in 3 to 5 Minute*
XT OU want quick cooking oat*. But evan more
. X 700 want rich flavor, 80 be sure you get
Quick Quaker.
All that wonderful Quaker flavor Is there. All
the Quaker richness and fine quality.
Anybody who has aver eaten oats knows whet
that rqeana. Make certain that your family is not
denied ft.
Quick Qitalawj flue, tasty and delicious—coot*
• In 8 to 8 toiputes. Gives the "hot oats and milk’*
breakfasts doctors say children and grown-ups
Seed.
And (f costa ao little that a few cants feeds the
family.
Have the beet. Look for the picture of the
Quaker on the label.
Your grocer now has tat „ . , .
kind* of Quaker Oats * pnekagn today at your grocer’s,
kind you have always knows
•nd Quick Quaker, Look for the Quaker on the libil
That maans Quaker flavor.
Standard full sire and weight
package*— That means 3 to 5 minute cooking.
Medium: 1*4 pound*! That means the superfine oats you want—the
Large: 3 pound*, 7 o*. finest grown, the most delicious in all the world.
\
\
I WHY
9,000 Omaha Women
Bought Thors—
9,000 Omaha women are now
using Thor Electric Washing j
Machines. Many of these ma
chines have been in use for
twenty years.
This vast army of women use
the Thor because— /'
The Thor
—saves health ' I
—saves time f |
—saves money |
—saves clothes * ij
—saves labor |
—does perfect work 1
—is easy to operate |
—is durable 1
—is safe . J
—is guaranteed
Make Your Washday
There are in use throughout
the entire United States more a v in np • !
\ , than 800,000 Thor washing AJOV L/3V 100'
machines; a staunch recom- J J 9 W •
iuendation o f superiority.
Thor Washers Now Offered at
Balance in
24 Months <
No woman can atiotd to wash clothes by the old-fashioned
method. Scrubbing over the washboard is health-wrecking. An '■
electric washer will aid you in keeping your health, your youthful
ness and your attractiveness.
Will You Be the Liberator?
In our window you will see a housewife standing shackled to the old fash
ioned washing equipment. She is a martyr to the drudgery of antiquated
housekeeping methods.
On March 21—the first day of spring—someone will insert the proper key
into the lock which will release her from her shackles.
Come to the Electric Shop and get a kev free. If vour kev opens the lock
on March 21, you will be declared the liberator, and you will be awarded,
absolutely free, a Thor Electric Washer.
“Electric Shops" i
43d and Leavenworth 15th and Faraam 2314 M St.
Nebrdskd Power <§.
I.OW RATES COURTESY—SERVICE
