Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 120, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1903 — DENOUNCE ROOSEVELT’S ACT. [ARTICLE]

DENOUNCE ROOSEVELT’S ACT.

Unions Fcore President for Advocating the ‘’Open Shop.” Alarmed by the crusade being waged by employers’ associations for the right to hire non-union men, delegates to the Chicago Federation of Labor denounced the “open shop,” criticised President Roosevelt for his defense of independent workmen, and approved of a plan to do away with written wage agreements. In a 9,000-word letter nominally friendly to President Roosevelt, but actually adopting an attitude of correction toward him the Chicago Federation of Labor ' Sunday went on record ns declaring that the exclusion of non-union workmen from the government and other employ was right under “statute law, business expediency, and moral principle.” Organizer John Fitzpatrick struck a blow at the i “open shop” policy by introducing a report advocating the abolition of all agreements between labor unions and employers. "Deliciously unaware of tile hypocrisy I of tlie world of finance,” “bones t and humane, but uninformed,” were some of the clauses used to describe the President in the long letter of the open shop committee. ! Its opening paragraiihs contained a definite disclaimer of any wish to attack j Mr. Roosevelt, the blame for the chief 1 executive's attitude in ths Miller nffuir being placed upon “a coterie of certuiu well-known in threats which are constantly on guard nround the White House.” The President was told that he fell into error in his view of the questlou "because of that impetuosity for which we love yon.” • Tbs reading of the letter before ths ' federation meeting occupied over an hour and excited applause from ..the crowd of delegates.