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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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Everybody was saying, with the announcement. Everybody was saying, “Will Lewis offer to do this?” and so forth. After this arrangement with Ickes had been made and they went back to work, the President dropped the discussion.

I remember that he said, “Well, one thing I've learned. Mine workers won't work because the President of the United State tells them to. That I've learned.”

“Oh, they ought to, Mr. Roosevelt.”

“Well, we've learned they won't”

We had a little laugh at that time, you see, and I put in the idea, “Well, after all, the don't recognize the President as the mine boss. They don't think the President knows what they ought to do about the mines.”

They didn't recognize the President as knowing what was best for the miners. “Well,” said the President, “that we've learned--they won't work because the President tells them to.”

I had suggested that he never should ask them to, and I stood up to Marry Hopkins on this, saying, “He mustn't do it. It'll just be a defeat for him.”

Harry couldn't believe it. Anyhow, the President had learned that.

Some time later, there was an election at which John L. Lewis turned against the President and went out and told all the mine workers to vote against Roosevelt.





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