The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-10-15
THE REPUBLIC.

mence work again at the regular opening houI ia
the morning. We worked all last winter in this
manner and do not consider il justice to ourselves
or reasonable on the part OF the Company TO wish
us to work to any hour that business may demand
with force inadequate 10 do IL.
''The business of this office viii be faithfully and
promptly done between the hours Of Z and 10 p m
and, if we have the additional force, TO any hour
after that-even from daylight to daylight again.
Withoutit unwilling TO work alter 10 O'Clock
at night, the published hour.
clipping you will look favorably upon our re-
quest, we are, very respectfully,
civilian LINTON, Chief Operator.
LAMBERT TREE, ia,
ar. ID. TWEEDY,
"JNO. A. BRENNER.
''ELAM ALEXANDER, President, Macon, Ca"
On Monday morning last (22d instantly Mr.. ID.
F. Clarke, secretary Of the Company, presented
himself at the office, with the following letter. ad
dressed 10 Mr.. Linton:
"MAcoN, GA, September II, 1851.
"WM. LINTON, esq, Washington:
"DEAR Sir: Your message of yesterday con-
firms your former assertion, that you would not
do the business OF the Washington once without
an increased number of operators; that consider
quite unnecessary, and which If granted would in
crease the number of operators on the line entirely
beyond what the business requires, and would in
crease the expenses beyond what the receipts Of
the line would enable the Company to meet feel
il, therefore, my duty to relieve you and place the
management Of the said office In other hands, who
will be more willing to attend TO 1t. You will
ice, with its contents, who ID fully authorized to
receive it, and place il in such hands as he may
think fit regret to be compelled to pursue this
course well from the strong feelings Of personal
friendship have always entertained towards you,
as the satisfactory manner in which you trans.
acted the business OF your office, from our irst &C
quaintance up TO the time OF your sickness last
summer; but feel it my duty, as well for the in
terest OF the Company as those who are In its en-
ployment, to keep the expenses least within its
receipts, which could not be done by increasing the
number of operators TO meet your request. had
hoped to visit Washington myself, instead Of send
ing MIR. Clarke, but the state OF my health will not
permit me to take the journey.
"Yours, respectfully,
'sELAM ALEXANDER,
'Prest. w. and N o. Tel. Co..
Mr. Linton being thus discharged, the following
correspondence took place by telegraph
+" MIR. ELAN ALEXANDER:
"DEAR SIR: If Mr.. Linton is discharged as chief
operator of this office for refusing to work after 10
o'clock at night, the published hour, we refuse to
do the same, and will not with four operators work
after 10 O'Clock, under any other chief operator"
Signed by the operators in the office.
Dfr. Linton TO Mr. alexander.
Your letter dscharging me ia received. Before
leaving, however, think it proper to state that,
before writing to you at Petersburg on the subject
of increasing the force OF this office, advised with
Mr.. Buckley, who then and is still of the same
opinion myself, that the force Of this office should
be increased to six operators, as we would have to
do all the relaying this winter. Taking this into
considerations together with the high opinion you
say you have always had Of me, must say think
you have acted in this matter both strangely and
hastily.
The operators of the Washington and New Or
leans Telegraph Company, who have had charge
of the office in Washington, all OF whom have faith
fully served the Company for years, have been dis
charged by the President of that Company because
they would not work for that Company twenty
four hours each day. Let the subject be placed in
whatever light it may be, that is the only cause.
They required the office to be open at all hours and
would not supply force large enough to afford
any of it any time to seek rect repose The
whole force employed was required 10 be present
to perform the large business of the office, and no
| others allowed to relieve these four at any
| time, or at any hour. The Office hours disre-
| garded; the operators had no hour TO welcome
release from their labors To their labors there
morning, noon, or bed time; twas one perpetual
Wheel which never stopped. Their duties were as
constant, as regular, and as incessant as that OF
the pendulum; and when they appealed to their EN-
ployers to give them relief, that relief denied;
and their determination to do no more than their
physical strength would admit has resulted in their
| Dismissal
| We have thought it but justice to ourselves to
place these facts before the public to relieve our
selves from any suspicion that we have been found
wanting in any thing save the ability to work from
| twenty TO twenty four hours day, Sundays in
| cluded.> The Company had perfect right TO dis
charge US and employ others, but we have the
right TO state the cause of our dismissal, and tC
| place ourselves right before the community. Tha
others may be found who, for the sake of the com
| pensation, will undertake to do what we refused
! we do not doubt; but that they perform VIVA
they undertake is another question.
We leave Mr.. President Alexander and Mr.. Su
perintendent Buckley to divide between them al
the credit and honor they can derive from an at
tempt to force the operators of this office to system
| of labor more oppressive and hard than any i'm
| posed on the meanest slave; they may jointly or
severay boast that they would not yield to the de-
rhA bod lief lab thraf
| nights in the week. but sooner than suffer them to
| leave their work at midnight, while work was to
| be done, turned them out of employment While
| we hold MIR. Alexander responsible for the act
we are inclined to believe MIR. Buckley is pro-
| perly responsible. That he could be treacheroua
| to Alexander is evident from his letter above
! and that he could be treacherous to one party
| is evidence he could be treacherous to either
or to BOTH We believe if the Superintendent
desired it, the President never would have refused
the additional force; we believe that the President
would have granted our request if the Superin-
| tendent had not opposed it. Buckley, to US, was
an xious to give relief; how he when with the
| President we think is evident from the result.
To US it is of little consequence; could not work
| as we were required, and were discharged, and
having shown what that requirement was, and its
degrading and oppressive nature, we feel confident
| that there does not exist honorable man who
docs not justify our refusal to comply with it.
| WILLIAM LINTON,
LAMBERT TREE, JR.,
r. d. TWEEDY,
| JNO. A. BRENNER.
p. S. II is proper to add that, notwithstanding
the President asserts the receipts of the Company
would not enable him to give the additional force
asked for by Mr. Linton, the stockholders declared
a dividend of three per cent. at their meeting in
July last
| Oct l5-lt
| MECHANICS PRICE BOOK, for Washington
lfI City, &C.; containing list ofprices, and rules OF
measurement for carpenters, bricklayers, stonema-
sons stonecuttcrs plasterers slaters, painters and
GLACIERS; with building regulations, &C., &C. Price
| rs cents.
| For sale in Washington city by
| TAYLOR & MAURY,
| Oct I5 Booksellers, near 9th st.
| MAYORS OFFICE,
| CRY OF WAsHINGToN, Oct III, 1851.
| ID EWARD OF TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS
IN The above will be paid for the conviction
OF the person persons guilty of any Of the
eral acts of incendiarism which have been commit
| ted in this city within the last few weeks.
| WALTER LENOX, Mayor.
| Oct l4-3td
| FALL MILLINERY.
| Mrs. PARKER will open on Wednesday, 10Th
| I'VE inet feu casea of French Hats Also.