Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-06-15

transaction which figures so largely in
their report. Had l gone to the par
tlcular friends of some of my accusers,
who are in the wood business, and pajd
them S5 50 and Sc per cord, short mea-
sure, 1t would have been all right and I
would have been clever fellow. In
relation to the hauling oilumber to San 3
and the other work had done it wa /.
hauled for Messrs. Cripps & Waller. +
think 1t was much better for the team to
earn 81 % on its way out for load OF
wood, than to go empty. The money so
earned was placed to the credit of the
monument On their bill for lumber for
The house now occupied by the night
watchman, which am told is now also
used by these gentlemen to hold their
Know Nothing meetings in; and the bal
ance of the bill yet remains unpaid
Again: they say, that in regard to the
cost of the work which has been done
there may be and is great difference of
opinion. but upon rough estimate the
cost OF the marble cutting has been a
great deal more than what it was worth
or what it could have been done for. and
that they expect to lay before the public
detailed estimate of skillful and ex-
perienced marble cutter to show what
the work ought to have cost. In regard
to the character of the work and the cost
OF the same, | challenge them to a COM
parison with any building of like char
acter, public or private, here or else
where, and dare them to the test. I can
show them that it cost great deal less.
and is better done than any they can put
their finger on; and when they get their
estimate fKom their skillful and exne.
rlenced marble cutter, want him TO put
his name to the bottom of it, so that if
he makes any false assertions we can tell
where to find him They also charge,
that the work being done by the day,
and no proper adequate supervision, the
men lost much time. In relation to nv.
self, will onl y say that no mistake Of
mine during the time had charge of the
building (ncarly seven years. ever cost
the Monument Society twenty-five cents;
and as TO the men, it is matter thai
cannot be disputed that they were tie
best set of men on any public building in
the city, and were as faithful and atten
tive to their work as any men could be:
for the proof of which / challenge them
! to call on any member of their order
who ever worked On the building-and
there are number in the CITY: if
they don't know them, call on me and
will give their names.
| The next, and, believe the last charge.
/ is, as they say, in relation to the psrtizap
charac er of the direction of the work
that they can only speak from hearsay
but that they are informed that out Of
twenty-three men employed there last
but four were natiye-born citizens: AID
they have the proof to show that GER
tainly one (and they believe more) Amer
lean, native of this city, and fully COM
petent and entirely trustworthy, applied
for work there last year and W IS rejected.
and Immediately after the very work for
which he applied was given to foreigner.
To the first part Of the charge, answer
that they either know nothing about tn
number or character Of the men employ
ed on the monument, or that they knew
they uttered base and wllful lie, unless
they consider no man an American who
is not member of the midnight order, as
| believe that is the number of them
Know Nothings) who were emulnyed
at the close of The work. can name
more than double the number, and il
they had wanted to tell the truth. they
could have learned it from any Know
Nothing there also assert that the
proportions of americans on the monu
ment is greater than on any other build
ing In the District, taking the three
branches employed, viz: stone cutters.
maSons, and laborers. The reason of
the prt pOnderance of the foreign born is,
that In those three occupations, especial
ly masOns and laborerS, there are bat
few Americans to be found. talso chal.
lenge them to show where | have dis
charged an American for the last four
years, except one or two, and they were
di, charged for good reason, and if pro.
duced will admit it. Numbers of Amer
leans have left the building voluntarily;
among them many Know Nothings who
are now in the city, the present foreman
of stone cutting included, whom they ap-
pointed, IS. L. Larcombe The reason
of their leaving | will give, and defy
you to ask them if l state an untruth.
1t was this: that all the work on the
monument was plain and very heavy,
and If a man worked at all, he was
obliged to work hard. AS soon as the
other buildings started, where the work
was lighter, and more varied in its char
acter, where a young man, especially, had
all opportunity to improve himself, sew
eral OF them came to me and asked me If
| would think hard of them if they left.
| told them certainly not, and advised
them to go and improve themselves.
They did so; and for this am traduced
and held up to Scorn by party who
dare not avow their principles, and come
cut in the open day and defend them. As
to my refusing an American work last
year, that may be true. l have refused
probably hundred during the year of
Ill " l. 4