The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-07-12

IAPp.-The following Is the address TO the
Congressional printer, as adopted at the
neeting Of the bookbinders a few evenings
go, and Of which mention has been made
heretofore In these columns:
Ion. A. NJ. Cidpp,
Ion Of your request to repeal or amend the
Irticle In our constitution relating to appren.
ices In the Government bindery, the Jour
,eymen Bookoinders Society sdopied the fol-
Experience having proved the necessity Of
some restrictions on their employers In re- |
70 tns ,Sss nsye
duty to differ with u, on that Important ques-
but, sir, we believe with = more careful in.
vestigation OF the subject You will come to
the same conclusion we have. Ever since the
has had control Of the bindery
there have been more or lcss men out Of en-.
ployment, some time during the year. II you
will refer to the last report OF the congress
ionsl printer, you will and that there were
not hfty men who had steady cnploy ment
during the year. large number Of us did
not earn a. much wages during the year as
lnborer. 80.
Now, sir, We ask you ifit would he Justice
sppreDtices To- increase tb So "lresSx o oy.r
stocked market for labor at the book bindi pg
business. The average Number OF men en-
pioyed IL the Government blndery VIII not cx.
the Treasury Department II will not average
over six men; and yet we allow-if we m,y
use the word-ten apprentices to the Govern.
ment, while having one hundred and twesty
men depending on the blnderies for work,
which you will see by taking eighty'six from
one hundred aud twenty viii leave an aver
age Of thirty constantly out OF employment.
Believing, sir. that you want but justice,
and hoping this brief statement OF facts will
convince you that II viii he more injustice to
the men who will soon be out Of employ ment
than to the boys whom you intend putting TO
work, we would respectfully beg your earnest
consideration Of the above plain fscts.
be communicated to the Hon. A. Clapp, Con.
Eressional printer, by 4 committee OF three,
with the signature OF the president, and At.
tested by tn. secretary with the seal Of the
society. A. q. HuLLgrT,
Attest: President
Jso. A. PKRKiNs,
Recording Secretary.
4 committee appointed far the purpose
waited upon Mr.. Clapp on Saturday, and
presented to him the address given above
In reply Mr.. Clapp prepared the following
communication, which he placed In the
hands Of the president Of the association.
"rricE q, CoxanRssIoSAL PRINrER,
GENTLEMEN: Some mon his sincc | hddresse ed
communication to your Organization GU the
subject OF apprentices, with a suggestion, not
a request" AS you seem to infer, that you
should repeal or amend that portion OF your
constitution relating to the number OF np.
prentices to be employed by the Government
bindery, and have Just received your reply.
This Substantially ignores the suggestions Of
my communication, inasmuch as you seem
disposed TO make II matter OF contest OF
words rather than OF action In the direction
have indie nted.
MY commute ,tion to your Organization
WAS more out OF courtesy than from sense oil
duty, for the simple reason that my judg men,
doe, no, Iee0sG,ss ne =, rishs !, IN Any outside
| meut in any OF Its departments who or how
many persons shall be employed under Its
business necessities, and having, after ouch
| delay, received your response, I viii h,stily
| consider Its propositions.
! I regard the battle OF life open to every
American citizen, whether old or young
J white or colored, under the broad A American
principle that "siI men are created sqa.i,i
1hoid that no man or set OF men have any pe
euiiar right or patent relating to the genera
| that none because they may hold the hdvan
| tages of a trade, have any Immunity that jusii
hes them In closing the door Of Industry and
craft against others who may desire to pursu,
the same path In the journey of life. Hence
l consider your attempt TO dictate to th
branch Of the Government service, or to AM
other relating to the Industries OF the eGun
try, as 10 the number OF Its employees. Al
clearly wrong and indefcnsible under tn
most plain and simple principles Of person,
right.
Asto the statements aud propositions O
your communication, feel justified In shyin
that under the best lights available TO IN
mind, they are substantially fallacious
careful examination Of your statements, 4
connection with facts that gather from Irgit
mate and reliable sources. leads nc TO hfme
conclusions as to the Justice of my view,
rather th,n to bring thrm in hlrmony wit
yours on this question. Your statements a
to the number OF men employed In the 90,
ernHi-ut b,ndery for n series Of yerrs past ar
not, I am convinced, su.tsinri by the fact
that are revealed by careful AMI close scrutiny
lind that the number Of men employed I
the Government biniery for the yea lstT wa
lis, with los AZ the average number h,vih
constant employ ment duriiT the year. In tn
year lsGs, the whole number OF men employe
In this bindcry wasll0 Owing to the fact thu
the second session OF the Foriieth CongIe,
, did not adjourn, except from time to tim
until late In the year, large quantity Of wor
tsome oo,ooO octave volumes ~ sheep aud cal
, was necessarily reserved, and Is now on han
/ to he done. The average iumbct of men col
. stantly employed throughout the whuic yes
= was 81, This average does not include III
Q | time lost by men on their own account which
. II included, would Increase the svcr.g
: number employed constantly to still large
figures.
c Thus far, durlng the year 1869, the numb,
b OF men employed 10 the Government binder
@ 10 ll5, with = fair prospect that the averaG
during the entiIe year will he cqutl 70 thes
=, figures, unless the number Is feduiei BY III
voluntary action Of the binders themselves
Q while these facts are not m,terisl to III
u main question at Issue, present them to sho
. that your Organization has fallen into error
, an effort to Justify It's attempt Ia shut the doc
against such young men a, may desire to /
. educated 10 the arts Of this trsde. and thus
u |
Q able livelihood in the struggle Of life. Yo
seem to forget that your organic tion is con
posed OF men large proportion Of whom VII
b. their journey ere long, and how great woul
, he the calamity to the country " the art q
bookbinding should psss away with them ]
Is TO avert mis- that the young men OF tn
country should be not only permitted but e.
couragcd to learn this trade, that Its uscfu
ness may he pcrpetu,tcd, and keep pace wi,
the necessities and advancement ot the age.
Z What, let me ask, 10 to become OF the lads
/, | this great country II they are to be exclude
from learning trades, and arc left to buffet Il
vicissitudes and temptations Of life withot
some reliable resource for livelihood-suc
!, for instance, as 10 guaranteed through an 4
/, premiership and proper education for pros
cutting an honorable businessl The soiut iC
= 10 easy. II the bookbin iers are to maiuta
l. their restrictive position 10 regard to nppre
G tees, other trades may adopt like polio
ID community with idlera and vagsbonds, wi
70 might have been saved to respectsbility Al
i usefulness II they had been permitted to ie,
l. trsdesi aud, what 10 more. under such III
lc Of policy the general industries OF the count
n will be greatly Impaired, If they do not abs
n lutely anguish and dis out.
~ Wih these suggestions feel constrained
aumonlsh your Organization, most respectful
Di mat ny duty In this case Is very clear, 1t
&c to sid those who may deSire to learn trades
far as, In my judgment, public necessity IN
extend in that direction, holding Inyself
" sponsihle only to the Government for
n action.
IN lam, with due resrOe,, &c,
- A. NJ. CLNrr,
e. Congressional Printer
III To A. q. Hullett, President, John A, p
OF kins, Secretary OF Journeymen Bookbinde
n, Association, SHii3
h, We learn II Is the fixed determination
&c the book binders not to yield; and from WI
ne we know of the Congressional Printer,
rt Clapp, he will speedily take measures to q
of such as he mentions in his letter, and {
ne point additional apprentices, so that we IN
IL safely predict direct issue to the all
K within a very few days.
le The TEMPERANCE EXCLUSION TO-DAY
nc Equal No. /, Tribe of Jonadab, the new to
rs pcrancc organization, composed prlncipa
~ of members Of the late Equal Division,
e. ., and other divisions of the Sons Of Tie
s. pernnce, proposes to spend to-day and Il
evening at Glymont. The success viii
has ever attended the efforts of this orgaI
e. zatlon is sufficient guaranty Of what Ia
E. store for those who patronize them on Il
H. occasion. The proceeds are for the cspec
40 purpose Of procuring suitable appointmer
r for their beautiful initlatory ceremor
H. which, we learn, is one Of the most lntcrc
of ing Of any now In use among temperar
1g societies In the District. This being sol,
al | n tcmDeraDce cXcurslOn we WOuld adv