The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-06-02
The Black. Douglass.
ACTION OF THE WASHINGTON TYPOS ON rHrre
coLoRED BROTHER.

From the Correspondence of the Bali.
more Sun, May 18th
The largest meeting of the Columb;.
Typographical Union ever convened ia mi.
District was held on Saturday evening "
the City Hall, there beng 325 memb.rs
present. Before the meeting, of the socie-
ty discussions of very earnest nature took
place among squads of printers, and the
policy to be pursued was clearly marked
out on both sides 1t was soon apparent
that while the Government Office employees
were in favor OF the admission Of Douglass
and the repeal Of the apprentice sy.tem.
the men employed outside were adverse 10
both propositions. The argument used by
the city workmen was that leaving out ali
questions of race and color, Douglass was
not eligible to membership in the Union.
because he was .'rat" and had worked in
two cities-Rnchester' New York. and
Denver, COlOrado-where there were tyno.
graphical unions, aud neither of these or.
sanizations would grant him card After
the meeting had been called to order. and
some preliminary business had been TRIMS
acted, number Of names were promised
for membership. aud among them Levi. n
Douglass. The nominations were referred
to the regular committee. Mr.. Jesse Judge
then offered resolution to withdraw the
card permitting Douglass to work, because
ne had not produced card from the Union
III the place where he last worked and
ignoring entirely the question OF color
ihe reading OF the resolution caused great
excitement, which was intensified when the
chnir declared it out of order, as the case
OF Douglass had already been referred TO
tile prop committee. An appeal was
taken IRON the decision of the chair. mend.
ing which motion was made to adjourn.
and the yeas and nays were demanded
As there are 500 names OH the roll, same
time Was consumed IN calling it, and tho
result was finally announced yeas 1853, nays
lou. This is considered test vote, those
voting yea being in favor of douglass ad.
mission, and those nay opposed to it. Tie
latter were satisfied with the result, for as
1t requires q two-thirds vote to admit a
member, they are now satisfied that that
be obtained. The whole sub
Ject is adjourned over until the regular
meeting in June, and as the Nati,ual
Union meets at Albany in the meantime,
It Is expected that that body will take
some action in the matter. The adjourn.
ment prevented the reading OF Mr.. Clamps
letter in relation to the apprentice system.
douglass, who 10 the subject of ali this
contention, learned his trade in his fathers
of1ce in Rochester, and worked there until
1867, when he entered the Union army
IS Sergeant Major of the Fifty-fourth
volunteers and served two
years, and was discharged for disability &C
'asioned by wounds in 1864. He then
vent to Talbot county, Nd, where he
aught colored school within eight or
en- miles of the place wherce his father
AN away from slavery. He represented
in the delegation which waited
lpon ex-President johnson to represent
he interests of the colored people Of the
country. In the latter part of 1866 Lewis
vent to Colorado Territory and worked
ew days on the Denver Daily Gazette, and
vas forced to leave the paper because one
y the white compositors refused to work
'lth a"nigger." asingular coincidence
be Directing white printer is now also en-
loyed at the Government printing Office,
nd seems we'll satisfied with the situation.
rs the case now stands, Douglass has
mother month to work on his permit.