Evening star., 1870-01-01
THE CASE OF THE COLORED
PRINTER DOUGLAS.
Argument and Appeal for Equality

society is soon again To come before YOU for
determination: Ii j., whether Louis III. Doug
lass, fair, intelligent eompositOr, whom the
Congressional Printer, in the exercise of his dis
cretion and duty under the law, has seen tit to
employ on the public printing shall BE- admitted
| TO membership in Columbia Typographical
Union lQl?
Who is this man Douglass, whose case has
| excited such extraordinary and profound inter
| est. not only in this Society and the ints:na-
| tioual Union. but throughout the country. and
what is his history as a man, a citizen. and a
1 printer? In the irst place he Is black man,
| the son of another black man. once a slave. now
slave ne longer, but an honored citizen. The
| son. as clearly appears from his record served
| an apprenticeship Of five years at the art of
| printing in the city Of ROchesta- - ,;s
term was finished he - vas still 100 younG' hoinT
~ pnusi majority. to become a member of the
: colchester union. He shortly afterwari. in the
year 1865, enlisted in the Union army and served
| hOnorably and faithfully till its close, dlstin-
! gushing himself by gallantry in action on the
bloody field Of Fort Wagner, where the hcroism
4 and devotion OF his race were so conSpicuously
| shown. for which he was mentioned in field or
! deTs 10y his commander. Leaving the service
| with an honorable discharge, at the close of the
| war be resumed his avocation a printer. The
| wear 1st6 found him in the distant western city
| of Denver, Colorado. Here he obtained employ
mcnt i'll the Gd<etts printing Office an Olic3 then
| outside the jurisdiction of the Denver Union,
| because of some quarrel between that body and
| the proprietor OF the G,tsefte-a quarrel with
| which Douglass had nothing t" do. with which
|
| the Congressional Printer, now Douglas cr-
| pioyCT, has nothing to do. This quarrel. let it
| be remembered, lcds not about prices. The ct
| <.tc office paid higher prices than any Union
! office III Denver. 1t was not, conScq qHcntlv. an
| unfair Office i'll that respect. Douglass was not
! justly chargeablc with being an unfair printer,
| because he did not work for unfair prices
| To have become a ''Tat' he must have been a
| member of a Union, and worked for under
| prices. Douglass had done neither of these
! thingt. Ae never was member OF a typograph-
| Ir.l1I unslpr I'm
| fact he never knew, a. believe and am author
lied to assert, thatithere was any controversy
whatever between the Denver Union and the
| Denver GG-'ite office until he came to this city.
some months since.
But you say, she brings no card True; bat
that is not his fault. SO far as he is concerned,
| he comes from place where there is union,
not a member of the Denver Union having been
found who would risk the Odium Oi even present
| ing his application for membership. And from
this. the tue standpoint, must exam
| inc his ease. Ii is the only just ground for
| H.. "a arbitcrS, to stand upon.
Mr.. ID. - as not' says the Secretary OF the
| Denver Union i'll an official communication TO
| our hodv. now upon its records, considered q
rat here, liR Denver. from the fact that he was
| not a Union member when he worked on the
Ga>ette. and this Union nerer tooi Gny action IN
| r,ydrd 10 the h,dtter.' He had offered to become
| n member. but no man could be found in all
| Denver with courage enough to propose his
| name before the Union, because he was "a mig
l gen. This officer further says OF Douglass
''He was a man OF good rcpute while residing
among us"
| Thus, Mr. President and gentlemen. il is seen
that the candidate Who now in good faith seeks
admission among us as wOrkingmen has, the
/ first place, served regular apprenticeship OF
five years az the printing business; that he has
proved himself faithful citizen true man.
| and a fair printer; and that, so far from being
| an - ayowed rat rs he is maliciously and
| falsely stigmatized in the resolution OF the In
/ ternational Union, he has never been rejected
| by any union OF printers. has never worked at
| unfair prices, but has ever SHOWN himself ready,
a. he is now, to join hands with his fellow
| workingmen and make common cause in their
1 struggle for mutual protection.
| What more do yon want, gentlemen What
| objections to the admission OF Douglass remain?
None. save the single one which has for its basis
| blind prejudice against color-ior this is it,
/ eyade IA you viii the naked issue. Will you, As
| an intelligent, liberal body of men, risk your
selves on such an issue: Will You discard cam
dor, fairness, justice. wisdom, and Weld to the
\ base demands of a cruel bigotry? For the
honor of the craft, trust not.
| Looking at the question in its broader aspect
| and as workingmen only, YOU must see that
true policy is TO strengthen our organization
| the policy OF concentration against that of
| dispersion or separation. How shall labor
ganiZatiOns be strengthened, that they NAV
| fully accomplish their high objects? First, by
| inducing many workingmen to Join them. And
| how can this he done? Clearly 10y establishing
only such restrictions to joining as are legi,l-
mate and necessary. Essential qualifications
| only must be required OF applicants for admis-
| sion 10 our union ii yOu would have IL powerful
I
| served four years apprenticeship. This re-
| quirement Douglass meets, for he has served
| five years. Second, he must agree to abide by
our laws. This Douglass has signiiied his will
! lingness to do by applying to us for membership,
\ "a he did on former occasion 10 another union.
He has there fore fulfilled all essential REQUIRE
| ments; he is entitled to admission.
| Look at the results that surely and logically
| follow the exclusion of any class Of workingnen
from trades-uniOns for nOn-essential reasons.
The excluded class must have work, and ,ciH
hnta n h.y rr...a fI. -,
| hostile organizations, and thereby prevent thOs,.
organizations from attaining their true objects
| namely: the consolidation of tradesmen. the elc-
yatiOn OF labor. and the advance ment OF prices.
You have a striking example OF this in the case
| Of the white carpenters of your own city, who
are being thrown out Of employment because
the colOred carpenters work cheaper. This
would not be so if the white and cOlOred carpcn-
| tiers would unite og,ther in one society. Their
safety lies in union league. Look at your
neighboring city OF Baltimore. Only a few
months since the strike OF the bricklayers of that
city disastrously defeated, by colOred brick
| layers going TO work at lower prices. And WHY"
| narTowness Of hisotry. the white bricklayers
have excluded the eOlOred men from their
union. Such folly brings its own swift and
righteous punishment.
| 1fcne non-essential restriction to membership
| Is introduced, another may be as well, and
where will it all end? If you narrow the sphere
| OF labor organization, making them both re-
strctiye and pro>crptive. the result will be their
ultimate destruction. There is no escape from
this inevitable conclusion. Already public
opinion is against trades-uniOns as a whole Ow-
ing To the severe restrictive features which
characterize most Of them. In the light OF this
serious fact, what is the policy OF wisdom? Un-
ouestionably, not to increase but to diminish
those restrictions for the success Of labor Orya-
nizations in this country is largely dependent
on whether public opinion is for or against
them. You as wOrkingmen desire liberal iegis-
lation in your favor; you desire the repeal Of OBJ
| noxious laws; You desire recognition by the
government. These things you can never secure
public opinion Is against you, for public
opinion in this free republic Is all-pOwerful; IL i,
the government. Therefore, let US, with a wise
regard to our best interests, avoid all acts
which are not essential to the attainment of eur
objects but which array public opinion against
us: Not that we should abjectly follow public
opinion right or wrong, but when IL is ON the
side OF liberty, justice, and humanity, we can
not afford to array ourselves against II.
One Of the restrictions which has heretofore
marked the legislation Of printers unions and
which has so often been used with damaging
effect as an argument against them. was at its
last session removed by the International Unien
mean the restriction against women. Another
restriction still exists-that against color. For
| this public opinion condemns us: for this the
| country to-day fixes its great eyes upon this
body, waiting to see whether il has wisdom
l enough to discern the right and courage enongh
to perform ii. Gentlemen printers1men Of
sense, as you are, and of fairness as YOU Oup chit
| to be-will you disappOint the country viii
l yOu do the simple act of justice which duty re-
quires Of you, or will you wait for the country
| to command You?
The great ohiecfs of labor oroon;,o,;o...