The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-06-20
FROM MARYLAND.

BALTIMORE, June 5 1874.
~ ne OFFERS a,R H,nttrs N LEGAL LHioHs.
GENrLENEN | have Just received cir
cular, dated Baltimore, May %, 1874,
issued by Thomas Culliugton, George
Robinson and c. NJ CastIne. Now, as
there are always two sides ~ a question,
We vii take occasion to lay the history Of
this affair before you but before going
into details we will here state that the three
gentlemen above named we're not members
IL onion M Ia Inc 10Th If May, when
they issued the circular above referred to,
therein claiming o. be committee Of
Union No. d
During the month III December, 1873, a
communication was received by the Cor.
Sec. If Mon Ne. I from the Executive
Board u the International Union, wherein
they levied 4 special assessment of thirty
cents Per IS eek upon each member Of local
unions for the support Of different unions
then uu q strike. among them Union No.
1, for which mon M. was assessed As
soon as the President was informed Of the
reception Of the communication, he CON
vened special meeting Of the Union. At
that meeting. as near As Ne can recollect
there vas motion made to appoint a
committee u collect the assessment. then
another following 1t To take the amount Of
the assessment from the treasury. Then
there Was objection made to paying the
assessment, because there was then in the
treasury about Sl7S Of striking fund. and
the corresponding secretary was instructed
to ascertain the opinion If the Executive
fthe Int. Union, which he did.
The next regular meeting took place on
the "a II January, 1874. when letter was
read from the International President. III
reply to the one written 10y the Cores
pondmg Secretary, wherein he states that
he did not call for the striking fund, but
demanded that Union M. I collect the
assessment He stated that he vas not
aware that No had that amount Of
striking fund as they had not reported
any az the end IF the last quarter But
that was owing "a the neglect Of the cor
responding secretary, who kept the report
i'll his pocket for nearly a month before
sending ii. A member then again made
a motion to appOInt a committee to collect
the assessment which We think vas swal-
lowed by amendments and substitutes
Then there was a motion made To withdraw
from the Int Union, which was defeated
BY small majority. Some Of those gen
tlemen being upon the floor that night,
denouncing the Int Union, who since
adopted such loyal resolutions to the Int
[ mon. Then there was a motion made
t. send the striking fund on hand, which
the chair declared ont of order. An appeal
was taken from the decision Of the chair
and the chair was sustained There the
matter ended that night. One member,
when retiring that night, called the atten-
ton of the members, and stated that all
who wished to pay the assessment should
meet at the same place the next night.
Consequently quite a number Of members
assembled the next night, meeting was
organized by selecting a chairman and sec
IcldI14 dIu thC lDlAVNlAlE pItdulDlt anu
resolution adopted
WHEREAS, Cigar Makers Union No |, at
their regular meeting held January 2, 1874,
refused to pay the special assessment levied
by the Cigaunakers International Union for
the support of Union No. 4, now ON a strike
against a reduction Of wages therefore
Resolued That We, the undersigned, mem
bers Of Union No. |, pledge ourselves to pay
he nj g 4bfrtxr g.
every week that the strike may continue in
Cincinnati.
Resoired, That We here again pledge our
allegiance to the international Union, and
that we will abide by its laws and decisions
of its officers.
Signed by those who paid the assessment.
Upon that occasion Thomas Cullington.
one Of the committee above referred to.
remarked, if you will guarantee to lend
this money to another union then on a
strike (naming it), L will go in with you
and pay my share. Now, then, if it was
conspiracy to send money to Union No 4,
was it not conspiracy to send money to any
other union. Now, this Is the gentleman
who brought the charges of conspiracy and
all other charges against those who thought |
they had done nothing more than duty |
u lItill.
At the regular meeting in February we |
were all surprised when the charges of con-
splracy were brought against those pasties |
who had paid the assessment. The resolu- /
tions accompanying the charges also sus-
pended the President, Financial Secretary
and Treasurer-one of the charges was |
having secret correspondence with the In
ternational President Now the first letter
received by Edwin johnson from Mr.. Can
non was handed to Mr. Cullington and he
read it. 1t was letter acknowledging the
receipt of a certain sum of money for the
benefit Of Union No. 4 The Secretary Of
those who paid the assessment did not
know the Board of Union No. 4 or their
address, consequently he sent the first
money through the International Presi-
dent All thereafter was sent direct to
Union No. 4 for six weeks. The sixth
week was returned, so in FIVE weeks these
parties sent Union No. 4 S54 60, and not
one cent was collected by threats, and
those who assert that they paid any money
under threats are base liars. When man
roads paper, and then signs it of his own
free will to remain true to the International
Union under all circumstances, then within
a week or two act right to the contrary,
are such unprincipled men to be believed
in anything they say : Such men we now
have opposed to us. Well, at this Febru-
airy meeting, a special committee was APP