National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-04-30
HISTORY OF The ENTIRE TRANSACTION.
THE COMPAETs STATEMENT DENIED,
Facts, Reflections and Arguments from
the StandPOint OF the Strikers
7hey Accuse the Company of
Bad Faith-Au About the
New Hands, and why
They Came.

Itis by this time generally known throughout
the city and the country that the employees who
were the Daily Chronicle up to the list Of April
have, in technical parlance, struck"
Some explanation Of the causes Of this action is
due them, that they may not stand in false
years resided and lRbored.
For some weeks previous to the 2Ist of April
Tumors had been current among the fraternity
printers to coerce reduction OF the rates paid
employees. These rumors took every conceivable
form, and, for reasons not necessary to explain
here pointed to the proprietors Of the Chronicle
as the head and front OF this offending" II was
even said that the price for composition in that
Office had already been reduced to IS cents; that
the bills were not paid regularly; indeed, that
the employees found it difficult to get their money
Tumors, ali more or less detrimental in many re-.
spects to both the proprietors Of the office and
those employed in 1t.
JHdge Vale, the business manager, and one Of
the principal stockholders Of the Chronicle Pub
fishing Company, intimated to the eompositors
that be wished to say q few words to them. Ac-
cOrdinRly, work was temporarily suspended, and
the Judge proceeded to address them. As Dor
ton Of what was said on that occasion has no
bearing upon the matter at issue, it will not be
necessary to repeat it here, although subsequent
Developments in this controversy may require
that it be stated.
Judge Vale alluded to the various rumors
sfioat about the office in a deprecatsry manner
especially those he considered damaging to the
reputation OF the company he represented. He
appeared especially DESTROYS that the intentions
OF himself and his business associates on the
question of wages should not be misunderstood.
He admitted that for some time past meetings Of
the employing printers had been held the object
of which was q reduction Of wages; that another
meeting would be held that night, of the result
of which he would inform US on the following
day, (Which, en- pGsSaHI, he did not dol He was
extremely anxious to impress upon the minds Of
those present that there was no hurry in this
matter. These meetings, he said, would continue
10 be held until a definite conclusion should be
arrived at by the employers as to the rates they
were willing to pay; which conclusion having
been reached, at the proper time q reduction OF
the price Of composition would be asked for. The
matter could then be taken into due consIdera-
tion by the employees, and, after having been
fully canVassed by them, they could inform the
employers what reduction they were willing to
accede to. live, said Judge Vale, (meaDtngth the
employers and emplOyed,) find We do not agree,
then we can have q committee Of conference, and
see II we cannot in that way reach a determine
tion satisfactory to both sides. He was particu-
larry emphatic in declaring referring more par
tieularly TO himself and the Chronicle company
that no steps in the matter had been taken, and
none Shozld be, but what the proper officers OF
our organization had been ana should be in
formed Of, to the end that we might have ample
tiHe for deliberate consideration Of the subject.
Judge Vale to the employees Of the Chronicis
collectively, one or more Of them had the personal
assurance Of Mr.. Harlan Judge Vale and Colonel
Corkhill, both individually and collectively, that
ne attempt would be made to reduce wages with
out full consultation with them.
The purport Of the above interview soon be-
came generally known to the craft, and from It. It
would seem, but one opinion was, or could be,
formed. Notwithstanding the assurances given
by Judge Hale, no word or intimatlon Of any
further steps was thereafter given by the proprie-
tors OF the Chronicle as to their decision, or that
Of the employers generally, TO the employees Of
that establiIhment, leaving the Impression upon
the minds Of all that the employers had as vet
been unable TO agree to the scale Of prices they
were willing to pay and thought we ought to ac-
cePt, and had postponed the matter for further
Under these circumstances, the public will
readily conceive the surprise occasioned by the
following telegram, received In the composing
room OF the Chronicle at e:2O o'clock on the even.
ing Of April y:
"CHCAGo April 2I.-TWo Union men arrived
paid BY Cisy B. WhisfOTd, with eight men, GndeT
contract TO work six months in Chronicle once at
fOrty.nro SS;Snts per thousand, with Whitford as
fOIsmsn."
bad faith be conceived Of than that Of which the
above telegram was evidence And SO, then,
while the voluntary, unsolicited promises hereto
lore maze yet Nv t6s ST@ tSs lips sy
cIetIy, and with plenty Of funds, securing the
country for such things in the shape Of men as
to untefnine t6eif ieIioW.WOrkIngmep, and COM
pei them 10 submit to any terms that capital
might choose to dictate. And that enissary, one
majority, who, seduced BY the specIous argu-
ments Of his uncle (Mr. Harlan) about political
economy and the damaging tendencies OF trades
nifty, and probably also influenced by the glitter
ing bauble Of the fOremRnship, which had been
rendered him, could only answer, when ask BY
one of his former companions why he had thus
deliberately violated his Voluntarily pledged faith
TO his felloW-Workingmen, in effect, that: "Well,
uncle was bound to rat the paper anyhow, and II
As before stated, the dispatch above quoted
was received at $40 p. m, April q. A eonsulta-
The circumstances. While the opinion was unan.
imous that SO black q breach Of faith would JUS
tify them in stopping then and there, lin which
case the Chronicle would not have appeared the
next mOrning,) it was decided not TO do so; there
might be some mistake in the matter, and they
would Rivetheir employers the benefit Of every
doubt A committee was therefore appoiated to
wait upon the business manager next day and
ascertain from him the truth or fasity Of the dis
patch In question, work was resumed, and the
Chronicle made its appearance as usual on the
following morning, April ~ Atabout O'Clock
that day the committee appointed for the purpose
specified waited upon the business manager. Tho
promises he had made, heretofore detailed, were
recalled 10 him. He admitted them. The dis
patch was then read, and he was respectfully
asked to answer If he felt so disposed whetheri Il
was true or false. He made general denial. He
was then asked: Has the Chronicle Publishing
Company, or you as its representative, made con-
TRACTS or authorizes any agent 70 make contracts
at As cents, or any other sum under 90 cents, per
thousand ems? To this question he also made
denial, and repeated the assurances previously
given, that the employees should have due and
timely notice Of any contemplated chsngein that
department.
Up to this point, it will be noticed, there was
no admission Of the truth OF the dispatch in any
particular. Further questioning, rendered neces-
Eary by the evident determination to equivocate
TO the last degree finally drew forth the aeknoWl-
edgment that the dispatch was in substance cor
rect; that they had sent for men to work at re-
dueed rates, but that they intended to employ
them in the job room. At this point the Judge,
evidently q little embarrassed by the situation,
sent for mr.. Harlan; the gist Of what had trans
pred previous to his entrance was related to him;
he the N re- as
had the Judge, and gave similar assurances.
But as the Interview progressed he became q
some general remarks by him in opposition to
trader unions, but foreign to the subject in
hand, he replied, the Judge trying to prevent
him from doing so, in answer TO q question as TO
whether It was in contemplation TO employ men
on the newspaper upon the same terms, that
they nag no present nte epi Oh doing 50; that
peeled to accomplish this without any immediate
Interference with the existing status of the news
room, but should the employees therein see 1T
for any cause to quit, he would be compelled to
use the Jobroom force TO get out the paper.
Here was the key TO the situation. The ''dodge"
was apparent to every member Of the committee,
as viii presently appear. In return for the
'Iirankness" with which their questions had been
answered, the committee were asked to be
equally frank as 70 their intentions. They re-
Piled that they would consult with their fellow
Workmen and make answer in an hour, and the
interview terminated. In twenty minutes the
answer was re turned that the employees had de-
termined TO quit work, and the ''strike" took
place.
the competitors on the Chronicle to submit to any
terms their employers might dictate is easily ex-
posed. The employment Of these ten men Tor the
lob room was but a hlmsy pretext intended to
conceal the real purpose. 1t was we'll known to
every man about the establishment that there
was no work for any such force there; that there
we're but two journeymen employed in that room
at that time, and that the foreman had but few
days before been discharged for want Of sutticent
work TO justify the payment OF his salary, as the
following letter proves:
TO the F6rtnaan Of JOB Office, chrOnfels Publishing
DEAR Sir: Owing to the fact that thera Is not
SUFFICIENT work in the job ONCE to require the ser
vices Of the present force, have been directed BY
the trustees OF the company TO temporarily dis
pense with aportion OF the force employed therein
In accordance with that direction have TO notify
you that your services will be temporarily dis
pensed with from and after the receipt OF TINS
note. Your pay will be allowed up and until tsis
evening. The notice is not served on account OF
any Dissatisfaction with you your services, but
for the want Of work in hand 70 Justify paying
your salary. It IL to be hoped that in short
time the business will be increased SUFFICIENT TO
Justify your return 10 your present position.
Very respectfully, Ia W. VALE SR.
The ten men were to be Dominally employed In
the Job room, to be followed by ten others, or rs
many as might be considered SUFFICIENT for the
purpose, and then, all things ready, the match
would be applied and the mine sprung. The