National Republican., 1881-11-22
A cARp FROM E. W. OYSTER.
To the Editor Of THE RErUBLIcAN
Having bepn nharued in a snpakiup al

A GARD FROM E, w. OYSTER.
To the Editor Of THE RErUBLIcAN
Having been charged in sneaking and
cowardly way by few persons in aud about the
Government Printing 0fiee as being responsible
for the publication Of the article in the Poa, Of
this city, on Sunday morning. October %, 1881,
headed "a Disgusting Scandal" also printed, with
slight variations, in the Cfiio and Chicago Times
on the following day, ] at once proceeded TO prove
my accusers infamous and malignant" SANDER
ers. on the Sd instant placed in Mr.. Deirees'
hands copies of the following letters and afdavit:
THE WAsHfsgToN Posi-,
wAsH1SeToS, ID. C., oct, 81 1851.
DrAS, sni iP reply 70 your inquiry 1 win state
rcared In the IOd about the Government Printing
~ HENRY H. DE Wf'fTE, City Editor.
wAsmvoroN OFFICE, CHICAGO TIMES,
Mr.. H. w oYsrERi
In answer TO verbal inquiries from you am free TO
say that have never received any Information from
YOU upon any subject whatever, much less anything
were not personally known TO me or 70 any one CON
evening. T, c. CRAWFORD,
Washington Correspondents
District Of Columbia, S..
Personally appeared before me Edward w. Oyster,
who swears that he did not write, dictate or request
the publication Of the article in the Washington koa
of October q, 1881, headed "a Disgusting Scandal"
ment PrinliHg odice; thSt % he never gave i1iSrma-
ton 70 any person upon which said article could have
been published until about eleven o'clock on the
morning morning Of It's pubcationi that he was never
cnt or reporter connected with any newspaper prior
PoI and chicago Tipiss. and that, in so lar as the
publication Il said Chicago Times Of October ~ issl
Printing Oflce, gives him authority for lis state
ments said publication Is untrei and further that
e has never written dictated, or requested the pub
licaion OF any article in any newspaper rejecting
upon the present Public Printer any OF his foremen
subscribed and sworn to before, Robert o. Holt
man man N1ary Public in and for the District afore
lsEALl ROBERT o. IIoLIzMAN.
on presenting the abnve letters and affidavit to
Mr. Defrccs, he assured me that they ipero salts
Jdctor and therefore had every reason to believe
that Il he did not ut once correct the malicious
fnlsehood that was responsible for the publiCa-
ton above referred TO he at least would not pub:
lsh anything In regard 10 this matter Which could
possibly be construed rs u reflection upon me-
How fully my just expectations were realized can
best be shown by the publication of the following
card as printed In the Pittsburg Post on the 9ih
instant:
Degrees AROUSED.
lie Strikes Back at oyster and Defends the Printing
MApIsoS, IND, Nov. s-The C5uricr will publish
the following to-day
orrIcn OF THE PunLIc PPISEEn,,
My DEAR Sm; thank you for your notice OF the
pioycd in This office. There are over, 200 Of them,
and they will compare G,vorably with an
2aS 2Sy of nssn s have Se%Rn yws SG ST
educated, but are compelled to abor FOR their daily
trndlced by ow.grade scoundrsl In the vain hopo
o RE s me- nSrS never o M & pSSh cS chSgS RAT md a
WIN s9f ry de"doeGt o9 i2' ~ wS F1FnfESed
''To To NJ C. G%nprS 9SiS Editor c5Se " DP ''i'f7
P.S.-You may print the above II you see proper
Mr. Defiees, having failed to correct the false
that ] am the. person guilty Of the in
famous and malignant libel" upon the ladies en-.
ployed in the Printing ONCE although he had
in his possession at least three days before
his card written II Is not at all surprising that
newspaper men aud other persons who do not
know me, and have not been correctly Informed
in regard TO this matter, should infer that "he
strikes back At OYSTER" but IL Is generally he
lieved In this city that the above card written
| aud published not so much for the purpose of de-
Tending the ladies employed in the printing office
as lin the vain hope of injuring me-"
While no man IN the city Of Washington knows
better than Mr.. Dcirees that the vile epthets he
skillnlly makes use of in his card cannot truth
| fully be applied to me, he deemed II proper to
make his statements In such manner as TO lead the
public To infer that / am the man at whom his
| poisoned arrows were aimed As my superior
| officer, he had the power TO deprive me of my
position; but am proud of the fact that no man
| however high and honorable the Office he holds
may be, can rob me of my good name firmly
| established IN this city and elsewhere by honor
| aDlc and upright dealings with my fellnw-men.
The following letter will show what Mr.. Dcfrces
seems to think Of this matter Ut the present time
OFFICE or PUBLIc PRISrER,
WAsHINGToS, Nov. II, 1881.
Mr. oyster has furnished inc satisfactory evidence
city Of the nd ultio, raduclng the employees of this
olice. had other persons in viCw when wrote tC
>'''''' JNo D. DEFREEs.
The public will not fail to observe that thii
/" satisfactory evidence" was In his possession n
least three days before his card to The Madison
| Courier was written,
Inasmuch as Mr.. Defrees is as fully aware of tn,
facts set forth In the following letter as the write
thereof have not thought II necessary TO furnish
| him copy OF the same:
| UNITED STATES SENATE,
wAsnISGToN, October 2G 1851.
During the several years Mr. u. W. oyster has beer
slant, almost daily Intercourse with him wheneve
the Senate has been in session and heXe PeHI
assseGarSsS, rSsS ING The GO %arduous duties Of his po
Careful, painstSking and conscicntouS bringing I,
the position intelligence and activity never sur
administration enables me TO say this cheeriuiiS AM
bear testimony 70 his nprghtness and fai'hinines
u" " ''''''''e ''''' '''l'' ''D d. f. MURPHY,
Official Reporter, United States senate.
| The impression prevails III some quarters that
held the position Of foreman Of printing prior Il
my removal Oh the I'D ultimo, but never ocou
pied that position. l was an assistant foreman
and subject 10 orders from the Public Printer ha,
exclusive control Of the Congressional Record com
posing room from the lst day of July, 1877, unit
| tnc unte Ol my nOnOruDle ulscnnTge, L once De
fore received an honorable discharge, but tina
was from the military instead Of from thc ciyi
service of the Government
Mr.. Dcfrees heroically served his country frOr
the commencement 10 the end of the late rebel
lion, In the same position he now occupies, for tn
modest sum of 81, 900 year.
In regard TO the charges against certain sub
officials IN the Government Printing ONCE to tn
best of my knowledge and belief never heard {
them before their publication In the Post an
now, having fully established the fact that NJ
neither the originator nor instigator of thes
charges the object for which this communicate
was written has been accomplished.
LII conclusion, desire 10 say that the greG
respect have for the employees of the Govern
mcnt Printing Office is not confined to the ladie
but extends TO the gentlemen rs well, who n
known to be the hardest worked and poo
est.paid employees under the Government IN III
city of Washington" Il. W. OYSTER.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Nov. Il. 1881
4 double shsei REPUBLICAN, Qfdfty- si1 columns ~
be issued to.mOrroto morning, Advertisers potttd
iDeu 10 sand IN their notices al once, The REpuBI
CAN reaches larger number Of readers than any 9th