National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-05-10
A DEFENSE OF JUDGE wYLIE.
To the Editor of rnr nrrunMeAx,

To the Editor OF TnE RErunLcANi
The scurrilous language of II. l.. DeAkers, who
nmbltlously stylos himself member OF the Fed
Grafton OF Labor" informs the public that that
leyel.headed old iurls', Judge Andrew Wylie, has
used on the bench little plain and truthful talk
about the infamous trades unions Good for tho
ludgel As nearly MS I con see, rom DC AkeIs
quotations, His Honor has expressed sentiments
which / have held for twenty.hye years ana ex-
pressed Just forcibly IL not with the same pro.
priety of dcton. II Mr.. DcAkcrs denies ihat tne
trades unions have prevented hundreds OF thou.
sands OF Amerlunn boys from learning trades lie Ii
grossly mistaken, to say the least.
WHEN WAS FIFTEEN YEARS OF AGE
being compelled 10 work for n living, II was my
wish TO become machinist had love ior lne Y
trade and considerable knowledge Of II already;
Armed with good recommendations, / visited
every reputable machine. shop in great Northern
city, spending weeks in the task. Lyerywhese !
take You, but the Machinists Union will not oil;
low It," Great shops employing fve hundIed
men aud more wero allowed to take only Two ap-
prentices ut n time by that infamous organization.
Barred from the trado / preferred ! sought a
chance TO learn any one OF q number oil others. ~
was the same with every one All tgdnlous nn1In y,
drive quill ten hours day for q dollar ana a
half week Three brothers had tho same ex-
perience, only ono In the family getting chance
10 learn n trade
OUT OF FIVE HUNDRED sCHooI-MATEs
of the same ago. rccollect just two who became
skilled mechanics. Their father was IN the busl-
ness n0u taught tOefn. Inc NNat hugoiiND
forced into stores and Offices at eOniemptbie
wages, and with scarcely any hope Tor advance;
mont Others went into the regular army ana
"beiore the mast / mastered a profession at
last, but enc for which had to acquire a taste,
aud which was only learned at nights nier hard
work all day. II is hlyorite slur OH American
boys that they will not learn trades and that the
cause Is adncss This slander has been repeated
IN all sorts of papers. from the tnscicntgic For'
ciqner published under an alias in New York, to
the prints OF San Francisco. American boys are
not allowed to learn trades and
THE IYRAST VINO SAYS mo"
Is tho tndcs-union every time. Neither are
American boys lazy. None endured the hard
ships of upholdlng Ir putting down the rebellion
with moro algcrlty than they, No race pull cut
for far off regions where there Is hope for improve-
ment with less concern. The trnde'-n
mike great prttonsions IS to mutual assistance
and all that. There may be somo good in them
but as far rs l have secn their policy seems TO
have been dictated by the most pig.htnded ana
illiberal members and 20 have resulted IN harm
to the body polite aud the exclusive benefit OF Il
percentage Of lunk. headed bDchcrs ana bcery
chunkcri. Judge Wylie has done houor to tie
bench and hm,olf As long rs nn American boy
is srarcely abe to get apprencticed outside OF q
jail or penitontlary his remarks VIII Indicate O
needed reform, JOHN ii. B. JENKINS.