Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-10-03
CITY AND DISTRICT.


The Color Line in Trades Unions.
WHAT LEADER N LABOR ORGANIZATIONS SAYS
NEGROES SOUGHT AFTER By THE ORGANIZATIONS
THEIR EXCLUSION FROM TRADES NOT CAUSED BY
TRADES CSI0SS
Asr,E reporter asked Mr. Julian I. Wright, of the
Columbia typographical Union, and a prominent
leader in labor movements here, what truth there
IN the complaint implied in the address adopted
by the recent colOred convention at Louisville that
negroes are not admitted to trades unions.
''In the SOUTH said Mr.. Wright, "rnany of the
mechanics are negroes, and they are organized in in
dependent unions White and blacks, though, work
side by side in all kDt!s of trades don't know
much about the condition Of affairs in the north, Int
know the cOlored element aIGOngne chanics have al
ways been stumbling block in the way Of the trades
unions. because they have been uncertain factor.
ears ago they We're not depended on 10 aid in any
attempt 70 secure an increase of wages. I he white
men now, however, are organizing them into
trades unions all the country.
In this city coGred men are admitted INTO the unions
The Typographical MON IA mixed; the fiod Car
riers' MON II composed almost exclusively of ne
groes. but they admit white men in fact, white
men cant get employment unless they join the ne
grDeS' union. In tfe nn,ghts OF Labor, which is
really trades organzaiinn, negroes zcalousy
sought. hey cam refuse them Indeed, the
grOes are induced to JOIN because the white me
chanS have learned lately that to organize and help
the ne gro mechanics strengthens themselves. ID.
Augustus Straser. the c"iored man who figured in
the Louisville convention, took Issue with under
the 't0n'ne deg'erTe simon Scraggs in a newspaper
discussion eleven years ago. lie bitterly opposed
Trades unions Vow suppose he sees the benefits
of them ana the benefit that his might de-
rive from them hat in 1872. and | believe he
asserted then that the trades union prevented
colored boys from learning trades be-
cause the white Young would not
work with them IN shops admitted that that was
then. bat predicted the time would come when
white anil black would work together Vow You see
negro printers and Whit printers working together.
Hod-Carriers, carpenters and bricklayeTs, white and
black, work together. IN this city all the building
trades Organized, and the brCklayers, instance,
will not work with scab of any other trade, and
that takes in white and black. So tae negro me-
chanic Is recognized and organized with white me-
chancs for mutual protection Fred Douglass him.
Self has son who used 10 belong to our union. lie
was orc OF the first c0lored men admitted. Now,
Lavae'te. who works in the specification room, Bar
baioes, foreigner, Smith, aud several ether colored
printers are IA The uBIoii'
lis any objection Made TO receiving cOlored men
into the UNIONS" asked the reporter.
NO objection is male to colored men entering
Wright N'" O'' '''' -"''
''About eighteen months ago, when the first set
FeoTop Of bS e iSf s aj act to the ne
their entering, but before the meeting ended it was
decided almost unanimously To- admit them. They
were not admitted then, however, not because they
were coored, but because their credentials not
proper hey were afterwards admitted
HeW about the negro in the north:'
''ln the north there is opposition to receiving
negroes III trade organizations. In the south there
are very few trades unions In the state of Fr-
ehia There is only one typographical union, and that
Is the one IN Richmond There is no carpenters
union al all for the reason that the old trade is
cut up thit where twenty years ago there
penter there are now tea subsIyiled woOdworkers.
There Is stone cutters union, but it does hold
regular meetings.. he cigar makers and iron
workers are organized but outside of those have
mentioned there are TO other organizations In the
trades that organized III the south there are yerv
few cOlOred mechanics"
What if u colored apprentice is taken to work in
shop with white MEN, asked the reporter.
'That is question for the employees. the en-
poyers and for the men individuals. No trade
Union thai know Of-and as director general have
examined niiIV-naS the word white in its charter.
Ii a colUred boy Is taken to work apprentice the
trade union would take no action. If the refused
10 work with him on account of his color the
would not ana could not, take cOgniZance of the
matter IN the SOUTH before the war; slaves learned
trades with white masters IL negroes were good
enough To work with when slaves, don't see why
Objection should be raised to them free men.
fre'ierck Douglass is eanlker. Where did he learn
his calling! If not with white men, with whom. No,
slr; the negroes have nothing complain of 80 far
"a the trades union is concerned organized
body Tor II they are excluded from shops, it
count OF the prejulices Of Individuals. Men
work with them as laborers in all shops, and drink
out of the same cup. If the white mechanics have a
prejudice against teaching them trade il is uues-
TON between man and nldn, and not a question with
which the union has ANYTHING to do so far as an
prenficeS are concerned The colored people have
No more cause OF complaint than the white people.
There Is complaint all over the country that the num-
There are. of course. two SIDES to that question The
unions have adopted such measure as protection
70 the trades. III apprentices were indentured aS
y make the employer responsible for his learning
mefe woald be no opposition on the part of trades
unions 10 increasing tie number"
''DO-y0G know hr. strsker!"
"NO; but he seems to have forgotten that eleven
years Slice ne 3ScT1Ded the OF the cOlOred
% the existence of trades unions, which the Louis
vile convention. with his Endorsement now declares
- essential to their salvation"
Important Sales of Real Estate.
WIN. 7. Young, rel estate broker, has made the
following sales heretofore unpublished: For Com
John l. Davis, lot So. square 81, on New Hamp-
shire ave-, north OF " street, throu n Mr. H. D.
Manley TO Commander Isaac Casey. for s. 242 So
ITs MT ~, Dy King parts Of lots 49, 20 and A. In
N n C0m NON
Tor Mr.: Dner b. Grrf1 lots III. 11s, l,9 100 ial
and ~. In square 100. on 18th, between Caroline
MI. Jobn H. CsssID, to Messrs J. N. Johnston ct
al, for sla $3.50 For Mr.: David KIM. lot Sc.
streets "a by Isa feet TO Rear Admiral Thom g II.
stevens, for $500 For Mr. James j. edd,
lot 81, square 1S5, on the NV. corner OF Rhode
Island ave. and 18th street, containing 9,9
square feet. TO Mrs. Kate U. Moorhead Tor s1s 500
Mr.: shedd paid one cent FOOT for this square
squ,rr 1911, 20 by 100 fe (, improved by the hand,
some tAree-,tory basement and back building
X. Young. for 5000 For Mr. John r. Lehman, by
Messrs Thomas j. Fisner & Co, lot T. SOU ZIG
sSn oy i % ee cen on sirsei fronting epher
each fronting 50 feet on Rhode islani ave. wesi
sl5.7s3 So For Mrs. Emma s. Andr VS. lots Al
and IS and the north 81 inches OF lot 49, ID
ner OF 10Th street and Scott suains. to to
Miss Kate T. MoOrhead for slsgs55
Ihe rate lOf TINS beautiful site WaS 5 DIR SQUARE
loot, an no higher figure has been Pal grOun
III TINS District for reSiia e. A large an very
handsome dwelling VIII be erect d ON It. For Mr.
Char W. Hills paris OF ! t. 81 and 2S square
l2o improved ~ three toy brick dwellin :, ON
southwest corner 18th and Streets opposite Far
raIut SOU re. to DR.. JOS pl Tabar 10 lnSOn, or
SlioOo For Mr.. NJ. Strickland. III -ough MessrS
Stelger q Lac eFmann, TWO ares east o, the Md
Gleton Place, near Brooks st ton. improved by a
handsome ir me DIV. Hing. 10 Mr.. Henry Farluh r.
for $3.50 For Mr.. Rob Tt Johnson, LOT 81. square
$40, improved by three-Srory an basement brick
dwelling. No 1908 S'r ct, TO Prof. A. j. Hunt ne
TON, Tor 5000 For Mrs. Mary A. Dennison. three
story brick, NO 1924 CurcOran fu nisil1i, 10
MI Richard A. Cronio, for 5000 For Mr.. j. T.
Arms lot b. square 239 imInOv by rhre-stOry
brick dwelling. 1913 IS street, to Mrs Mary T.
EimOnds, for $500
TRANSFERS OF REAL EsrArK-Deeds in fee have
been recorded as follows: Z & Morgan. IT.. ct al
to Charles d. Weed. jr, sub lot 8, 50 20; $4,000
II. L. WfSwatl. trustee, 10 Susan f Lane, sub lots
162 md l63, So Isl: 800 Susan T. Lane to Hsr-
riet III. same property; So 100 Robert A. Drake
TO +. III iris, part g. 50 pa: 500. Nary Bradley
ct a. TO Morris Kerm lots 10 10, 50. 636: 81 500
Margaret Butler 70 r T. AerrIck, part y, So ga:
s.. 7. E Waggaman e, al. trustees to w. N.
Hodges, sub lots Is and - so 643: g.. A. Shaw
TO j. Loane, lot "a. SO. 600 s.. 800 b. r. Crabbs
10 +. Chamberlain. lot SO. so. 100; 1000. Moses
Kelly. trustee, TO II. Warner. lot g. Browns SUBJ