The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1884-09-05
An open Letter TO MIR. "R. Nc
Nechnfc, Typographical Union
No. a.

SIR: In Ihd Boyeotter OF August 80, ul,.,
Wnlcn mas Just been handed TO me by n friend,
ma long, letter 10 tho editor Of me Boy.
c0tter, signed as above, under tho heading OF
"Ihe Boycotting Business" In that letter you
relate that yourself and "Mr. Charles d. Smith
10 seISfsa ey S qnon M
few days after his nomination for tho Presi'
dency by the Republican party" Further on,
S9n , state that, In that Interview, you said;
tho Republican party, OF which he was the
head, require Mr.. Reid TO conform 10 Its funda.
mental laws or that he repudiate him.
ITO which Mr.. Blaine replied: Il am fully
aware Of the Importance OF this matter. am
man who has seldom assumed 70 do anything
that thin cannot DO accomplished. give
you my vefv best assurance that Will try 70
named
"The,Ime named was one week from tina,
date.
"Now, II this meant anything, 1t meant tina,
Mr.. Blaine thought he could accomplish what
we desired, and therefore he would under
"My colleague and both felt that the sps.
cial so!icitude for peace that actuated our
Union In sending us 10 Augusta had borne
goouiruit, ana that our mission had been sue.
cessful; for we never doubted for ono moment
but that 1t was only necessary for Mr.. Blaine
to request Mr.. Reid to conform to the princi-
pies OF the party and come to terms with the
printers and 1t would be done.
,"Ihe tMe trptr6d and lge heard nothing from
~. Blaina. But We nattered ourselves that
pApbobiy his ucHlTeu 10 communicate
personally with Mr.. Reid as this was delicate
matter, 80 lre waited another 1Ceek, and so ipe
hase 6tea Mdittn1 erer sd,ee. If9r one igouid BE-
sony 10 Mmk nat 4RF. Blaine did not Keen his
pfomise 10 rs. But II Presidential candidacy
conventionallty prevented him writing to u.s. he
mas many confidential agents through whom
nc could have communicated with us orally
Now, there are several kinds OF lies defined
by celebrated author and among those lies
Is Tthe lie infersntial" impeach you, Mr.
guilty OF the meanest OF all falsehoods In the
sentences / have LtdliciSed-the lie Infer.
entlai! And you have deliberately and
repeat, as ! do knew, In the extract above,
certain words which Mr.. Blaine used In his In.
iieryiew, with you, but you shGn'efVAy and a.
n9eTdtty suppress ne reS Of he language lghtch
Ar. Bldine used IN that mtergteg, 10 igN, sR5.
staRhahy:
gentlemen, tho only report or answer
which shall give to you of my efforts In your
behalf you Will receive in the action of Mr..
Reid himself. II he accedes 70 my wishes aud
efforts, you Will have your answer In tho set.
Element or your diulculty with The tribune. II
he refuses, then you will also have been notl.
lied by the attitude OF The Tribune that my OF.
forts have failed. SO ouerous are the demands
upon my time In disposlng OF the hundreds OF
letters and kilograms which pour In upon mo,
In addition 10 the crowd OF visitors who cali
upon me, that II Is physically impossible to
properly reply TO all the demands made upon
me. Therefore you need expect no written or
formal answer az 10 the result OF my efforts ia
your behalf other than have thus Indicated"
MIR. McKechnie--Ia aS present at the meet
Ing OF your Union at Clarendon Hall tnres
weeks ago yesterday, and with my own ears
heard your colleague on that vsit make the
foregoing, almost exact statement las near az
my memory Will recall ~, which is inclosed
In the quotation marks--msde too, In the pres
ence OF at least 800 OF your members, In an.
ever 10 imputations made bysthe chairman OF
the Boycotting Committee similar to the des-
picable lnsinuations have copied from your
printed letter. and which gives "the lie direct
a n
observe that your colleague who accom-
panied you to Augusta does not attach his
signature to your screed. l trust It was be.
the act.
Sir, yield to no workingman In my desire to
see the cause OF Labor acknowledged aud
had opportunities 10 do our common cause
some service In tho course OF my nineteen
years faithful connection with Columbia Ty.
biographical Union, but cannot longer allow
the noble craft to which the best years of my
life have beer chiefly devoted TO DO disgraced
and besmirched by methods and PRACTICES of
which your letter affords most forclble Illus.
tration.
Grover Cleveland, in whose interest 7ne Bon.
c0ttel eeems TO be now chiefly run (and trust
his friends foot all the bills, as they should
do), has, II Is said, implored his friends 10
"rell the TRUTH" 1t Is most excellent advice
Mr.. McKechnie, and trust you Will hereafter
endeavor TO keep within hailing distance OF
that most excellent virtue.
And II you and your compatriots of The Boz.
cou9, shall not succeed In doing moro harm to
the typographical fraternity than to "Mr
Blaine and the Republican party" In destroy
Ing Its good repute for common.sense and fair
dealing among all rlght.minded aud right
thinking men by dragging party politics into
our great, and hitherto non-partisan, member
ship upon such n nimsy and wicked founda-
tion, then shall be truly thankful, ana be.
lleve that our organization bears indeed a
charmed lifel
With very little respect, am, sir,
Yours, &C.,
ALvAN d. BROCK, A