National Republican., 1884-03-01
DIR. VERDE, LETTER.
He Says He Has No Connection with
Any scheme to Introduce Pnuper Labor


To the Editor.
The knights of Labor" ESQ callod) are
trying to get up an excitement against Italian
laborers in this city and manufacture public
sentiment against them. For that purpose
they publish o letter Of an Italian firm Of
New York (De Filippo Gennaro & Co.., ad-
dressed to certain contractors in Washington,
offering them Italian labor. In this letter tho
firm gives my name and that of the Italian
consul of New York as references. This firm
never had the authority to refer to me, as 1
do not know them at all, and never had any
transaction with them Of any kind whatso-
ever. should never have heard Of them,
probably, had they not, three or four weeks
ago, written me letter requesting as favor
| that would find out for them the standing
| of Contractors Gleason, Andy & Co., which
favor l granted by calling on tho commits
sioners and making proper inquiries. Then
and thero ended my connection with said
firm.
Their letter to Gleason, Andy, & Co.,
which appeared in all our daily and evening
papers, and exhibited as an attempt to import
and force pauper labor in this country, and
thus undermine its working people," con-
tains nothing that the knights of Labor or
| the editors of the press could construe into
such an attempt. However, 1 do not write
to defend Gennaro &c Co., or their letters, as
know nothing of them and have
no relation with them whatever.
But 1 protest against having my
name connected either with Gennaro or the
knights of Labor, although the reference to
the Italian consul at New York should be
taken as prima facia evidence that the firm
| is not engaged in practices of doubtful pro-
| propriety. But in as much as the Knights
| of Labor assume the right to give their own
construction to that letter, others may
assume the right to construe their
act as an attempt on their part to IN
| timidate other foreigners from seeking
labor in this country. Mr.. De Ackers,
in his interview with the reporter of THE
| NATIONAL REPUBLICAN,, declares that lit,
tho letter, "evIdences conspiracy, having
for its purpose the absolute subingation OF
organized labor in the United States" This
flight of rhetoric would be laughable If it were
not dangerous to laugh before 80 valiant a
knight. Do not the thousands of Irish who
arrive daily in this country try to subjugato
labor Or is this country for the Irish, thai
nothing is said against their wholesale emf
grafton? Three millions of Irish hav'
omigrated to this country against 43,CC,
Italians, and yet these 100000 are afraic
that few hundred Italians may undermine
their organized labor. These Italians ar
called paupcrs. Are laboring men who en-
deavor to earn an honest living by the swea
of their" brow to be classified as paupers
What arc tho Irish when they arrive here
They fear that these Italians may work 70
lower prices. Had they read the papers dur
ing the last two years they wOult
have found that these Italians, under
standing the dignity of labor, have in manI
instances revolted against the contractor
who had deceived them in representing thu
price of labor in this country as less than i
actually was that they demanded their full
wages, and that they have rioted when re
fused. The fact is that the Italian laborer i
not paupor, in the odious sense of th
knights Of Labor, but an expert workman
who has self-respect, and who demands fair
ness and justice between himself and his EN-
ployer. He is law-abding citizen, endeavor
ing to improve his own condition, and, lilS
tho poor workmen of other nations that ART
overcrowded with population, and offer but in
sufficient remuneration to the laboring man
he comes to this country and honestly look
for work. My experience with the Italian
in this country, and it is very large one
demonstrates that they are an industrious
sober. and thrifty class of people, who ar,
engaged in honest pursuits, who live com
fortably in their own homes, spending the
money they earn where they earn it, ant
who mind at all times their own business
That's all that there is in this movement, 81
far as | have observed, although / do no
stand as sponsor for any man or any compan.
engaged in procuring laborers for contractors
TULLIo DI SUZZARA-V VERDI.