Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-09-21

The Peculiar Attempt OF the "News Let
ter to AXE Its Case Appear Good. =.
BResERg HtcEigaacer, September 70,
ONE SIDE OF A QUESTION OIL PUBLIC IN
TEREsT.
The Sunday Helrs Letter has much to say
| about the refusal o the prOprietors of the
Wheeling daily newspapers to pay the adj
vance demanded by the Union printers
lately in their employ; also about the re-
fusal Of the proprietors to let their news
naper die because the former employees
refused longer to work on them. In these
things are seen indications of "a depth OF
deprIv.ty utterly shameless" fthelN6cS
| Letter were to refuse to accept an adyer-
tisement ut the advertisers terms and sell
the space to another at higher price, the
deprayity would be rs shameless n as
deep. ,
All this is very interesting. Yet it Is not
many DAYS since Mr.. Robertson, on OF 1.-THE
! proprietOrs of the NeirS-LCtter, upon being
shown the answer ofthe proprietOrs to the
| union printers, said that the demand OF
the printers was unjust, that he approved
the prOprietors' answer, but would not
sign it for certain reasons. Those reasons
were understood to he that the Nelrs. Letter
made a business of being u wOrkiugman's
/ orgnn. and did not desire to take q stand
against IL part Of its constituency. Dir. ).
! 4. Kepner, the editorial writer of the
| Nelrs-Letter, was so impressed with the In
Justice of the demand of union printers.
that he retained his place Us foreman OF
the Register and Withdrew from the union,
The Ncrs-Letter readily signs the scale
because the new scale does not increase
the rate it has paid for composition.
| Printers complained that its type was SC
I lean that 4 man had to set n stOve-pipe
length TO make half n dollar. 1t gave
piece work but once a week, on Saturday,
and it was necessary TO pay more than
was paid by the morning newspapers 10
get the work done at all. Type-setting on
the NGrS-Lettcr vas q still leaneI
Job because the prOprictors-both
Of whom were printers. until
Mr.. Chew, formerly Secretary OF
| the United Nailer's Association, bought
out Mr.. Stuli-made special effort to gath
or in their displayed advertisements be-
fore Saturday, so that they might have the
FAT and their piece hands the lean
This has been a constant ground Of com
plant among printers, and the men form,
crlv emplOYed in the LteiigCR3er office
were in the habit of sneerlng at the preten,
Sious of the Ne,r3-Lcttcr rs 4 champion OF
labor. No printer has ever complained
that the MtCikjgCRcOr type is lean; there /,
not an honest one who will not admit that
il is ilt.
The N,qrs-Lcttcr announces q daily edi-
tiOn, based on the supposed grievance OF
the printers who went out, and intended,
if possible to trade on the supposed sym,
patty with them of working men who can,
not earn half the wages they declined to
accept. The field of newspaper enterpri'
ses is open to all corners. But the right
of men to wreck, if they can, m eStab'
liShment which refuses 10 increase their
wages, is u simmer basis than any sue,
cessrui newspaper has yet been founded
up on.
The daily edition is to speak for labor,
1t is to speak for the feeder-nailers who
were advised by the same interest TO take
the machines vacated by the n~ailers, and
afterwards were denounced for so doing
| and it is to champion the cause of the
nailerS whose machines were tahen on that
! ADVICE, and are still held. 1t is to appeal
for support 10 business men. whose business
it claims the right to help 10 ruin when
ever they may refuse to advance the pay
of employees, or for any other reason. IL
the days when the boycott was n more
dreaded instrument than it is now, the
Sunday Newsletter was able 10 trade Will
business men on the supposed influence
OF its proprietors in the Trades Assem-
bly,, and it remains to be seen whether the
daily edition will have rs good fortune.