St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-06-04
The RETORT COURTEOUS.
The Committee of the Striking Girls
Makes a Statement.
AN OFFENSIVE DEFENSE.
The Criticisms Of Young Mr.. Tingwcld
~ Answered---The Distribution
aI1 of Funds.

1He committee or the Striking
machine girls who recently left the en-
pioyment of Shotwell, Clerrihew &
Lothman, have prepared the following
answer to the attack of Christian A.
Ilngwald, who appears as the self-con-
stituted champion of certain girls who
claim to have been unfairly treated in
the distribution of funds raised for
their support.
To the Editor of the Globe
Permlt US to reply to the latest
etfusion of that gallant (?) young man,
Z. A. Tingwold.
We are glad to find that this self-ap-
pointed or hired investigator has thrown
on the cloak of girls name, which he
formerly used when endeavOring to be-
SmIrch the character of this committee,
and uses his own for such vile pur-
poses. Although ''only women" we do
not fear to meet this villifier, as we are
confident we can reveal him in his true
colOrs.
In his letter of May 30, which he had
carrie Farden sign her name to, he
says: I'VE were very arrogant towards
the rest of the girls, and that if a girl
who was not special friend of ours
came up and asked for her share of the
donations she was Scolded. abused and
asked questions why she did not go to
work in hotels, private families and
other places, and after such grand
outburst of sisterly feeling they would
give the girl a couple of dollars of what
they seemed to consider their own
booty, or they would entirely refuse to
give anything. Some of them applied
TO the arrogant committee and were
overshoWered with abuse"
IN tho fnrnnninor i-
not word of truth. We We're not AFRO
CANT or abusive. Neither did we scold
any girl, whether an applicant for
money or not. We never refused to
give out money while we had it. On
one occasion Miss Rooney gave S. of
her own money to Lena Olson, who
said she wanted it to pay hey fare home
with, but who went back to work two
days after and has since boosted that
she had fixed the striking girls" We
also spent S2.10 of our own money for
street car fare while doing committee
work, and gave so cents for conveying
the trunk of one of the girls to the de-
pot. We had no specified friends or
enemies to reward or punish.
In his letter of May 81 which this
chlvalorous gentleman (N had Carrie
sign, he covertly insinuates that we
nave stolen some money. He says:
They state that they have paid out
S771, but they keep as silent as the
grave about the total receipts" That
was the total amount received
up to May 80, not including two last
benefits. He told us when he called
on us that Carrie did not mean to init
mate that we had stolen any of the
money. but forgot to excuse himself.
In the same letter he makes Carrie say:
1--WE have a right 10 look at these
noble gifts from our sypathizers
the same way as a bride looks at her
wedding gifts. 1t is absurd to argue
that it would be humiliating for us girls
TO have statement published showing
the donations in detail. He told us
when we asked why Carrie Farden did
not apply for money if she wanted it,
THAT she was very modest and sensi-
tive girl and felt delicate about asking
for aid. She thought it would appear
like almstaking." Still it is absurd to
argue that others are modest and sensi-
tive. Evidently the noble champion of
our abused sisters has not good
memory.
In his last letter, to which he signs his
own name, showing thereby that he is
not afraid of US women, he tries to boil
ster up his former assertions. No doubt
every one who read it wondered how he
escaped alive from the den of tigresses.
If Barnum learns of this heroic act of
Christian A. Tingwold, who had the
courage to meet face to face the
"bold, arrogant. abusive and scoid-
ing committee" he will secure him at
once aud advertise him as the greatest
freak on earth. II called yesterday on
Miss Rooney, the president" he goes on
to say. After having told her what nv
errand was and that [ was going to see
number of the girls that had com
planned, she began to SANDER these SIS
ter strikers in the most shameful man
ner," saying they were all big liars. who
could not be believed under OATH
They had no character, no principle.
and do nothing, and should be called
scabs from now till doomsday. Mrs.
England agreed perfectly with Miss
Rooney"
How different are the facts to the
above. Miss Rooney said any girl who
said she was abused, and scolded. and
refused money when the committee had
any, or any girl who would say that
would not be telling the truth. Mr.
Tingwold said: You don't mean by
that that your sisters would lie, do
you?" And Miss Rooney said he could
interpret it to suit himself. The COM
mittee did not say they were "big liars,
or that they had no character, no
principle, and no nothing" Mr.. Ting
void makes US say that less than
twenty-four belonged to any labor
union and that the number of idle
strikers might be dozen. He was very
inquisitive about our future movements
and so-forth; and thinking it was .none
OF his business, we replied to his ques-
tons as follows: "HOw many of the
girls belong to the Knights of Labor:
dozen or more?" We said Maybe
lis the number two dozen or more?''
We replied maybe. "What are the
names of those who belong?" We said
that was matter that did not concern
him. How many are you now assist
ing, and how many are still out of
work?' Are there dozen?'' We said
maybe. He makes Louisa Smith saw
that ''she abandoned the strike after
three weeks because she was
refused aid" and that sit hurt her
to hear that the idle girls drawing
IS per week in benefits call her a liar
and Scab." As the committee were re-
ported by Detective Tingwold as calling
all the girls who went back to work liars
and scabs, without character or princi-
pie we presume we are the idle girls who
T draw 81 per week. To this we can saw
we have not received one penny, but on
tEe coHlIdIy pau Out VI our own money
the amounts mentioned above. If to
say that we did not refuse money to
any girl when we had it is
calling her a liar, then we must
plead guilty to the impeachment.
This applies to all the others. One of
those girls whose name is mentioned
was not one of the strikers at all, we
have been informed by those who have
gone back. The detective does not tell
about his experience when questioning
the girls who went back. He went up to
the shop and was allowed to call the
girls LID TO him one by one and nnaStinn