Los Angeles herald., 1890-08-18
The HDaily Herald"
MONDAY. AUGUST IS, 1890.
THE PROOF OF THEIR PERFIDY.

We understand that the striking
printers claim that it is not true that
they went out of the newspaper offices
here because the publishers refused to
sign an agreement to guarantee that the
scale of prices then in force should
remain in operation for one year from
date. Here is copy OF the notice that
was served upon us in answer to our
modest request that the union would,
in view of the depression in business,
reduce the price of composition, without
designating any specific amount:
CENTENNIAL the meeting of the Los
Angeles Typographical Union, No. ia, held
Sunday, August Sd, 1890, your request Tor u
ing and evening papers was fully and fairly
considered, and it was almost unanimously
decided that no reduction of the scale could be
agreed to; and further that an agreement
should be signed by the proprietors and the
union that the scale of prices now in force
should remain in operation for one year from
August 5th, 1890; and further, that said agree
ment should be signed within twenty four hours
from II m August 4th, 1890.
Respectfully yours,
THE COMMITTEE.
By order of the Union
J. X HAMMILL, Secretary,
PROPOSED AGREEMENT.
We, the undersigned proprietors of the Times,
Herald, Tribune and Express, daily newspapers
the executive committee, representing the Los
Angeles Typographical Union, No. IVA, hereby
agree that the scale OF prices hereunto attached
shall be and remain in force, without change or
alteration, for one wear from date hereof
Dated, August 9th, 1890.
A copy of the scale of prices that has
been in force for number OF years
accompanied the above.
We submit that if language means
what it says, the demand was peremp-
torily made upon us to sign the agree
ment cited. The publishers very natur-
ally refused to sign so extraordinary and
outrageous compact, whereupon the
printers went out. That they went out
because we refused to sign the agree
,ment is manifest from the fact that we
had not refused to continue to pay the
prices as established. We had asked
for a reduction, it is true. As reason
able men we thought they could have
seen the propriety of granting it. But
instead of conceding our request, they
turned upon us and made it a sine qua
non that we should at once bind our
selves for one year to pay the prices
which we believed should, under the
circumstances of the trade, be reduced.
This strike has been condemned by
every fair union printer we have spoken
to about it. Some of the best union
printers in San Francisco have de-
nounced the strike III no unmeasured
terms. They even 60 so far as to say
that so unprovoked and unwarranted an
attempt to destroy the business of estab-
lished newspapers that have always been
friendly to the union will have a very
injurious effect upon the unions every
where. They say, very truly, that if
the power of the union can be wrested to
such base and indefensible uses, no
newspaper publisher will feel safe, for
he cannot tell when he may be called
upon to either lower his manhood by
submitting to illegitimate and upright
eous demands, or to enter into death
struggle with an organization which has
no respect whatever for his rights or his
interests. If he is man of spirit he
will not subject his business to the ca
prices ofan organization which has shown
itself powerless to restrain the hoodlum
element in its membership from out
raging the commonest principles of
right and Justice.