Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-04
APPEAL TO HARRISON.
THE PLATE PRINTERS CASE To BE
TAKEN TO THE, president.

Secretary Fosters Statement of the Recent
Meeting With Him-He Charges That
His Visitors Took the Mysterious Jordan
Letter From His Desk.
WASHINGTON, July 3.-The Secretary
OF the Treasury received a letter this morn-
| ing from Grand Master Workman Powderiy,
reviewing the case of the discharged plate
printers in about the same tone as his state
ment to the public, and in addition inti-
mating, so it is said, that the knights OF
Labor will appeal the case to the President.
Secretary Foster, in speaking on the sub
Ject to-day, said that the letter which
Jordan, one of the discharged men, claims
to have received from him offering him his
old position in the bureau was not sent by
him (the Secretary. He explained that he
was discussing the case with Messrs.
Cavanagh and Deylin and had submitted
several prositions to them, which did not
seem to be altogether satisfactory. He said
he was willing to appoint the seven men to
places in the bureau with the understanding
that Jordan, who is making a good living
outside, would not return.
They Were Afraid of Meredith.
'They wanted more than this" continued
the Secretary, 'and said they were afraid
that if Jordan were offered the place with
this understanding, and it should get to the
ear of Meredith, he would crow over them
and make it his boast that they had been
defeated. went so far as to draft letter
to Jordan-the1e had been several papers
written during the conference-in about
these terms: Places were to be found for
the other six men, who would
accept position in the Bureau. L agreed
to give them this letter to be given to Jor
dan if they should promise on their honor
as men, that they would either return it to
me or hand me Jordan's declination. This
to sooth Jordan's feelings, as it were. All
this contingent upon our reaching an agree
ment.
this letter, they declined my terms and L
showed the letter to one side with rest of the
rejected. We were discussing the situation
further and endeavoring to find another
solution when 1 received the card of the
delegation representing the Federation of
Labor. Leaving Devlin and Cavanagh
for few minutes L went over to the new
comers who told me some facts that did
not know before.
Some Things Foster Didn't Know.
''For instance, they informed me that there
are now about Is apprentices in the bureau
waiting for presses, who under the rules are
entitled to presses ahead of the chance men.
This would reduce the available new work,
and the men who are now on the chance roll
would not all get presses in the new build
ing. Thus, to put on the seven dismissed
men would throw out printers who are
ahead of them. After further talk on the sub
ject, l returned to Devlin and Cavanagh,
and soon afterward the conference was
broken up.
''The letter to Jordan, though signed, was
but draft, and was not intended to be
sent. If he received it, the delegates from
the knights of Labor must have taken it
from my desk. 1t had previously been re-
jected by them. 1 do not accuse them of
stealing the letter, but 1 do say that
the letter should never have gone to
Jordan. 1t was null and void. When 1
returned to my desk 1 said goodbye and
swept the papers into drawer, but did not
notice that this letter was gone. L have
reason to think they took the note sent into
me by the delegates of the Federation, from
which Mr.. Powderly gets his information
about the 'Gompers Federation The
name was put on the card by my private
secretary, in order to identify the people in
my mind.