Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-07-03
Postponed the Matter.

Postponed the Matter.
The demand Of the federation men
caused hitch because tky claimed that
the replacing of the knights would dis
place federation men. who were on the
waiting list, ard Secretary Foster VS.
represented as saying that the two labor
organizations must settle their own dis
pute before he took further action. A dis
patch yesterday from Washington SAYS:
President Gomrers and Secretary Evans.
of the Federation of Labor, arrived from
New York this afternoon and had a confer
ence With Secretary Foster in
relation to the troubles in the bu
reau of engraving and printing These
gentlemen formally protested against the
injustice of showing any favoritism to
particular class Of plate printers NJ.
Gompers did not express any objection to
the secretary's action in ienoringthe past
records of the seven discharged Knights
OF Labor
Wants the Rules Strictly Enforced.
But he insisted that it would be unfair
TO give those meu any preference over 9TH
ers occupying places as chance printers
and applicants for presses. President
Gompers claims that the rules governing
the employment Of plate printers should
be strictly observed. During a general
talk with the secretary over affairs at the
bureau, Mr. Con pers expressed great con-
fdenee in the fairness and ability OF Col
Meredith chief of the bureau of engravin
and printing, and will, in a few days, and
by letter, express his views as stated to
the secretary"
Stateme mt of Powderiy.
Powderly prefaces his statement with
the remark that none of the general Off
GERS of the knights has said anything to
the press on the subject of the plate print
ars, having purposely refrained from say
ing or doing, anything that would embar-
rass the admin stration. He then pro-
ceeds: But I feel that the statements
charged to the secretary of the treasury
demand some recognition and denial, since
they are entirely and unqualifiedly false
He has stated, so it is alleged, and he has
not denied it. hat the plate printers
trouble was not he subject of discussion
at the meeting held at Mansfield between
Senator Sherman, Major Mckinley and
himself That matter was discussed at
Mansfield, a settlement advised, and
holdthe proofs over the signature of Ma
jor Mckinley himself.
The Conference at Washington.
con his return to Washington the sec.
rotary of the treasury wired the general
worthy foreman of this organization Mr.
Cavanagh. to come to Washington that
the matter could be settled. The general
worthy foreman complied with the re-
quest, and on June 80 Messrs. Devlin and
Cavanagh called at the treasury depart
ment, saw Mr.. Foster, and concluded an
agreement to restore the discharged men
to their places; he even went so far as to
write to one of them asking him to advise
him whether he wished to be re-emploved
That letter embodied the agreement en-
tered into. u is written in his own hand
and over his own signature We hold that
letter as proof o. what we say. Mr.. Dew
lin made the memorandum of the ter as
on which the agreement was based, and On
the strength of W hich he wrote the letter
Terms of rh lie Agreement.
"The terms are as follows: First, that
the seven men who have been dismissed
from the, rolls in the plate printing depart
ment shall be restored to their former
places, or places of equal Importance and
pay; and that they shall be treated with
the same consideration as other plate
printers by the chief and his assistants in
the bureau; that four of them shall be re-
stored within ten days, and the balance
within two weeks from this date. The
foregoing was approved by Mr.. Foster.
secretary of the treasury, and Mr.. Mere.
dith, chief of the bureau of engraving and
printing. 1t was stated by Mr. Meredith
that the agreement could be carried out
without the displacement of any men in
the department
The Federation Demands a Hearing.
"These deliberations were concluded and
those present congratulsting themselvez
upon the happy termination of the diff
Guilty, when a committee of plate printers
were called into the -secretary's chamber
by Mr.. Meredith. The card which an
nounced their arrival bore this inscrip-
ton: A delegation from the Corners
Federation of Labor desires to be heard
before an ag-eeu ent is arrived at with the
knights-ef Labor These men had been
called away from their machines at II
O'Clock that day, just soon as it became
known that Mr.. Cavanagh had arranged
with the secretary of the treasury for an
interview
Charge of Bad Faith.
They were drilled by Mr. Meredith as
to their speech and conduct while deliber
ating with the Sc ere tary, but the instruc-
tons were not complete, for Mr. Meredith
forgot to tell them the name of the Or.
ganization they we're supposed to repre-
sent before the secretary, and they gave
the name of an association that does not
and never did exist After a short inter
view with this committee the secretary
turned tQ Mr.. Dsvlin, and ,snatching some
papers from his hand, said: If there is
to be fight with this organization or
yours, don't know but what l had bet
ter fight yours To that Mr.. Devlin re-