The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-07-04
THE PLATE PRINTERS.
Secretary Foster Explains How the Jordan
letter Became Public.

WASHINGTON, July 3.-The Secretary of
the Treasury received letter this morning
from General Master Workman Powderly of
the knights of Labor reviewing the case of
the discharged plate printers in about the
same tone as his statement to the public,
and in addition intimatng that the Knights
of Labor will appeal the case to the Presi-
dent
Secretary Foster in speaking of the sub
jcct to-day said that the letter which Jor-
dan, one of the discharged men, claims to
have received from him Offering him his old
position in the bureau was not sent by him.
Secretary Foster explained that lie was dis
cusslDg the case with Messrs. Cavanagh anG
Devlin, and had submitted several PROPOSE
tions to th EN- which did not seem altogether
satisfactory. He said he was willing to ap-
point seven men 10 places in the bureau
with the under standing that Jordan, who is
making good living, should not return to
work. They wanted more than this" said
the Secretary, "and said they were afraid if
the men were offered places with this under
standing and it should get to the eaIs of
Meredith he would crow over them and
boast that they had been defeated. | went
so far as to draft a letter TO Jordan. There
had been several papers written during the
conference in about these terms: places
were to be found for the other six men, and
asked if he would accept position in the
bureau. / agreed to give them this letter to
be given 10 Jordan if they should promise
on their honor as men that they would
either return 1t to ME or hand me Jordan's
declination. This was to soothe Jordan's
feelings, as it were. All this was coutn-
gent upon our reaching An agreement.
When | showed Devlin and Cavanagh this
letter they declined my terms, and | showed
this letter tC one side with the rest Of the
rejected manuscript We were discussing
the situation further and endeayorng to
find another solution when received card
OF delegation representing tile Federation
OF Labor. Leaving Devlin and Cavanagh
Tor few minutes | went over to talk to the
newcomers, who had told me some
facts L did not know before; for in
stance, they informed me there are now
about fifteen apprentices in the bureau walt
Ing for presses, who under the rules are en-
Titled 10 presses ahead OF chance men. This
would SO reduce the available new work
that tha men who are now on the chance
roll would not all get presses in the new
building Thus to put OH seven dismissed
men would throw out printers who are
ahead OF them. After further talk on the
subject | returned to Devln and Cavanagh,
and soon afterward the conference broke
up. The letter TO Jordan, though signed,
was but draft, and was not intended to be
sent Ii he received 1t the delegates from
the knights of Labor must have taken it
from my desk. 1t had previously been re-
jected by them. | do not accuse them of
stealing the letter, but do say that the letter
should never have gone to Jordan. 1t was
null and void. When l returned to my desk
| said good-by and swept the papers into a
drawer, but did net notice that this letter
was gone. l have reason to think they took
the note sent in to me by the delegates of
the federation from which Mr.. P0wierly
gets his information about 'Gompers' Fede-
ration The name was put on the card by
my private secretary in order to identify the
people in my mind"