Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-29


The fight Of the knights Of Labor against
the administration of the bureau OF engraving
and printing is not ended, by any means, al
though the nature OF the issue at stake 10 not
as definitely concentrated in the person Of Chief
Meredith as it was The executive board Of
the 4. Of L. proposes to make another on
slaught upon the officials OF the Treasury De-
partment in q few days and to bring the case to
a focus once more. Messrs. Powderly, Hayes
and Devlin Of the board are expected TO arrive
at any time, but they have made no arrange
ments yet with the department for an audience.
woS'r GET MUCH ENCOURAGEMENT.
1t is not thought that the department will
hold out any encourag sment IL they persist In
demanding the dismis al Of Capt. Meredith on
the old charges. which the Secretary is con-
yinced have been disproved. Some pressure is
being brought TO bear on the administration
by the friends of Mckinley to induce an atti-
tude OF oonciliation or compromise in view of
the threats which the former delegation made
TO Judge CrounZ that the influence Of the or
ganization will be thrown against the republi-
can candidate in the Ohio campaign. Mr..
Powderly, however. it would seem. is not in
exact sympathy with this threat and il is not
definitely known whether or not he has been
outvoted in the board. At all events. all doubt
on the subject will probably be dispelled in .
Few days, as the board, should il call upon Sec
retary Foster, will undoubtedly state its plat
form in unmistakable terms.
PLATE PRINTERS VERSION OF THE FIGHT.
There has been SO much discussion Of the
political phase of the case of late that tine at
tension Of the public has been somewhat
diverted from the real facts that lie at the
bottom Of the controversy. A plate printer.
who is employed in the bureau told a STAR
reporter this morning some interesting details
of the fight. He said:
The whole row is a result Of the rule or
ruin policy Of the present administration of
the affairs Of the District Assembly Of Plate
Printers, Knights of Labor. The ringleaders in
what think is an indecent conspiracy are three
discharged employees Of the bureau over whom
the issue was originally raised. Their names are
Jordan, kearney and Moore. Jordan now
keeps a saloon on 9th street that is the head
quarters of the crowd that he has gathered
around him. He and his assembly do not rep
resent over l21S per cent of the 800 plate
printers employed in the bureau I do not
think that there are over fifteen men there who
do not really sympathize with the chief in this
fight.
MONEY COLLECTED FROM THE PRINTERS.
''To illustrate their methods of procedure let
me tell you that since the beginning Of the
campaign against the steam presses-for the
credit-the assembly has collected fully
100000 from the poor devils at the
bureau by monthly assessments that have
been forced out of the men by col
lectors who have hung around the dressing
rooms at the bureau every pay day. What has
become OF this fund no one outside of the ring
can iad out. When WAS a member Of the as
sembly once asked in meeting to have q COM
mittee appointed to audit the account and was
told that should be dropped out of the fifth story
window IL persisted. The membership OF the
assembly has dwindled away until il has really
no influence in the bureau itself. but, strange
to say, it has held on to its grip on the central
body of the knights, and Powderly, though q
strict temperance man, upholds Jordan, the
saloon keeper. I cannot imagine what has
produced this result unless part Of the
S20, 600 has gone that way.
ALL WERE PROPERLY DISCHARGED
"Now as to the merits of the case, all three
men and the other four who are still clamoring
for reinstatement, were dismissed for good
cause. Jordan was floor superintendent. but
was So insubordinate because he was not made
assistant chief that he was reduced and put on
q press. There he continued to talk against
the authority of the chief and he
was finally set outside. kearney had been pre-
viously bounced, but after the steam-press
fight was told to come back to work He re-
fused, declaring that he had better Job and
that he would never work in the bureau again
under Sullivan. Moore was dismissed
because he persisted in declaring that be
would not acknowledge the authority
OF the Secretary Of the Treasury or the chief OF
the bureau. He was warned, but kept on with
his insubordinate talk, creating dissension in
the force and sowing seeds Of rebellion against
the administration of the bureau. The other
men who were dismissed for cause are Patrick
Rooney, A. d. Levi, Moses kerns and VIM
McGirr.
THE FIGHT NOT OVER.
1.-The fight is not over yet by any means for
now the Federation Of Labor, the opposi-
ton to the Knights of Labor, is to take
up the matter for the good Of the rep
utation of the labor interest The presi-
dent of that organization, Mr.. Gompers
has promised to come down here about July 10
and hear the case. The local body comprises
about 100 of the pressmen of the bureau and
we want to have this disgrsceful ring business
stopped.
''The fight has 20 far been one Of three or
four men alone against the chief, not Of an
organization. There are in the bureau about
$50 men who are not members of either or
ganization, but who wait to see which way the
wind blows. They are neutral. but are practi-
cally in sympathy with the chief. There is no
dissension among the men, as you would see
by going among them"
nARRTSnN Ann FNnrANA