The Portland daily press., 1891-07-03
P0WDERLY OUT WITH A STATEMENT.
The Master Workman's Version Of
the Printing office Controversy.
According to His Account There Was
a Pretty Lively Conference.
Compers Presents the Claims of the
Federation OF Labor.

PHILADELPHIA, July 2.-General Master
Workman Powderly, of the Knights Of La
Dor, has prepared sta ement relative to the
controversy over the unemployment Of the
plate printers dropped from the rolls Of the
bureau of printing and engraving at Wash
ington. As result of this controversy. 1t
has been limited that the Knights Of Labor
might throw their influence and votes
against Major Mckinley in the Ohio guber-
material contest Mr.. Powderly says: "Sec-
retary Foster stated. 1t is alleged, and he has
not denied it, that the plate printers trouble
was not a subject Of discussion at the meet
ing held at Mansfield between. Senator Sher-
man. Major Mckinley and himself. That
the matter was discussed at Mansfield, and
settlement advised, l hold. proofs over the
signature of Major Mckinley himself. On
his return to Washington the Secretary OF
the Treasury wired the General Worthy
Foreman of this order, Mr.. Cavanagh, to
come to Washington, and that the matter
could be settled. Messrs. Devlin and Cava-
nagh called at the Treasury Department
June 30th, saw Mr.. Foster, and concluded an
agreement to restore the discharged men to
write letter to one of them asking him to
advise him whether he wished to be re-
employed. That letter was embodied In the
agreement entered into. 1t Is written in his
own hand, over his own signature.
what hTs We sass saS ''isI M 8 Devn R100f maGa
memorandum of the terms on which the
agreement was based, and on the strength of
which he wrote the letter. The terms are
as follows: That the seven men who have
been dropped from the rolls in the plate
their former places, or places of equal i'm
portance and pay; they shall be treated with
the same fairness and consideration as other
plate printers by the chief and his assistants
be restored within ten days and the balance
within two weeks from this date.
The proDosition was approved by Mr..
Foster, the Secretary sof the Treasury and
MIR. Meredith, chief Of the bureau OF engrav-
Ing Ing and printing. II was stated by Mr..
ried out without the displacement Of any
many in the department. These delibera-
tions were concluded when a committee Of
the plate printers was called into the SecIe-
tary's chamber by Mr. Meredith; The card
which announced their arrival bore this in
scriptiOn: "A delegation from Gompers'
Federation of Labor desires to be heard be-
lore an agreement Is arrived at with the
knights of Labor
These men were called away from their
machines at eleven o'clock that day, just as
soon as 1t became known that Mr.. Cavanagh
had arranged with the Secretary of the
Treasury for an interview, and they were
drilled by Mr.. Meredith as to their speech
and conduct while celebrating with the
Secretary. After q short interview with
this committee, the Secretary turned to Mr..
Devlin and. snatching some papers from his
hand, said If there is to be a fight with
this organization or yours, don't know but
what had better fight yours To that Mr..
Devlin replied: If 1t is to be fight, / guess |
we can do little of that ourselves Mr.. |
Devlin then called his attention to the fact |
that he had concluded an agreement to settle |
the matter, that in that agreement no man,
whether knight Of Labor or member of the |
Federation was to be Disseminated against
or displaced, but the Secretary Of the Treas
urY stated that he would have to send for
Mr.. Gompers before he could arrive at a
further understanding of the case.
The advisers of Mr.. Foster have influ-
enced him so to act as to give the cOntrover-
sy such a cOloring as to create the impress
sion that 1t is a strugg le between labor or
CARNATIONS. Such is not the case. We have
no fight, quarrel or dispute with any labor