Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-22
NOT A UNION PRINTER,

But . Public Printer That Does Not Be-
long to Labor Organizations.
petition signed by Gibson Bros, Rufus Fl.
Darby, H. L. Mcqueen and others, printers and
employers of printers in this city. was today
handed to tho President protesting agains. the
selection Of man to be at the head OF the gov
eminent printing Office who will represent only
members Of union organizations. Reference is
made in the petition to the published statement
that delegation Of union printers recently
called upon the President "to dictate
to you and proven: you from selecting
for the Office Of public printer c. W. Edwards
OF Delaware for the reason, as stated. that he
was formerly non-anion printer, and that he
Is opposed to organized labor, &C." While
some OF the petitioners state that they do not
indorss Mr.. Edwards or any one else FOR the
place, yet they are in favor Of the
government places from the dictation Of walkinR
delegates. The assertion is made that the
workingmen and women outside Of the unions
are ono hundred where those belonging to
labor organizations are one. The petitioners
allege that in several departments Of the gov
eminent, conspicuously those involving print
ing, there Is exacted as a condition Of EN- o!oy-
ment membership Of a secret oath-bound union.
THE WALKING DELICATE.
Continuing, the petitioners assert that be-
fore a laborer can be permitted to earn an
honest living for himself and family in these
departments Of the public service controlled
and dominated by the secret oath-bound union,
he is subjected to the dictation OF walking del
egates. and is taxed to support idle officials of
the union, and he must take u secret oath in
such union that subjects him to the orders Of
masters and rulers unknown to our form of
government, even though such orders
be to violate the Constitution and
laws Of his country and to engage in
riot, destroy property and commit murder.
In these departments or bureaus OF the federal
government, dominated by labor unions ~
even the President Of tho United States, the
commander Of our armies and navies and the
source OF our entire federal executive power
cannot put a man to work. as compositor or
pressman, however competent or worthy, il
such workman has, by his independent spirit of
opposition to personal dictation, offended the
union" walking delegates" This astound-
ing anomaly in our government has insid-
iously intrenched itself in power. and craven
legislators have been afraid Of the 'boycott' of
the secret labor union" at the polls. You
have the power to at least do justice to the
larger body Of your industrial fellow-citizens,
who are not members Of unions" by appoint
ing public printer and chief Of the bureau Of
engraving and printing who will, under your
orders, make no such un-American discrlmi-
nation.
CIVIL SERVICE MERIT.
While not sntagonizing "organized labor"
you can put these two federal offices upon an
American basis Of independence Of outside,
unlawful domination and dictation, and insist
that the civil service principle Of merit alone
shall be applied to the employees in those
branches Of the government, and distinctly in
sist that any competent workman who is a
citizen Of this country and otherwise fit may
take employment therein as compositor or
pressman without the permit from the
''union." This we believe you have the sense
of justice and the manly American courage to
do.
Your petitioners pray that you will maintain
that splendid independence Of dictation for
which you are justly famed. and that in exer-
cising your presidential prerogative in appoint
ing public printer you will impartialiy con-
slider the rights Of that immensely larger,
less noisy. less guilty body Of your indus
trial follow citizens, who are members
OF no unions, no boycotting labor organi-
cations and that the public printer whom you
shall select will be man who will remember
that non-union printers have rights to be re-
spected equal those OF union printers and
that as good common citizens of a common
country they have as much right to labor at
the case in the government printing Office as
have members Of any printers union.