Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-12
BASED ON NEWSPAPER PUBLICATIONS
Criticism Of the Public Printer and
Delegates to the J. 7. U.
THE ACCUSED WILL FIGHT


letter from F. H. Padgett, secretary of
Columbia Typographical Union:
Dear Sir: You are hereby notified that
charges have been preferred against you
by T. NJ. Lawler, Ed. T. Toner and w. E.
Greenfield. The following gentlemen have
been appointed to try the charges: John E.
Fulenwider, r. B. Smythe, George D. Ellis,
E. B. Kelley, H. K. Southland. You will
be notified of time and place of holding
meeting"
The charges follow:
George A Tracy, President Columbia Typo
graphical Union: ss-.-i -.
Whereas as at a stated meeting Of Column
b.a Union, held August IS, 1895, one John
L. Kennedy, a member CT said union, pub
lcally acknowledged the authorship of the
following article, which appeared In the
New York Union Printer and American
Craftsman, copied from the Dayton Jour-
nal
And whereas sad article contains
statements and accusations false and ma
Ecious in character against the undersig1-
ed. who Were delegates elected to represent
ton; therefore.
I'VE charge the said John L. Kennedy,
First. With conduct unbecomtng a union
printer.
Second. With knowingly. falsely and
snalicicusly charging that the said delegates
were elected as the result of a conspiracy
between the public printer and certain
democratic politicians
Third. With falsely charging that said
delegates were the agents Of the public
printer and his party friends in that they
presented and promoted 4 resolution re-
Questing the President of the United States
to place the government printing office in
the classifa ed service
I'VE charge that the foregoing accusa-
tons made by said John l.. Kennedy are
false and made for the purpose of 5ring ing
10 of h n
Unions delegates at Louisville; and we
feel that our regulations and standing rs
union men have by said article been as
sailed and injured among union printers
throughout the country.
We, therefore, request that said John
L. Kennedy be proceeded against according
to the law of our union.
(Signed)
ED. T. TONER,
tom. NJ. LAWLER,
civilian E. GREENFIELD"
Mr.. Kennedy's Article.
The article referred to in these charges
was a very spicy letter. Mr.. Kennedy
claimed that from reliable information he
knew that Mr.. Benedict at the time of his
appointment as public printer was told by
the President that it was his desire and
his intention to put the printing Office In
the classified service According to this
article, Mr.. Benedict told Mr.. Cleveland
Typographical Union, and Mr.. Cleveland
replied that he did not wish to do anything
that would be antagonized by the union.
The article then continues:
Shortly after ME-. Beredict's installation,
according to this inside Information, he
called council of a half dozen democratic
politicians, who were running Columbia
Union and aiding Elm in tine work of run
ming republicans out of Office He told
them that what he had to say to them
would be said in confidence to democrats
Then he unfolded to them the desires Of
the President and his own wish that ca
lumbia Union might be brought to make
the first public move in the matter by ask
ing that the office be placed in the classified
service. One of the democratic politicians
suggested that the first move shouId he
made in the International Typographical
Union, and If they could get favorable ac-
ton there, local unions throughout the
country would be stopped from using their
influence with politicians to prevent the
consummation of the scheme. After consid-
cradle discussion, 1t was decided that this
would be the proper course to pursue
,That was In May 1891. The I. T. u
was to meet in Louisville in the followinz
October. Columbia Union was to have
delegates In that body. The democratic
politicians Immediately set about securing
majority OF those delegates. They did
even better than that-they elected three
straightout, dyed-in-the-wooI. partisan
democrats and one hoId-over republican,
VINO was kept in the office by the Vice
PRESIDENT because his father was next-door
neighbor to Mr.. Stevenson In Blooming ton
Ill. For the purposes of Benedict and his
party friends in their scheme this fourth
ueleeate was Just the same as a democrat
Ihey went to Louisville ard presented a
resolution requesting the President to n,t
the ONCE in the classified service
Inc committee to which this resolution
VAS VAS referred reported adversely upon 1t
me democratic delegates from Columbia
Union then made a lively canvass among
the other delegates to have the rerort Of
the committee turned down, and the reso-
lrtion referred back to Washington Union
WIN. Win run power to act as that union should
think best. This latter course was adopt.
ed, and thereby the officers of the T. T. u,
and all local unions were shut oft from
taking any action in the matter If they
politicians not for the good of unionism"
According to this article. Mr.. Benedict
Is said to have urged that he be given am
pie time in which to make as clean sweep
OF the republicans in the office as possible
and the substitution in their places of Of
fensively-partisan democrats"
Mr.. Kennedy goes on to say that the
work of cleaning out the printing office of
republicans was SO well done that Capt
Bi ian. foreman Of printing, was the only
republican left in a responsible position,
and that that was done because Mr.. Bene-
dict could not discharge him. He con-
tinues: After he had made all the changes
In his power, he signaled his tools in the
Typographical Union to start the ball roll
ing. They did so, with the result that the
office is now In the classified service The
article is concluded with the following
suggestion:
1.-THE foregoing illustrates the necessity
for civil service plank In the republican
platform of next year, which shall demand
that the abuses which have been put on
the civil service in the name of civil SER
vice reform shall be corrected by the 1lext
President and his administration: Such
declaration would arm the next President
in the cause of republican civil service re-
form, and would inspire his cabinet officers
and bureau chiefs to go cunning for
abuses If such declaration does tot
appear in the next platform, it will not be
for the lack of much earnest and intelli-
gent work to that end
Mr.. Kennedy Will Fight.
Mr.. Kennedy said to a Star reporter to-
day:
THE committee has been trying my case
this week, and 1t will be acted upon aeXt
Sunday. 1t is understood that an attempt
will be made to fine me 800, in lieu Of