Evening star., 1896-06-16
THAT BEER BOYCOTT
Central Labor Union Tells Their
Version of the Case.
4 LETTER WRITTEN TO MR.. GOMPERS
Interesting Facts Made Public
About the Fight.
OTHER BUSINESS DONE

The Central Labor Union. at Its meeting
last evening. with President Milford Spohn
in the chair and with every organization
affiliated with the body represented. unani-
mously Endorsed a reply to a recent COM
munication from President Samuel Com
pers Of the American Federation Of Labor
In reference to the beer troubles In this
city. Copies were ordered sent to Mr.. Com
pers and the executive council of the A. F.
Of L. The letter is as follows:
''Your communication to this body relative
to the local brewery boycott was respect
fully considered and the Central Labor
Union has directed that q concise and
truthful statement of the material facts
in the matter be submitted that you may
understand the gel eral situation and the
position assumed by the Central Labor
Union. The neutral position of this body
is assumed after earnest and unprejudiced
| inquiry, which demonstrates the general
fact that the so-called boycott was imposed
| and maintained by few self-appointed
leaders solely for the benefit Of an element
which Is antagonistic to the principles of
trade unionism, as has been specially evi-
denced for years In their vicious opposition
here to central body affiliated with the
A. F. of L.
"The brewery workers here were char
tered as X. Of L. assembly and recog-
niZed d. A. Go the central body, having
supreme control in this jurisdiction. The
executive committee oe that body assumed
complete guardianship of Gembrinus As
sembly, and in this matter. without SUBJ
mitting the question to the local federation,
In all the secrecy of their inner sanctuary
| the first boycott was imposed. OF course,
| when submitted to the local federation the
action of d. A. 66 was indoreed. This in
dorsement without question needs no ex-
PLANTATION when the fact is understood that
the K. Of L. assemblies. by means pecu-
liar to that organization, had secured a
two-thirds majority in the local federation,
thus subordinating the union to the abso-
Lutte control of ID. A. 66.
Last March the Bricklayers' Union, the
largest and most influential organization
represented In the local federation, were
visited by q committee from Gambrinus
Assembly, who requested the organization
to officially indorse the boycott. After con-
sideration, the union passed the following
resolution: Resolved. That a committee of
three be appointed to cooperate with a
like committee Of the Building Trades
Council, Gambrinus Assembly, and the
joint committee Of the federation and ID.
A, 66, and confer with the brewers and Sc
cure, if possible. by all honorable means, a
satisfactory settlement Of the pending diff
culties, and if the brewers shall refuse an
agreement satisfactory to Gambrinus As
sembly, every member of this union shall
be fined 81 for every glass Of Washington
brewed beer drank by him.
AT the next meeting of the Building
Trades Council, then composed of twelve
III,
committee was appointed as requested by
the bricklayers. The joint committee called
upon Gambrinus Assembly, which insult
irgly refused to cooperate stating that
they had nothing to do in the matter that
Mr.. Simmons, NJ. w. of d. A. 66. had full
control. The joint committee then called
upon. the local federation, and after being
admitted, were refused a hearing, and Were
ordered from the hall amid the jeers and
insults Of the heelers Of D. A. 66.
A Meeting With the Brewers.
Notwithstanding this insulting treat
ment, the joint committee met the brewers,
and In consultation learned that the joint
committee of the Federation and d. A. 6S
had made no effort for several months to
adjust the matter at issue. They also
learned that az any time the brewers would
have recognized Gambrinus Assembly, and
had wise and honest counsel prevailed that
assembly today would have been a body
strongly organized, in the exercise and en-
toyment of all the privileges of organiza-
ton.
assembly, inexperienced in trade organiza-
ton. submitted to the control of a few,
whose incapacity and dishonesty had been
notoriously demonstrated In the disgrace
ful collapse Of a street railway boycott
which resulted in the disorganza ton and
impoverishment Of a railway employees
assembly having a membership of over
4OO. There has been repetition of his
a
and the so-called boycott is maintaine
and used for the sinister purpose of secur-
ing contracts for the employment Of those
recognized by d. A. &C to the exclusion of
the membership of the unions represented
in our C.. J.. U.
MANY questionable methods have been
pursued and many phases have been as
sumed, eliminating finally In the raising Of
the boycott from one Of the brewers
though he refuses to sign any agreement
will not recognize Gambrinus Assembly
belongs to the combine and is running his
brewery under the same conditions as
those boycotted.
Repeatedly the assemblies interested
have asked why this brewer was so ia
vored, but those who made the question
able deal have refused to answer. Several
weeks ago q self-coLstituted committee
claiming to represent Gambrinus Assem-
bly,, with the secretary of the Brewery
Workers Union Of Baltimore, primarily
instigated by a few in this District, called
upon the c. L. U. and reremptorily de-
manded that the body unreservedly in
dorse the boycott. When questioned re-
garding the attitude of the assembly they
stated thst they were knights of Labor
and Intended remaining such; that they
only recognized allegiance to that order,
and did not recognize the C. L. U. as a
legitimate organization.
The Result Of AntaEonfsm.
1T is evident that their purpose was to
force conflict between the c. L. u and
the Executive Council of the A. F. of L.,
with the hope that it would result in the
disorganization of the c. L. U. Under the
conditions existing here since the forma-
ton Of the c. L. u, lines have been dis
tinctly drawn, and the membership of the
@. L. U. have been denounced as 'scabs'
and 'seceders' by the local federation and
D. A. 66. These are the only bodies recog-
nized by Gambrinus Assembly. These bodies
have refused to admit bodies holding an
A. d. Of L. charter; they have forced men
from work whose organizations were af-
filiated with the A. F. Of L., and have now
upon the unfair list an Organization holding
an A F. Of L. charter. and which is repre-
sented In the c. L. U. All this Is being done
by the consent and through the support of
Gambrinus Assembly.
"a short time after the organization of
our central body the following resolutions
were unanimously adopted:
Desiring amfcable and harmonious re-
lat1ons with all labor organizations be It
Resolved. That we invite the co-opera-
tion OF all trade organizations in all efforts
to maintain helpful relations, which shall be
for the good of ALL
TO this there was no response other than
malicious determine ton to rule or ruin.
Mr.. Bechtold has been in frequent COM
munication with D. A. 90. but has never. so
far, recognized this body.