The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-25
A FRIEND TO THE UNION
MIR. OvERSTREET PREVENTED AP-
POINTMENT OF C. b. OTIS.
International Typographical Officers
Commend Efforts of the Indian
apOlis Representative.

Charles z. Hawkes., of San Francisco,
Cal secretary of the International Typo
graphical shorter-worlxday committee, is in
the city comforting with w. B. Prescott,
president of the l. T. u. Mr.. Hawkes. was
seen by a Journal reporter at the head
quarters of the 1. T. U. yesterday after
noon. Mr.. Hawkes. was formerly president
of the local union of San Francisco. and is
we'll up in labor affairs on the Pacific coast.
Shortly after Mckinley was inaugurated
President the California printers made a
fight on H. &. OTIS of Los Angeles, pro-
prietor of one of the leading papers there,
who refused to have anything to do with
the Typographical Union. Mr.. Otis was a
candidate for assistant secretary of war,
and, it is alleged had been promised the
place. For reasons which Mr. Hawkes. re-
lates, the printers decided to carry the fight
across the continent to Washington. An
appeal was made to the California delega-
ton in Congress, but, for various personal
reasons, most of the senators and repre-
sentatives rather favored the pretensions of
Mr.. Otis. Seeing that the fight was about
to go against them, the California organiza-
lions appealed to President Prescott, of
the international organization, which had
its headquarters here.
Mr. Prescott at once telegraphed to Rep
resentative Jesse Overstreet, of the Seventh
district, who led the fight against Mr.. Otis.
Mr.. Overstreet went to the President and
made a personal protest against the APP
pointment, laying Mr.. Prescotts communi-
cation before him. The result was that Mr..
Otis'S appointment was not made. When
the Associated Press carried the news to
California printers from all parts of that
State telegraphed Mr.. Overstreet, thanking
him for his earnest fight in behalf of the
/. r. L.
''I remember very well the circumstances
that led to the night against Mr.. Otis" said
Mr.. Hawkes. yesterday He had an infu-
entail paper. He refused to make his pa
per a union paper. If he had stopped at
that we would have continued to fight him
on the coast. But when Snowden, of the
Tacoma (Wash.) Ledger, got into difficult
ties through trying to reduce the wage
scale 20 per cent. Otis came to his assist
ance. He sent foreman from his Office,
with six or eight men, to help Snowden
tide over the fight. If Otis had not gone
out of his own State to fight the l. II. u.
we would have confined the fight against
him to Los Angeles, and would not have
| thought about taking it into national poll
| tics. Otis not only went to San Francisco
to confer with Snowden we afterward
| found out where they met and all about
| it, what hotel they met at and things of
| that sort-but he has been writing to pub
| fishers all over the country, telling them
how nicely he gets along and urging them
to adopt his plan. 1 have here a number
of letters publishers have written him in
reply, stating that they have had no trou-
BILE with the union and do not expect to
have any, and informing him that they do
not care to go into his way of doing bust
ness. The men in Otis's office have a sort
of organization of their own, and whenever
the /. t. U. gets into trouble at any point
they send letters to the managers of the
papers offering to send them men to help
them out
Mr.. Prescott heard the conversation. He
said that when the California unions tele-
| graphed him about their trouble with Otis
and their determination to carry it to
| Washington he took it up with Mr. Over
street. The international headquarters be-
| ing here, and Mr.. Overstreet being the rep
resentative from this district, he naturally
| asked him to go to the President and pre-
| sent the matter Mr. Prescott said that
| Mr.. Overstreet certainly deserved credit for
| the able and effective way in which he took
up the matter especially. in view of the
| toward Otis. Mr.. Hawkes. said that the
| California printers naturally were gratifed
mated successfully c They feel Kindly TOWARD
Mr.. Overstreet for his vigorous campaign
| in their behalf
How did the Tacoma fight come out?
| Mr.. Hawkes. was asked.
| "Oh, the proprietor of that paper was a
| rich man-worth something like s. 900 600
| He is driving wagon in the Klondike now
| 1t took long while to beat him. 1t broke
several banks and made him bankrupt, but
| the opposition paper we started against the
| combine was successful. Tacoma is a union
| town now