The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-10-06
BY R. NJ. Larner.


connection with the Miller-Labor Union
controversy, at the government printing
Office which will be frequently used in
the coming campaign. In designating
the government printing office as an
open shop" the President has hit upon
a happy and, at the same time, catchy
phrase, which now appears in every
discussion of the Miller case.
The government printing Office has
been an open shop" ever since it was
established in 1861. 1t was a union
Office from the very beginning although
non-union men have been employed
there from time to time without caus-
ing a strike. Gen. Grant was the first
President to establish the "open shop"
policy in connection with the govern
ment printing office. In 1867, when A.
VI. Clapp was the public printer, he APP
pointed Lewis Douglass. the son of the
late Fred Douglass, the negro leader,
a compositor in the printing office. OBJ
lection was It once made against the
appointment of Douglass and he, like
Miller became d national issue. Under
the real opposition to Douglass was
race prejudice owing to his color. The
union men, in and out OF the govern
ment printing Office, charged Douglass
with being an avowed rat" 1t was
alleged also that he had been denied
admission to the printers union at his
former home in Ohio. Upon arriving in
Washington, through the influence of
his father, he secured a frame in
the composing room at the government
printing office. He at once made APP
plication for membership in the Print
ers' Union in this city, but it was de-
MED him.
There was d bitter contest in the To-
cal union over the Douglass case. The
employees of the government printing
Office refused to sacrifice their positions
under the government and go on a
strike on the demand of the less fortu-
nate printers employed in private es-
adjustments at the national Capitol.
Since the foundation of the government
printing office the union men in that
establishment have maintained absolute
control OF the local union, because they
outnumbeT all OF the downtown
printers combined.
a majority of the union men in the
government printing Office would have
been glad - see Douglass removed on
account OF his color, but when they
were brought face to face with a prop
Osition OF going ON a strike or sub
hitting to the employment of Douglass,
they mustered enough votes at the
meeting of the union to prevent a strike
resolution being adopted.
The controversy lasted over two
years, and at each meeting of the union
the subject was hGtly debated without
any definite result being reached. The
government printing office men were
always able 10 staVe off final action.
The Douglass case was carried subse-
quently to the International Union
held at Buffalo, n y. Delegate John
Hallock, representing the Washington
union, introduced a resolution condemn
ing Public Printer Clapp for employing
in the government printing Office IAN
aVoWed negro rat" The resolution oc-
casioned heated debate. and the race
issue became badly confused with la
Dor un!onism. A general row, which
threatened 10 terminate in a free fight
between the friends and the opponents
Of the resolution, ensued. In the midst
Of the excitement veteran printer, A.
T. Caviss, an eX-Confederate soldier.
arose and brought the convention back
to reason by saying:
AS a Southern man. am no lover OF
negro rats" ! simply want to re-
mind the convention that only few
years ago eleven states in this Union
went on a strike against Uncle Sam.
We know the result
This brief. but impressive, declaration
had the effect of ending the discus
sion and defeating the resolution.
Douglass remained in the government
printing Office for several years until
he voluntarily resigned to join his faith
er in publishing a negro newspaper in
Washington.
There have been numerous attempts
on the part of the down town" print
crs to call cut" the un on men IN
the government printing office 10 help
sustain the demands of the labor union.
the records show that in no instance
have the men in the government print
ing Office consented to go on st-ake
because of the employment OF non-
union men.
There was another instance where
the open shop" policy was invoked.
The issue was made on the appointment
of a copy-holder. a French Canadian
named Gervais, who was net pract-
cal printer. The printers union re-
CURED that copy holders Should De
practical printers. The Frenchman was
appointed through the influence of
member of Congress from Minnesota
The union demanded his removal but
the public printer, John D. Detrees,
backed UP by the administration, re-
fused to yield to the demands of the
union. The union men in the govern
ment bringing office again refused 10
strike and the Frenchman was contlh-
Jed in office.
The late Senator Plumb, then mem
her of the Senate Committee on Print
ing. was responsible for an open shop
issue in the government printing once.
Senator Plumb was int: ested in a non
union printing office in Kansas. ne
brought to Washington one of his proof
readers and had him appointed IN the
L government printing office. the union
objected TO Senator Plumb's man ana
called upon the union men in the gov
eminent printing office to walk out
an a strike AS usual they refused 10
De- influenced by the down TOWN.
minority contending that their loyalty
10 the union did not require them 70
| mroverish their families because the
L government officials saw fit to employ
non-union men. Plumbs man was not
| very popular and remained IN once
| about six months. He was transfer 81
1 subsequently, to another place III the
/ public service where unionism was ho'
/ an issue
The only instance where a strike
/ was successfully instituted IN ,ne
/ government printing office was our
/ ing the administration or AnuIe"
/ Jackson The issue was drawn pc
4 tween the government and the union
/ over the enforcement of the eight
4 hour labor law. The union demanded
4 that the law should not only apply 10
i the employees of the government print
a ing office. but also should be enforced
4 IN the private printing establishments