Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-13
MANY SPEECHES MADE
Printers Listened to a Good
Deal Of 0ratory.
MR., ,DRISCOLL'SADDRESS
HIS SIDE OF THE WASHINGTON
STRIKE CONTROVERSY.
Mr., ,DRISCOLL'SADDRESS
Discussion Over Distribution Of Cir
cular Without Union Label-Busi-
ness Transacted Today.

Heated debate marked the session this
morning of the convention Of the Inter-
national Typographical Union. The first
intimation of what was coming was given
when an announcement was made from the
platform that circular relating to the
strike of the printers at Seattle was to be
distributed to the delegates. 1t was learn
ed that this circular emanated from the
publishers and that 1t did not bear the
union label. Its origin was ascribed to
Frederick Driscoll. the commissioner of
the American Newspaper Publishers Asso-
citation, who was to address, by invitation.
the convention at 10 o'clock Delegates
from all over the house entered into the
debate as to the policy of permitting the
distribution of any matter that. not carry
ing the label of unionism, was thereby
tacitly antagonistic to the movement. and
the loudest voice that was raised against
it was that of the delegate from Seattle.
He had many followers but the mass OF
the convention seemed unfavorable to the
stand he had taken.
1t was asked that the rules be suspended
and that an order be given to distribute the
circulars, and President Lynch finally took
the case in his hands and said to the dele
gate from Seattle:
icises your union. yet you object to its dis
tribution on the loor of this convention l
have invited the criticism OF the commits
sioner of the American Newspaper Publis ~
erS' AsSocia ton on the action OF your IN
tefrra tional president in the Seattle str ke.
and it seems to me that you should be just
as willing to read the criticism as your
president is to listen to it from Col. Dris
coll.''
The action of President Lynch was ap-
plauded to the echo and the debate closed
with a vote to have the offensive circular
distributed. The criticism followed the
lines of the speech of Col. Driscoll b>fore
the convention, and every delegate got a
copy When Col. Driscoll took the plat
form he denied any knowledge of the lack
of label on the circular or that the oHen-
sive paper was to be distributed to the
convention, and asked the delegates to vim
dicate him of any attempt to force upon
their convention any matter that was III
any way antagonistic. He was the repre-,
sentative, he said, of the publishers, ana
in that capacity only acted. He was re-
ceived with courtesy but there was no ap-
plause, the Representatives of the inter-
national body taking the middle ground CT
neutrality until they had heard what ne
had to say. His remarks follow:
MI. Driscoll's Address.
At 10 o'clock. in accordance with the in
yitation of the convention yesterday, Col
Frederick Driscoll of Chicago, commission
Association, was introduced to the conven-
ton and made the following address:
Mr. President and Gentlemen: l appear
before your organization in convention as
sembled for the fourth time as represen-
tative of the American Newspaper Pub
fishers Association, and, as usual, by the
cordial invitation of President Lynch 1t
is true that this invitation was extended be-
fore the unplea SAINT disturbance of our here
tofore completely harmonious relations,
which happened last month. l will say.
however that since the regrettable occur
renee Of July, and Notwithstanding the
same, this invitation has been verbally re-
peated by the members of your executive
council.
In the year 1900 at the initiatory request
of our association, 1 urged your body to
take such action as would secure arbitra
ton in the settlement of any difference aris-
ing which could not be adjusted by concili-
alton. You adopted such action and set in
motion the machinery by which such rep
resentatives of both organizations met and
arranged a plan for arbitration, which was
subsequently approved by your referendum
and our convention. The following year at
Birmingham you empowered your executive
council to enlarge the scope and length of
the term of the arbitration plan, which was
done in conjunction with our special stand
ing committee.
For more than two years covering the
execution of the original plan and the en-
larged one we all enjoyed continuous indus
trial peace. and until the month of July Just
past, when two ineXcuSable strikes occurred
in the offices of our members, ona at Sc
attic on July and the other at Spokane
on July 26.
Il use the word 'inexcusable with the
fullest deliberation, for in my Judgment the
reasons set forth for justifying these strikes
are not tenable. l state unhesitatinyly that
if arbitration had been adhered to accord
ing to the obligations of our agreement
there would have been no strike or disturb
friendly
'The national board of arbitration should
have been organized Is provided in the con-
tract, in each of the two cases referI ed to.
That board if 1T had found prior irregulari-
ties or even fraud, if the publishers or
unions had asked for consideration OF sub
jects not allowed in the contract, mas and
does possess all necessary power to annul
and wipe out all previous proceedings and
begin anew from the inception of the issues
raised and give an award which would he
accepted by all the parties in interest.
Not Pleasant to Criticise.
1T is not a pleasant duty for me, 1 as
sure you, after years of business inter-
course with your president and executive
council unruff1ed by any serious differences
and always characterized by the most gen.
tlemanly cancellations, to stand before you,
their constituents and criticize and con-
denim their official action during the past
month
But as a friend of your organization as
a representative of the publishers of our
association. as man and a citizen, I am
obliged to enter my most solemn protest
against these gross violations of our arbi-
tration contract. AS a friend of your or
ganization, believe you will give me credit
for doing all in my power since accepted
the Office of Industrial commissioner to i'm
prove the labor situation between your
members and the publishers of our aSSocia-
ton who had trade relations with the union
Representing the Publishers Association, I
have labored constantly for strict obser-
vance of the arbitration contract AS a
man and citizen / know that if contracts
with the unions are not strictly observed
and are ruthlessly broken, then we have
arrived at the end of industrial peace. and
we will be moved backward to the disas-
trouS days of the strike and lockout
with reference to the Seattle case there
| is no word of the arbitration contract which
has been violated by the publishers of that
city, and challenge any truthful denial of
| this statement. There is nothing in that
contract which prohibits a publisher from
presenting a counter proposition when the
union makes a demand for increased wages
or shorter hours. If there was it would
be an unequal contract, in that it would
deny to the publisher. one party to the con-