Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-11
FORMER CONVENTIONS
First Meeting Of Journeymen
Printers in 1850.
ORIGIN OF THE UNION
ACTION THEN TAKEN RESULTED
IN PRESENT ORGANIZATION.
Since Then There Has Been Steady
REPRESENTATIONS Steps Taken
by the Compositors.

Iro&reSS-var1ouS steps IaKeu
by the Compositors.
Long before any step was taken looking
| to a national organization the printers in
| the larger cities of the United States had
formed themselves into local societies for
| the protection and promotion of their sew
eral interests. About the LIST of November.
| 1850. the New York, Philadelphia and Bos-
| ton brotherhoods issued a circular, calling
| on sister societies to send delegates to a
| national convention of journeymen print
ers," to be held in New York city on De-
| cember of that year. On the day appoint
| ed eighteen representatives Of the craft
| from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Maryland and Kentucky assembled at the
old Stoneall Hotel. on Fulton street. John
F. Keyser of Philadelphia was chosen
chairman of the temporary organization.
and F. J. Ottarson of New York secretary.
| The permanent officers elected were John
w. Peregoy of Baltimore. Nd, president;
George E. Green Of Louisville. KY. and M.
! c. Brown Of Philadelphia, Pa, vice presi-
dents: T. ]. Ottarson of New York city and
John Hartman of New Jersey. secretaries.
The convention recommended that in
every town where six or more printers were
employed they should form a union. and
that these unions should establish connec-
tons with each other to secure united &C.
| tfOn on all matters involving the interests
of the trade The basis Of the travelling
card system, as 1t exists today, was laid
down. 1t being determined that such cards
should recommend the holders to assist
ance and travelling expenses from the union
in any city or town where they cannot OBJ
tain work." but this declaration contained
the proviso that the card-holder must have
q clean typographical record. and also an
established character for sobriety. Fifty
years ago the exceptions to the latter
clause were numerous.
1t was further agreed that there be levied
on each member sufficient amount to
create q reserve fund equal to at least SO
in two years for each member. to be used in
case of strikes. In the event Of such action
the suffering union was entitled to call
upon sister unions to the extent Of 81 from
each member as loan. to be paid in in
stallments after the settlement OF the diff
fculty.
The apprentice question gave rise to a
long discussion. It was agreed generally
that the number Of apprentices should be
limited. and employing printers were urged
less than five years.
Convention at Baltimore.
The second convention met IN Baltimore.
September H. 1851. Eleven principal cities
were represented, the number of delegates
oClil6 t"Chly -C1SHI. AtS important WOEA
was a resolution favoring the organization
Of THE National Typographical Union"
and the adoption of a constitution for the
same The original signers were Myron H.
Rocker. Thomas J. Walsh, Albany; VIM.
c. Figner. VIM. B. Eckert Geo. w. Jones.
J. B. Smith. John H. Fasey. Philadelphia: :
Robert ]. Bruce. Geo. H. Randall. Wash
ington Ashton. Augustine Donnelly, Balti-
more: Henry T. Ogden, Hiram H. Young.
w. G. Williams. Cincinnati; Chas. Bechtel
VNh co. tNv, ny IL
bons Louisiana: Edgar H. Rogers. New
York city; Charles A. Randall. Boston; j.
Richard Llewellyn. Jas H. Walford. Rich
mond, Va; Alex. W. Rock. Pittsburg: W.
J. Irving. A. c. Poole, Harrisburg The
names of H. A. Guild of New York and
George Wadham of Boston have disap-
peared from the record without assignment
Of cause: one Of the delegates and signers
PEELED for rafting.
The third convention. on May 8. 1852. at
Cincinnati. adopted the constitution and
organized by the election Of the following
president; 8. W. Wilder of Boston. first
vice president: e. A. Lewis of ST. Louis.
second vice president; Geo. B. Seig Of Gin
cinnati. recording secretary; John M. Nc
Creary of Cincinnati. assistant secretary;
j. s. Nafew of Albany. treasurer.
This was the birth of 1.-THE National Ty-
biographical Union In 1854 the propriety
of an interchange Of cards with the unions
in Canada was suggested. This was the
first step toward international organiza-
ton. The ninth annual session was held
emit forty-one delegates. representing
twenty-five Of the forty-eight unions then
enrolled. At this meeting the future Con-
gresham John M. Farquhar was elected
president closer approach was also
made to internationalism by ordering the
secretary treasurer to open correspondence
with the unions Of Canada, Nova Scotia
and New Brunswick with view of bring
too In t,y~ f11f Okf 10 %Ln
National Union.
In June. 1858. there were los unions and
1000 members. though not half the printers
in the country were organized. This ses-
sion was held In Washington D. c.. and Is
notable for having framed memorial to
Congress in favor of the eight-hour bill
for government mechanics then pending.
Status Of the Negro.
In 1869. at Albany the International
Typographical Union was launched. The
negro question came to the front and was
settled at the next convention in Cincin-
natl, where 1t was determined by vote
of 81 to II, that the matter should be left
entirely to the discretion Of the individual
union. Under this resolution a card held
by a negro Is not recognized by a member
Of union which does not admit them.
1t was also at this session that ]. B.
Strickland. delegate from Leavenworth No.
49, introduced the outlines of q plan for q
nome Tor disabled printers winch na0 Deen
formulated by his local union. 1t provided
for purchasing land and levying a tax of
81 on each memoer to pay for 1t and to
erect buildings. The plan was voted I'm
practicable.
Admission Of Women.
At the session in Richmond in 1872 wo-
men were admitted to membership in the
unions on the same terms as men. The
incompleteness or inaccuracy Of the re-
turns from the locals was shown from the
fact that. while the number of unions had
Increased during the year. only 1854 men,
bers were reported. while the number re-
ported the year before was 1920.
The twentieth convention passed q reso-
luton asking the subordinate unions to pc
tition Congress to abolish the government
printing Office. The twenty-first session
rescinded this resolution by vote of 70
to 8.
There was trouble reported at the TWEEN,