The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-01

I can assure you if it had been 1t would
not have cost the state any $115, 900, and
the state would have got better work.
What interest has Mr.. Guernsey in the
state Of Minnesota? He has quite an in
terest in that $125 900, but when he shakes
the dust Of this state off his feet he
wants to have just as much of that $685.
900 down in his jeans as he can possibly
get there. ~
The judge, in his decision, says: 1.-THE
commissioners are engaged in a monu-
mental work. the magnificent marble
structure that will stand until the founda-
lions Of the earth are shaken" I wonder
if the judge thinks that his fellow citizens
who are in the decorating business and
who are helping to pay for this grand
building would not have taken pride In
assisting to beautify and preserve this
great structure and in having their names
go down in the history Of it's erection and
Identification.
Again the judge says: Nothing about
it should be tawdry or mean" I Won
der if the judge means to intimate that
| there are no decorators in Minnesota that
can do decorative work only in mean
| and tawdry manner? Then he goes on to
give us that old chestnut about one mas
| ter mind over all. This is all bosh. We
have a dozen minds in this state who
are just as capable of handling that job
as any one they can bring in here.
! And now an editor of one Of the papers
comes out in an editorial and shows how
| little he knew of what he was writing
| about. He jumps all over labor unions,
and as usual gives them lot Of good adj
| vice, free Of COST and tries to ridicule
union men by representing to the public
that We are endeavoring to compel these
special artists to carry a union card or
put the union label on their work. This is
a gross misrepresentation Of the facts.
Such thing was never thought Of. The
| fact Of the matter is that we have never
claimed jurisdiction over the work OF
these special artists. In fact we seldom
come in contact with them. Their
work is done in the studio. They seldom
do any work on building where we are
at work, and if the editor will VISIT the
state capitol building, he will find that
all the men employed there by Mr..
Guernsey carry the union card. It is true
that some Of them carry the card of e
rival union to our brotherhood, which
may cause trouble, but they belong to the
union just the same.
q So it can be seen that it is not the union
men who have the greatest grievance In
this matter, but our employers, the con.
tractors in the decorating business in the
twin cities, who were promised a chance
to do some of the work on that building
but who were entirely ignored, for ths
commission sneaked off to New York ant
made a secret contract with Mr. Guarnse1
! which they endeavored to keep concealed
, until we almost compelled them to Civ,
! us a copy. Then we found out what al
!. enormous price the state was paying t,
Z get this work done. 1t is our employer
!. who have been turned down with slam
!. as the editor puts it, and now the cour
! and the newspapers join in insuItin,
!, them and us, by calling us lot. Of kal
: sominers and stencil hands. that we ar
not even fit to look into this wonderful
!. capitol building for which we are helpin!
: to pay.
: We consider this not only an injustic
; but an injury to the decorative art of thi
state and what we are fighting for is RICH
$ and justice and the protection of our bust
g ness. We know positively that We coul
e have done the work that Guarnsey i
: going to do, right here at home, equal
s as well and for great deal less money
: The law requires that, all things bein
o equal, all material and labor shall be Sc
t cured within the state, but it seems tn
d commissioners have seen fit to act directI
dlopposite to this law and get everything