Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-07
DOWN ON ST|LL|NGS
Organized Labor Demands His
Removal From Office.
VIEWS OF OFFICIAL. ORGAN
Retention of Public Printer Regarded
as Insult.
SUNDRY ACCUSATIONS MADE
Alleged Violation of the Eight -Hou.
Law-Unwarranted Reduc-
ton of Wages. =
NDRY ACCUSATIONS MADE

llon Oh wages.
Organized labor has started a movement
against Public Printer Charles A. Stillings
and his methods of conducting the govern
ment printing office.
In advance of official action by certain
labor bodies, the Trades Unionist the official
organ of the Central Labor Union and the
Trades Council of Alexandra, Va, in to-
days issue demands the elimination of Mr..
Stilings from the public service. and gives
IT'S reasons for the demand, besides making
strong editorial comments
The article in the Trades Unionist fol-
lows:
Mr.. Charles A. Stiings stand up!
The writer wants to say something to you'll
When you took charge of the government
printing office-not works you succeeded
to an Office which had been held by men
of high standing in the affairs of this coun-
try; men who held the esteem and conf
dence of those who made pages OF glorious
history; men who made dignified the high
office of public printer to the greatest gov
ernment on earth. You Mr.. Stllings. have
destroyed all the glorious history of that
institution, which has given TO the country
some of its great men-writers, politicians,
members of Congress, cabinet officials etc.
How?
by your petty and your ridiculous orders
and cownSh assumption of dignity, you
have brought down upon the institution
you think you represent the ridicule OF the
entire nation.
Alleged Grand Stand Play.
You and your attempt at the grand stand
has been pitiable to all but yourself, and
your vanity has prevented you from see
ing it.
al Nv Ifnar and
as such we are addressing you. We don't
care a rap about your private affairs-they
are yours, and no one else's. But as an Of
ficial who deliberately violates the law or
the land as you have done, we propose to
have, something to say.
You have been the cause Of more STRIFE,
turmoil, and heart-burnings in the brief
time you have been bungiing the office OF
public printer than all Of your predecessors,
even in the days when to the victor oes
ioSgsd the spoils'
Because of your exalted ideas of your own.
Importance you have destroyed the working
efficiency of a body of men, some of whom.
when dark clouds hung over this republic
like pail shouldered a musket and went
to the front, and amid shot and shell faced
a thousand deaths that the republic might
be preserved, and who, for that very reason.
earned the right to feel that they had more
than hired hands, interest in the big
printing office you preside over so miser-
ably BY your nagging and everlasting issu-
ing Of orders and creating an air of un-
certainty many of these veterans are AFRAID
to buy a home or assume any monetary OBJ
legations because they don't know when
you will erupt next and put them out upon
the streets-deny them the ne an risht 20 ,v,ns tme
by reason of an honorable and heroic serV-
ice to their country.
Injustice to Employees.
Ard if YOU could hear the comments made
unon some of your latest doings that by
forcing old women, some of them widows
of veterans to go through tiresome, ols-
tasteful examination for physical htness, 10
see IL they are capable (o of earning the
measly stipend, the ridiculously low wages
you have brought about In the office, your
ears would tingle, yea, more than tlneie,
they would burn with shame.
You have reduced wages or tnose "ho
could least afford II.
You have violated the eight-hour law
You or your subordinates have discharged
faithful employees of years standing, allee-
ing incompetency, when such was not the
case. -,
1t is alleged you have violated the civil
service law We believe 1t.
You have humiliated old women - the
| WIDOWS and relatives of Union soldiers
You have made rules that no sweat-shop
would stand for.
Some Of your trusted employees say you
have made conditions intolerable.
You have, by your conduct of the office,
unsettled business in this community. busi-
cause your employees are afraid to make q
move they don't know when - fool
order is coming out to discharge them.
They make no arrangements for the
future, because of the uncertainty you have
created
Mr. StiIlihgs you are failure as an ad-
ministrative official You have been placed
in the balance, weighed and found want
ing You have failed as lamentably to
make competent public printer as would
a seamstresS trying to make a silk purse
out of a sow's ear.
Discredits Workers.
More than. all, you have through Mr.
Loeb. thrown discredit upon the very force
of workers you now have. by stating that
the office was in a chaotic condition when
you took charge. You thus charged them
with unfaithfulness when every member
OF Congress and even the President knows
they are competent, painstakng. hard
working force of men and women who have
been commended by Congress for their ef-
forts to maintain the efficiency of the pub
lie service, and whose pride in life is to
be thought well of by those whom they
serve.
Mr.. Stillings, you are a demoralizer. not
a constructor. Take our advice-Resign!
Tell President Roosevelt frankly that
the job is too big for you, and get out.
You will rise in the estimation of many if
you do.
Get out, before you are thrown out, for
relatives of those old ladies, God bless
them, whom you have imposed upon Will
take up the cudgel the public will take up
the cudgel and you will make sorry
figure endeavoring to explain your posi-
ton.
Think of Defrees, Clapp, Benedict,
Rounds, Palmer and Ricketts,. compare their
highness and your lttleness and-Resgn!
The foregoing news article appears under
the following double-column display head
ing:
Mr. Chas. A. stillings, violator of
eight-hour law and humiliator Of faithful
servants A demoralizing and bungling In
competent His administration of Uncle