The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-09-18
TELLS WHAT CAUSED
DEFEAT OF BLAINE
Montgomery Man Played a
Dramatic Part
REID STUCK TO HIM
This Loyalty TO Foreman Turned Print
ers Against Blaine-More Than
Enough to Defeat
REID STUCK TO HIM

Montgomery, September 17.-(Special)-
The following interesting letter to the
Brooklyn Eagle from Mr.. w. P. Thomp-
son of The Advertiser proof-room, is re-
produced from a recent issue of the east
ern paper:
Editor The Brooklyn Daily Eagle:
My attention was attracted recently by
your special article headed 1.-THE
Phrase That Cost Blaine the Presidency"
Having passed through that memora-
bic political campaign as an attache of
rhe New York Tribune and having been
creed to participate, whether / desired
n not. I am therefore in a position to
now to what cause Mr.. Blaine's defeat
an be attributed more than to any other
ingle feature or campaign incident
To begin with the matter so that the
, reader will best understand it, will state
that Typographical Union No. Cor big
Six" as the organization Is commonly
known. is directly responsible-if such
word is appropriation the political
overthrow of Mr.. Blaine and the success
of Mr.. Cleveland. And, to be more ex-
plicit, the antagonism of the Big Six to
Mr.. Blaine was occasioned through the
obstinacy of Whltelaw Reid in refusing
to depose the writer of this article. who
was then managing the mechanical de-
partment of The Tribune and was en-
gagged In a labor fight with the trades
unions generally, as to whether the
writer should run the establishment or
the trades unions dictate as to wages
paid and men employed.
This struggle with the union com
menced in 1873 and was fought to the ut
most by both parties until after I re-
signed from The Tribune in the year
1888, when Reid turned over the control
to the printers union.
Now, as to the "Pisfase That Cost
Blaine the Presidency" Roman
ism and Rebellion'-well We must admit
that Burchard's utterance OF these words,
when a delegation of preachers called on
him at the old Fifth Avenue hotel, did
change some votes but it was too late
in the campaign then to do the execu-
ton that some claim it did. The work
was already done Big Six had had the
matter in hand, and all over this country
labor was arrayed against Mr.. Blaine,
owing to Reds positive refusal to ac-
cept my resignation or to dismiss me
from the service of The Tribune.
At that time the Typographical union
was publishing daily a four-page paper
called The Boycotter. They were print
ing an immense edition of this paper on
special occasions and distributing the
copies where they would do the most
good" and they were loaded with liter
AZURE denouncing The Tribune for Its
anti-labor policy. To this I attribute Mr..
Blaine's defeat.
In this connection desire to state that
|, on one occasion, visited republican
national headquarters, then located in
Fifth avenue, just above Madison Square,l
and in conversation with some members
of that committee, Steve Elkins, B. F.
Jones and others, I agreed to resign my
position on The Tribune and sail for Eu-
rope and remain out of the country until
after the election.
NV motive In this matter was to serve
The Tribune and Mr.. Reid in way that
I thought to the best advantage. Not
working for the success of the republic
can party. but for the business interest
of the paper with which was concerned.
The committee was enthusiastic over
my proposition and rejoiced to know that
I had arrived at such a conclusion. In
company with the three members OF the
committee I called on Mr.. Reid In the
editorial rooms of The Tribune and made
known to him the facts as I have stated
Reid listened attentively. and, when the
snol,esman. who. remember, was Mr.
Tones had finished Reid pounded his
desk and said these words: q
"I,u see blaine buried beneath an ava
lanche of votes before I'll do it,
Now in view of the closeness of the
election. what "phrase" beat Blame?
since New York was carried by Cleve-
land by less than 100 votes, it is clear
To any man who possessed average intel
Iigence that Reid's phrase beat Blame"
More than 100 printers in New York city
alone. who were republicans, voted for
Cleveland.
II is only 2e years since these incidents
occurred. There are living and working
now on the daily papers of New York
printers who will verify these as facts
hut 7 mention three or four by name. I
could mention 80 But as to three or four
~Tosenh Jackson. foreman of The World
Manis Geary. for a long time foreman of
The Herald: Henry and Claude stoddard,
Mail ana Exnress: James Duncan and
Tohn O,DonneI1 These men. every one
venture TO saw. will speak for publica-
tion n necessary and substantiate my
statement that Rlaine's defeat and Cleve-
1and,s election we're directly owing to the