GRAPHICAL JOURNAL should not only be put upon a paying basis, but be also made a source of revenue, without resort to per capita assessment. It is printed

by authority of the International Typographical Union; its publication is mandatory with or without contributory revenue; it is the labor and aim of its management to have it fulfill all the requirements of its projectors, and that his efforts has been attended with a cheerful degree of success is evidenced by the constantly increasing list of subscriptions. This encouragement should be accelerated however, by renewed effort to further increase the list, until at least 25,000 of the nearly 40,000 members should have contributed to the support of their own belongings. The price of twenty-five cents for a year's subscription of twentyfour numbers is within the reach of even the poorest of the membership. True, it but barely covers the cost of white paper or postage, but is no return for the pleasure and profit enjoyed by the semi-monthly visitations of the JOURNAL. And now that it is in a new and more convenient form for binding and preservation, the presage of hope is that an enlivened interest may be evolved in its behalf, that such interest may not only extend to increasing the circulation and consequent usefulness of the publication, but that its many friends may also make felt their warm and earnest appreciation of its advertising patrons, who, like themselves, are contributing to its financial, essential and material support.

A limited number of extra copies of this issue being printed will supply the demands of new subscribers. Send in the names promptly, and begin with the New Year.

HON. WALTER CLARK, justice of the supreme court of North Carolina, was first appointed to the bench by the governor to fill a vacancy caused by death. Subsequently he was nominated and

elected for a full term, which he served, and at the election last November was renominated by the Democratic party. Judge Clark's services to the people of his state were so satisfactory that the Republicans and Populists, who combined and carried North Carolina last year, indorsed him, so that he was elected by practically the full vote of the people. He has long been interested in the subject of a postal telegraph, and has made numerous able contributions on the question to newspapers and magazines. His able article in this number of the JOURNAL should be carefully perused by every member of our craft.

WE regret to announce that in retiring from the presidency of the American Federation of Labor the Hon. John McBride has expressed his determination to sever all official connection with labor This is a sad blow to the organizations.

movement, as Mr. McBride was, and is, one of the brightest and brainiest men, as well as a bon vivant, connected with labor organizations. No better indication of the large-heartedness of the man can be given than the following extract from his valedictory: "Men may come and men may go, but so long as wrong exists and oppression is felt, the labor movement, and particularly the trades-union movement, must live and push forward its work of ameliorating the conditions of those who toil. Although failing of a re-election, I entertain no feeling of resentment or regret, but retire from the presidency of the American Federation of Labor, and from official life in my craft organization covering a period of seventeen years, with the full consciousness of having, at all times and under all circumstances, done my duty to my fellow-men. I shall never again either seek or accept official life or official responsibility in the labor movement, but, whenever opportunity offers or occasion demands, my voice and pen will be used to aid and relieve suffering humanity and oppressed

labor. To my successor, Mr. Gompers, I shall give such support and friendly cooperation as he may need and I am capable of, and I ask both the readers of the American Federationist and the members of our grand organization to do the same." While Mr. Gompers did not succeed Mr. McBride by the votes of the representatives of the International Typographical Union, nor do we believe that his election meets with the approval of our membership, still he can rest assured of the fact that the International Typographical Union will be in future, as in the past, a steadfast supporter of the Federation of Labor and its legally chosen officers, as the printers have always been stanch adherents of the essential principle of unionism—hearty acquiescence in the will of the majority. In the unanimous reelection of Mr. McCraith to the secretaryship the convention exhibited good sense. He is one of the most efficient officials in the employ of any labor organization in the country, and has had not a little to do with the prosperity of the Federation during the recent crisis through which all labor organizations have passed. All in all, the interests of organized labor are confided to good men, though we might personally wish the result of the election had been otherwise in

some respects.

OUR readers will note the removal of the name of Hackett, Carhart & Co., clothiers, from the "We-Don't-Patronize" list. We understand the firm has settled its differences with the United Garment Workers and that the happy consumma

tion was brought about through the good offices of President Donnelly and Organizer Derflinger of No. 6. This reminds us that the members of our largest subordinate union are in the labor movement to some purpose. Representatives of the International Cigarmakers' Union are now singing their praises on account of the good work done in introducing the blue label in New York.

SEVENTH DISTRICT.

Mr. J. K. Brewer having resigned as organizer of the seventh district, which comprises the states of Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky, the executive council has selected Mr. P. J. Maas of Chicago Union No. 16 to fill the vacancy. Mail for Mr. Maas should be addressed to 666 Washburne avenue, Chicago, Ill.

THE HOME INVESTIGATION.

The report of the investigating committee recently appointed to visit the Childs-Drexel Home appears elsewhere in this issue, and has been submitted to the board of trustees, but as all members of that body have not been heard from at headquarters, and as the investigating committee failed to make recommendation either for the retention or dismissal of Superintendent Schuman, it would be hasty and ill-advised for the JOURNAL to pass comment or judgment upon the matter at this time. It is hoped, however, that the membership will give the report careful perusal and calm consideration and await until such time as the report shall have been maturely acted upon by the board.

AN amicable settlement of differences

has been reached between Albany Typographical Union and the Argus of that city, by which the office was again brought into the union fold. The firm insisted upon a piece-scale basis for machine work to which the union would not agree, and after a slight immaterial concession on the part of the latter touching the power of the foreman, the proprietors yielded, and the office was

squared.

Ar a meeting of Los Angeles Union No. 174, held last month, the scale was reduced from forty-five cents to forty cents on morning papers, and weekly and time men were reduced twenty-five cents per day, all brought about by the increased number of unemployed printers, the result of machine composition.

THE HOME DEFENDED.

My letter to the JOURNAL regarding the Home seems to have stirred up certain correspondents of the Union Printer and American Craftsman. "Fair Play," who writes from St. Louis, for that paper, takes me severely to task for my defense of the Home and its superintendent, and intimates that those who defend the Home are either trying to stifle free speech or "stand in" with those in positions of emolument and trust. The latter charge can be dismissed as unworthy of discussion, and besides those who charge others with trying to "stand in" generally are best at that themselves; and nothing could be further from my mind than an attempt to stifle free speech. Certainly Mr. Prescott voiced a true sentiment when he said what he did about free speech and all fair-minded people will agree with him. But I do claim that the Home can be criticised without being abused; that the superintendent, if incompetent, can be removed without every little narrow-minded pessimistsome of whom may have a grudge against the administration because they failed to get a job at the Louisville conventionrushing into print and not only making the craft the laughing stock of the country, but bringing disrepute upon the Home and those connected with its management. That we have provided a place for the old printer to spend his last days in comfort is a credit to the craft and a godsend to the inmates of the Home. Let us improve and enlarge the Home-build it up, not tear it down.

Mr. Schuman may not possess the tact that is so essential to conducting successfully such an institution as the Home, but doubtless he can be made to see his mistakes and correct them without being "jumped all over." There are two sides to every story and we printers living at a distance from Colorado Springs must rely to a great extent on the reports of the board of trustees regarding the condition and management of the Home. I have confidence enough in the honor and judgment of the board to believe that they would not for an instant retain a man as superintendent who was half as black as some persons would paint Mr. Schuman. If "Fair Play" was what his nom de plume would indicate, he would certainly accord to Mr. Schuman a hearing before condemning him. I refuse to believe that those inmates of the Home who signed a petition requesting the board of trustees to retain Mr. Schuman as superintendent were bulldozed into doing so or feared the consequences if they dared refuse. Such an insinuation against those gentlemen is unmanly and uncalled for.

I do not agree with some of the JOURNAL's correspondents who suggest selling the Home and establishing an out-of-work fund. To relieve the distressed is a duty incumbent on all men, but an out-ofwork or relief fund does not always help the deserving. It frequently happens that the least deserving of assistance reap the benefits. I believe it would be almost impossible to establish an out-ofwork fund, even though it were surrounded by the severest restrictions, that

would not be raided and abused by the unscrupulous and dishonest in our ranks. That something should be done for the unemployed printers who want to work and will work when they can get it, admits of no doubt, and I will gladly support any measure that will assist them.

My last letter in the JOURNAL made me say that "numerous articles had appeared in a New York non-union sheet," etc. The word non-union was not used by me and a reference to my copy will show that I was misquoted. Please make this correction in justice to the paper referred to as well as myself. HYAMS. St. Louis, Mo.

DISAFFECTIONS AND THEIR CAUSE. Possibly among the various publications issued in the interest of different classes, there are none more susceptible to severe criticism than those devoted to printing. The object of the JOURNAL was generally understood to be as a statistical medium of information for the craft, but with its introduction came a sentiment in favor of correspondence. As a matter of course, this had a tendency to bring out many important subjects, some of which, while not entirely relevant to the printing trade, nevertheless dealt with matters of concern to the printer as well as others, and have shown conclusively that in our ranks are many able and brilliant writers. But, unfortunately, since the advent of the JOURNAL the strides of progress have dealt unkindly with our tradesmen, and one can not help but note the change in tenor of the correspondence from that cheerful, free-and-easy disposition that formerly prevailed to the gruesome, sad, foreboding, prophesying view taken by so many which pervades the columns and saddens the hearts of its readers. I have time and again seen copies of the paper refused by our members with the remark: "Take it away, for God's sake; I don't want the blues!"

Now, this is a sad commentary on the earnest endeavors of our well-meaning

contributors, but I believe there is far too much "stewing" over the machine, too much of sordid fact and not enough cheerfulness. There is no reason why the JOURNAL should not contain welcome and instructive reading. Better a thousand fold and far more entertaining are those obsolete words and contortionate sentences thrown together in that extravagant style known only to our Cleveland correspondent, than the tales of woe, the dire probabilities and worriments regarding the machine in its displacement of hand composition.

To be sure, in the revolutionizing of the trade and the consequent distress attendant thereto, many suggestions and methods have been advanced for the relief of those whom misfortune has overtaken, and while every writer has undoubtedly the sincerest wishes for a change for the better, there appears a diversity of opinion regarding the question as to whether this revolution will prove a blessing or quite the contrary. For the present, at least, we have not profited by its introduction. Maybe we are largely at fault ourselves, for not being prepared for it. Be that as it may, men have been thrown out by wholesale, and we are asked as an organization, "What are we going to do?" The man who has profited by becoming an operator says: "You must get out of the business;" but the out-of-work member protests: "There is nothing for me to do; you must assess yourself and give assistance." At this there comes a demurrer, and the cry of "selfishness" goes up from the would-be generous advocate.

The printer of the past, as a rule, had little thought for the future; his ideas of "home" was a few rented rooms or flat, and he argued with himself that it was more economical to live "in town" and rent, when, with the same money, he could have gone out a ways and bought a home of his own. He gave no thought of the time to come when it would be a fearful task to pay rent; of the slow but sure advancing rates of the landlord as

the city grew more populous. He realized only when too late the mistake of his more vigorous period, but yet he managed to exist in a way, for the machine had not arrived to cut off all his hopes. But now things have changed, and the man who has passed the meridian of life with no provision for the future discovers that he has struck a snag. It is he more than others who finds the road most rocky, for that everlasting rent leaves him no money for bread, otherwise he might at least have had the rent money to eat. These

are cold but candid facts. We see the evidences all about us in substantiation of their truthfulness, and if the operator who has conquered the intricacies of the modern printer does not realize his position now he is certainly too dull of comprehension to know a good thing when he sees it.

In a very recent issue a correspondent dwells at length upon the wide-spread injury done by machines, and points out our duty as an organization to one another in levying assessments on those who are reaping the benefits. He takes Mr. Mergenthaler to task for having brought about the misery. That the machine has been in process of incubation for a quarter of a century (probably longer) is a fact well known, and there is no question but that its final success is just as certain had Mr. Mergenthaler never seen the light of day. I appreciate the fact that we have. the machine with us and that we can not help our cause by brooding over the fact. What remains for us to do is to assist in some manner those who have not fared so well through its introduction.

There has always been a question in my mind as to the feasibility of levying assessments, no matter how justifiable the cause may seem. Experience has proved that it is the source of great disaffection and will always be looked on with disfavor by a large majority for the reason, if no other, that too many are already working for a little or nothing, and object to paying out any portion of that amount, and we

can not discriminate and collect assessments only from those who happen to be making good wages.

Therefore, in my opinion, the best and only remedy remaining for us is to adopt a series of entertainments, whereby our unemployed can exercise the privilege of selling and distributing the tickets, and I believe, if followed up, our local unions will realize a handsome profit and our wants alleviated accordingly.

CHARLES H. GILMAN.

Indianapolis, Dec. 25.

BRAMWOOD REPLIES TO SCHUMAN. My attention has been called to a letter emanating from Superintendent Schuman, of the Childs-Drexel Home, which appears in your issue of December 2. While there are many misstatements made in said letter, I feel that it would be a waste of time and energy to answer in detail.

The following, however, is particularly interesting to me:

Mr. Bramwood came to the Home in August, inspected my stock, was informed of their capabilities, and advocated measures for disposing of the milk. At that time he was pleased to learn that the Home would be offered the opportunity of accepting the milk. But now he comes to the Home again and sees that the Home is receiving the milk. This time he pronounces it a "flagrant violation" of the law, although the Home is directly benefited. Does Mr. Bramwood mean to admit that his former report was false? I told the committee that while some might term it a technical violation, yet I considered I was not doing the Home an injury so long as the institution reaped the benefit of the product.

The above statement is false and misleading. Personally I have never "advocated measures for disposing of the milk" or been "pleased to learn that the Home would be offered an opportunity of accepting the milk.” Further, Mr. Schuman would have us believe that he had been furnishing the Home with all the milk needed when it is a well-known fact that, up to November 1, 1895, only one of his cows had been in milking condition. The others have been receiving