The high moguls of the World's Fair apparently do not relish the somewhat unpleasant surprise to which they have been treated by a body of hornyhanded sons of toil known under the name of the Chicago Typographical Union, No. 16 (Scandinavian local). No wonder! High-minded, honorable men who are put to much trouble and expense of time and labor in securing proxies for the purpose of having themselves continued in power should not, of course, be called upon to give an account of their stewardship. Gentlemen who must give a great deal of time and attention to dinner and supper parties gotten up for the amusement of themselves and friends, and gentlemen more or less useful and ornamental should not be subjected to the vulgar annoyance of explaining in public how they have performed their duties.

All this is self-evident, of course. Unfortunately, the people in general take a different view of the matter. They do not concede that the World's Fair is 2the property of the small sacred coterie consisting of commissioners, directors, managers and other functionaries of whatever name or sex. The people claim that they own the enterprise in toto and in fee simple, and that all the rights of an owner and sovereign are vested in them. And they are going to see to it that their rights henceforth are respected.

The sooner the management can get off its high autocratic perch, the better for all concerned. The people demand a thorough and searching investigation of the whole matter of granting concessions and privileges, and no effort to stifle the demand will avail. If all these transactions, up to and including the Conkey concession, are free from the taints of "deals" and fraud in any form, the gentlemen now under fire can have no valid objection to a most thorough sifting of the matter. It certainly cannot be gainsaid that they have placed themselves in a very unenviable light. Granting concessions worth millions of dollars without inviting competition is such an unsafe method of doing business and such an unusual proceeding that the people cannot be otherwise than amazingly astonished at the audacity of the thing. The reason why 3such a policy has been pursued must be strong, indeed, to merit the sanction of businessmen and the people at large.

The Columbian Exposition should be a grand monument not only to American genius and skill, but also to American honor and integrity. The world admires our genius and intelligence, but it suspects our public integrity. Let the great Fair dispose of this suspicion once and for all. We have invited all nations to witness and assist in the great undertaking. We know that we shall present for their admiration the greatest and most successful enterprise of its kind that the world has ever seen. There should be no taint or suspicion of jobbery and fraud to mar the completeness of its success. The people of Chicago are the guardians of the National honor in this matter, and they mean to discharge this high trust with or without the assistance of the coterie of self-sufficient autocrats who, if not dishonest, have given such, shall we say, brazen evidence of their misconception of their position and duties.

It is evident that as yet they have not learned to understand that it is the people, the workers, who have furnished the bulk of the millions which constitute the sinews of war of the management. The enterprise is owned by the small stockholders who did not subscribe either for the purpose of advertising themselves or in hope of large returns on the investment, but purely from patriotic motives. They are the sovereigns and masters, and the management is their servant. If the meaning of this plain fact is understood by the management, every effort will be made to let daylight in on the Conkey deal and all previous transactions of a kindred character. Any attempt at whitewashing will arouse a storm of indignation which will sweep the whole coterie of autocrats out of power. We call upon the Scandinavian member of the Board of Directors to exert his influence in behalf of a thoroughgoing and complete investigation.

Honor to the plucky body of workers who were the prime movers in the matter. They represent in this instance not only the rights of labor and the stockholders, but also the honor of the city and the nation.

Those quick to growl whenever organized labor speaks were promptly silenced this time. It is the right and duty of organized labor to see to it that the Columbian Exposition enterprise, from beginning to end, shall prove to the world that America is great because American labor is free, intelligent, organized and strong.

And the printers have performed this duty in a manner of which their fellow workers will not be ashamed.