Letter to the Editor of The Republican
From Martha Glotfelty
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(Sept. 22, 1970)
Dear Sir:
Sometime ago in an issue of the “Citizen,” I was called an “Agitator” by Mrs. Rosenbaum, the editor. I assume it was in regard to our strike in Garrett County. Since she has consistently called me unpleasant names and tried to discredit me in every possible way, I have chosen to answer her in this paper, with a wider circulation.
In a recent editorial in her paper, she inferred that by some devious means, I had obtained a position with the Roads Department. The Facts: I made a proper application for the job, and was chosen because I was capable of it. Nothing devious was done either by myself or the two commissioners who voted for me. On April 4, 1967, I was employed as a secretary, with the lowest pay scale of any one in the entire Department, although I am the only one who has attended College. This is no discredit to my fellow employees, or to the Commissioners, for I wanted the job and it was a mutual agreement, and both of us have kept our bargain. Later on, my pay was raised and on January 1, 1970, I became the bookkeeper, with a pay raise. All these pay scales are matters of record, and can be looked into. Right here, I want again to publicly defend the two Commissioners she is so consistently maligning. In my opinion, they have been honorable, upright and honest men, and are genuinely interested in Garrett County’s future.
Now, we come to Tuesday, August 4th, 1970. This was the day some new employees were to be signed in for work on the roads. That week, beginning August 3rd was set aside for my vacation. On Monday evening I was called by the Pres. of the Board to come in and help with the extra paper work necessary for signing the new men up for work. Incidentally, I had to pay a baby sitter to stay with my three small grandsons who had come to visit me for a week.
When I arrived for work, the office door was locked and two of the office personnel were standing outside. This was in direct violation of a court order, forbidding this. I crossed over the street and rode into town with some of my neighbors, who had come to show their support of the new workers. They drove into town, and I went with them for I planned to return home with them later on. Facts: My being in the Oakland parking lot on that day was accidental.
When a man whom I presumed was from Baltimore started yelling through a big horn I spoke up to him and said, “Don’t you have enough trouble in Baltimore, without importing it to Garrett County?” A State Trooper walked over to me and advised me to say nothing more. I did as he asked me to do. If that is the reason she has called me an “agitator,” it seems rather exaggerated, don’t you think?
Since April 7t, I have served, in addition to my bookkeeping duties as janitor at the Roads Department Office. Our former janitor walks the picket line each day. I have taken down storm windows, washed windows, shades, dusted cabinets, swept and scrubbed the floors, mowed the grass and cleaned up the debris outside. Someone had to do it to make the place livable. I have been called everything from a “scab” to a “communist.”
I have been a target for name calling, threats, etc. from the strikers and their wives. Four women standing in front of the office door one morning threw coffee on my arm and threatened to tear off all of my clothes. When I protested to Mr. Alva Lewis, a Union leader, who saw the whole thing, he shrugged his shoulders, saying it was none of his affairs. A man who was a candidate for County Commissioner also saw the entire thing, as did many of the strikers. I was forced to walk part way into town, until Mr. Denison of the Monongahela Power Company saw me and took me to the sheriff’s office where I reported the incident. On other occasions, the men were laughing in town with other men how they tried to scare me when I walked into the office, by putting off firecrackers. In the evening of that same day, one of the employees came in when the other office workers had gone home and said the men were going to “get me” and that I had better take a leave of absence. I called the sheriff’s office and reported this threat. Nothing was done about it. The Facts: A new low in human behavior has been set in this county.
Mrs. Rosenbaum, I am reminded of a time some years ago when I served on a Federal jury in Baltimore. The case before us was an accident where a man had been injured. The extent of his injuries and possible compensation to be paid him was for us to decide. His lawyer made a great case laying out a story of great injustice. I wondered how the other lawyer could be so calm and self-assured.
When the time came for him to present his case, he calmly and deliberately tore the entire case to shreds, bit by bit. Pictures and other conclusive evidence showed the plaintiff’s lawyer up with telling half-truths, misrepresentations and outright falsehoods. The entire jury changed their minds and rendered their verdict accordingly.
I have never forgotten this. With this evidence, I hope to change some minds. The Facts: Untrue slants, outright misrepresentations. I rest my case with the readers of this paper.
–Martha Glotfelty