New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-17

protect labor against the aggressOns of capital"
The ritual cOpiOus extracts from which have been
published, amounts to nothing. The secret work.
ings, addresses to candidates, and details of the
order, are all carried in the memories Of the officers
appointed for particular branches of the work. The
signs, grips, signals, ETC., changed often as
the chiefs deem it necessary. In very many things
they are the law of the law" No feudal lord of
old ever ruled with more complete and unquestioned
sway than do Uriah f. Stevens and his petty
chiefs over the body of men who have taken on the
yoke of allegiance to them. The stated urpOse is
to continue the work of organization until the secret
league shall be strong enough to control the
politics of the country, it already does Luzerne
County and other large tracts of territory in
Pennsylvania; and notably in NewYOrk State, the
City of Elmira, and through that the County of
Chemung and Corning, in Steuben County.
The Greenback agitation enables the order to
WELD a tremendous influence. In some instances
the press has fallen INTO their hands, They take
no particular interest in the soft-money heresies Of
the Cooper and Cary following, further than to
divert the vote of the enthusiastic Greenbacker to
their own use. This is done by manipulating his
conventions, which kindly service they perform
every possible occasion. They do not permit men
who are not in sympathy with them to be nomi-
mated or elected to Office, where they have the
strength to prevent it,
The National Labor Tribune, published at Pitts
burg is the official organ of sthe Knights of Labor,
which it announces in a long headline, as follows:
"Official organ of the Amalgamated Association
of the Iron and Steel Workers of the United States
of America, and of the Window Glass Artsmens
National Association of North America, and Of
the = 81
The five stars mean "Knights of Labor" All
official notices appear in that paper, signed by these
mysterious stars In Russia the Socialists like
signature.
The order is most emphatically secret-as much
the Socialistc organizations of their European
brethren. No member is permitted to talk about
the order when outside of the assembly room. In
order to see that this rule is not evaded the Master
Workman appoints three secret detectives to act as
spies These men never know who their associates
in the service are. and thus each member is suspi-
ciOus of all the rest. If Knight wants to know
what his brethren doing, he must attend the
meetings of the assembly and find out.
To encourage further regularitylof attendance the
Master Workman keeps roll-book, in which q
record of attendance is made. the as at pub
lie school. Once during each meeting he asks if
any of the brothers in need Of work. or know of
a vacancy. Should two brothers offer themselves as
candidates for employment, the NJ. w. cOnsults his
ro-bOok and gives the Job, not to the one who has
been longest unemployed, but to the one who has
been the most regular attendant at the meetings.
As secret record book is kept of such vacancies.
the competition for the secret key to situation is
lively.
Once in a while the Assembly has to hold special
meeting TO raise funds TO support strikers in another
part Of the country. OF for some similar purpose.
They call this a "red letter day." and reward all
who attend with three personalities in the roll
book, instead of the one given on regular days.
The manner of issuing calls for these special red
letter" gatherings is novel. The Master Workman
and his followers simply leave chalk-marks on
sidewalk, fence or any other convenient place in
districts frequented by the brothers. Now, suppose
you were chief of an Assembly whose number was
49, and you desired to hold a special meeting at
the headquarters on August Is, at the usual hour,
you would post the following notice: