The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-05-09
kNlGHTy OF LABOR,
Mass Meeting Mt the Academy OF Music.
Addresses Of Prom incpt Members.

AN10HTS OF LABOR.
Maas Meeting ut the Academy OF Music
Addresses Of Prominent Members.
A meeting Of the knights OF Labor and
other workingmen was held last night at the
Academy Of Music, to listen to addresses on
the objects of!he order by prominent knights.
The attendance was good the hall being
crowded, aud many unable to secure seats.
Mr.. Robert Burt was chosen to act as chair.
man, and introduced the speakers. The
platform was also occupied by other proml.
ncnt workingmen. Mr.. Burt pretaced the
Introduction OF Mr. powderly, the principal
speaker, with some remarks OF his own. His
remarks were consideration OF three classes
into which he divided the people, the Indus.
trial, Commercial aud Financial. lie do.
lined tho financial ny that class who live by
their loans u tho industrial and con,mercal
classes, and said, "They produce nothing, hut
their exactions from the productive interests
arc very great, Us Is instanced BY their repre.
sentatiyeS, such men as Kothscfttd, English,
Jay Cooke and tho Shcrnans; they have the
revenues OF emper0ra and Hive III ease and
spQndor. ~ $50 ""N
1.-THE commercial Is TINT class who handle,
carry md sell the products OF the industrial.
They are closely allied 10 the financial. md
they produce nothing. Their tributes from
the productive interests are also great, THE
industrial IS composed OF two divisions, the
employers ind the employees. The interests
OF each are identical, bat by the shrewd
management OF the other two classes they
"re PLACED in position Of nniagonisn,."
He 'neh went on to argue IN support OF his
propositions and IN calculation OF bis points,
lauuing certain orators Of the labor classes,
and closing by Introducing Mayor powderly,
oi oetahton fiead OF the Knights in this
country. Mr.. Powdcrly Is n graceful and
well. '''''s"s'
lie paid his respects first to tho opponent,
Of the dignity OF labor and then entered into
tho nature OF tho order known Us "Knights OF
Labor,H @'- $50 ~ ~
Inc idea embodied In the Knights Of Labor
organization was that the rights OF one labor.
ing man were tho interest OF all other wage.
WORKERS lie was not an advocate OF strikes.
put he dld not want It to be understood that
he opposed strikes in all circums,ances ns
That would often be downright cowardicc.
But other methods could generally be en-.
pfoyed to settle difficulties to better adyant.
aye. Arbitration OF differences was often
Successful. The order extends the right hand
Of fellowship TO capital, aud 1t rests with the
capitalists TO tnke 1t or not. fs d.,
lie did not believe in strikes, as he
considered them suicidal, in view of the
TACT that the military power could
be called out by any corporation. lie eau.
TONED workmeh to be careful to look the DO.
sltlon iul! in the face before striking, to look
at 'heir families and think OF the suffering
they wonld DO subjected to in case OF a
lengthy lockout. lie then drew A vivid
picture OF the homes OF strikers in one in.
stance near his own home.
point on which he dwelt with emnha,is
was the elght-hour system: zone thing VIC
ASK for Is eight hours day." lie said this
was met with objection from those parties
who from lorce OF circumstances could not
limit their work to eight hours. 1t was the
duty OF these Inst named workmen TO give
their support to those who could. The appli.
ances Of machinery, lately introduced, made
It possible to do more work in eight hours
than was formerly accomplished in twice
that time "Who invented thi, iabor.saying
machinery? Was it the bond.holder or the
capitalist? No; it was the man who app}icd
It, lie did 1t to tighten his own work, and
he should reap tho benefit"
Another; point was the employment OF
children. lie instancel cases OF children in
the mines picking out the slate, and in man
instances dong~thc work OF men. There
stouid. he held, be laws governing these
wrongs and they should be enforced. The
place Of woman was at the family hreside,
but he had seen them and their children
working side by side ut work that should be
done by able bodied, strong armed men,
| There was unnthar nI1nrt;np hot = .,
did not interest us here, but he wanted to say
tina. our President by the grace OF Guteau
had been permitted 10 veto the Chinese bill.
The Chinese We're fellow>men, and no work.
ingmen begr"lged them a livelihood but
when they were brought over here by com.
panles Tor tho purpose of breaking down
the wages Of labor the workingmen right
] fully cried out against 1t. ~ hear the Presi.
dent has signed the new bill, but that does
| not raise him the least In my estimation.
The other vas ten Yeas better
Tho question Of tariff was next introduced.
Mr.. Powderly thinks II you 20 to buy q suit
OF clothes, it is your duty to discover If they
were made In your own country by your
working people, and so in all other things
that can be and are made here. The speaker
was outspokcn in bis denunciation Of com.
munism, saying, eve want mono OF 1t, Tor
We 90 not belong to the Jesse james gang OF
workingmcn."
The petty differences that often arise
among workinemen were to be deplored.
Some men would argue about religion and
politics and bring ruin to their organization
on this account. My advice is to let all mat
tiers OF this nature take their natural course.
You can all argue that It is better to work
for two dollars day than one-lct that be
your subject OF discussion in the lodge ROOM"
He WINS glad to SEQ the colored me,nbcr, OF
the order present. There was no objection to
white. 800 =
His remarks were frequently interrupted
by applause, and at their conclusion the col.
ored & lee club, all members of the order. sang
several quartets and glees, and sang them
we'll
Robert Marshall was afierwarl introduced,
and closed the meeting with characteristic,
speech, producing much merrment and up
plausa.