Connecticut western news., 1882-03-29
THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
The Objects and Methods Explained
 by General Organizer McPadden.

 The Objects and Methods Explained
 by General Organizer McPadden.
 Myles McPadden, of Pittsburg, Gen. eral Organizer of the Knights of Labor, is in Chicago. In an interview he gave an interesting statement of the work and purposes of his organization. Mir. McPadden has addressed every labor organization in that city, and has organ. ized 16 assemblies of Knights of Labor, which he says now number upward of 5000, in Chicago. He was asked what Chicago tradesmen were now Knights of Labor.
 "There are some that I don't care to mention, as the men are so situated that it might hurt them. They cannot be known yet as Knights
 "Tell me the others, then"
 "The iron-molders, timers, brick layers, candy makers, rolling mill men, machine builders, machinists, smiths, pattern-makers, millwrights and brass finishers, shoe-makers, sewing girls, bakers, car conductors and drivers, and brick. makers and brick hands generally. The membership throughout the coun- try is about 100000, The main princi- pie of the organization is arbitration. It is impossible to get up strike with our sanction unless there is no other means of adjusting a grievance. Not one of the strikes now in progress is under our auspices"
 "What part did you take in settling the difficulty at the South Side Rolling Mill ?'
 "I don't want to say that I was the means of ending the strike, or that that result was brought about through my influence, but I represented the men when saw MT. Griffin, the vice. president of the company, and I repre- scented him in my dealings with the men. A settlement was effected. I simply took part in the matter. How far I was instrumental in making the adjustment MT. Griffin will tell you. He is the finest gentleman ever had dealings with"
 "Are not the Knights in favor of eight hours work ?"
 "Yes, but not generally it would be unfair to employers in Chicago to have their men work eight hours and men in Cincinnati Lad St. Louis, competing points, labor twelve. We want eight hours all over the country at one time. There will be strikes, of course. but not among the Knights of Labor. Such uprisings as those in Omaha and Lynn and in the coal region can be averted only by our organization, which brings employer and employed together and adjusts differences. The newspapers say that we antagonize capital and are worse than any other organization. That is not true. We are satisfied that such an organization as ours must exist, that it is the best system, and one which the capitalist should support, if they have to deal with any. There has been only one strike so far under the sanction of the Knights-that at Cunningham X Sons, in Rochester. They settled the matter, or the men would have remained out indefinitely"
 "Look at the difference between that strike and the one at Omaha. We sim ply withdrew the men. We donot care who goes to work. We don't rely on intimidation for success, but on the justice of our course and the ability to protect our men. When we call them out we put them in position where il is not necessary to resort to violent means. Our strength lies in the unlfi. cation of labor. The motto of the organization is injustice to one is in. justice to all. If one class is ignored, it is impossible for the employer to draw
 from another. The employer is pro
 tected by our strike law. Injustice
 cannot be done them by local organi
 zation and they see in the Knights o
 Labor strength they cannot resist The experience of the last 25 years has demonstrated that individual and inter , national trades. unions can be crushed , cut. What has become of the Coopers' Machinists', Blacksmiths', and Cigar makers, and every other internationa Union except the Moulders' The, . were forced to fight single-handed an' were beaten and smashed. Those girl in Lynn are brought face to face witt the inevitable. They cannot live o1 E $3 8 week. It takes that to pay thei ] board. To meet other expenses the, 8 must steal or become prostitutes. The r will have to submit or starve, as the r have no organization back of them. Tn
 Knights are not responsible for tha ], strike. Employers make a mistake i a putting us in position we do not oc @ cupy. Our action is the same every t where as at Bridgeport. We are mer y drop in the bucket compared with th @ 5,OOO,O0O laborlng men in the country g Isn't it better for the employers to sul u port an organization like that of th y Knights of Labor, that settles difel @ ences in conciliatory manner, than t
 bring about such results as were wi
 messed in 1877? They must accept on
 thing or the other. If strike is ol
 dered by the General Assembly we ar ,, in 8 position to fight it out until dooms