The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-05

ION would not have tolerated such proceeding;
second, the deployment of all the forces of the
order would have laid hare to the gaze Of the
astounded world its weakness in numbers its
lack of adhesion and discipline, its loose and I'M
jointed organization, and its mobilize elements
of discord, which in many localities may be said
to be the sweepings and refuse of the entire
labor movement; third an order of general
strike at the present moment would have been
just the instrument for which certain elements
had been waiting as a means to disrupt the or
der, or to capture 1T body and soul Mr. Pow
derby clearly perceived this particular and great
est danger, and, to avoid all chances of personal
opposition in case of his acting on the line of
justice, he took refuge in diplomacy. But !
fear it will not extrcate the executive committee
from the quagmire into which it has been
crowded / am afraid that this strike, whatever
settlement may be reached finally will only be
the beginning of internal disorders which may
threaten destruction to the order.
AT present, the order though apparently
greatest in numbers, is weakest in forces
in good standing. Under the impetus given
through successful strikes, particularly that of
the car drivers. the order has increased its mem
bership to probably 100000. But these vast
numbers represent a loosely organized crowd,
Unfortunately thrown together in local and
district bodies, without strike fund and we'll
defined centralized government Mr.. Powderly
might have spared himself the great mental
strain and moral anxiety of the past weeks il he
had promptly blown to the winds that EVIL
spirit which manifested itself in the boycott of
Straiton e. Storms cigars. All this late trouble
would have been avoided, and the order would
rest to-day solid basis, If Mr.. Powderly
had issued his circular letter drafted eighteen
months ago. he intended to do, at
the time of the Tousey trouble. The impending
crisis in the life Of the order is of such threat
ening character that remedial measures must
immediately be applied Mr. Powderly will, in
fnry Haxr fnm al Oynv1A nj
the General Assembly to meet within the consti
tutional period, twenty days after the issue. At
the beginning o. the strike on the Southwestern
system, communications passed between the
prominent men in the order about the advisable
ity OF q special session District NO 64 lear
drivers), the typographical unions, the New
York Protective Union, and other locals and
districts petitioned for the call of special SEES
sion Within few days Mr.. Powderlv will be
in possession OF the constitutional requirement.
of written request of five district assemblies,
representing five different States, calling for a
special session OF the General Assembly
for the avowed purpose of expelling ele-
ments of discord not in harmony
with American ideas, and hostile to the
fundamental principles of the order for a partial
reorganization to it's mode of government,
all of which can be effected without q change of
constitution or laws simply by return to the
fundamental principles through the constitution
al appliance of the machinery of administration.
Before thisconyention meets it will be the duty
of the executive committee to investigate thor
oughly the causes leading to the last great rail
road Strike the history of the Knights most ac-
tive in it's inception and conduct, and also to
fathom the fountains from which, in this case,
the wild Western spirit took its flow. The com
mittee might then discover that this spirit is of
the same vapor and color as that which for years
in the East in fact all through the country has
not only blighted the labor movement generally
but has also carried evil and discord into the
councils of the order, and whose most important
mission Is to sap the orders very foundation and
to tumble its lofty structure into the ground
This evil spirit which has overawed the
order like an ominous cloud is embodied in the
socialistic labor party. 1t always held the
order to be its most dangerous antagonist. In
significant in numbers unable to mass forces,
and thus secure control, it has used stealthy,
treacherous means to gain its object. to disrupt
the order or make it subservient to anarchy for
the sole purpose of destroying society. So soon
as the order gained in numbers and power and
became an established and ostimportant factor
in the labor movement, the socialssSc leaders
sent their shrewdest agitators as cmlssaries into
tie local and district assemblies wherein, within
ashort time, they have gained a contr9lEg infu
ence. For instance, District No. 4a1 lmprsing
the city of New York, Long Island, AID parts of
New Jersey. in a certain sense the most import
ant district il relation to the general labor move
ment, was, until a late date part and parcel of
the socialiStic party.
How far this influence became dominant Iaay
be seen from the fact that the present general
auditor of the order Mr.. Caville, one of the first
and most faithful members Of it. and his local,
No 1862, were with the exception of single
member. expelled from the district through the
Vaccinations of socialistic leader Victor
Drury. St Louis and Chicago were likewise
made hoJbeds of socialistic intrigue. The inf1u
ence of the Socialistlc element within the order
grew so powerful that they and their abettors
attempted to capture it through the election of
their partisans as delegates to the convention
held in Hamilton, Ont. This was only prevented
through the farsightedness and energy of Gen.
eral Auditor Cavile and members of the interna-
tional typographical unions The strike on the
Southwestern system had its secret springs
in clearly defined purpose to entangle the
order in the general eight-hour movement
and strike planned for the 1st of May. The idea
of such general strike originated with the edi-
tors of a socialistic newspaper published in this
city, and was taken up by the editors of similar
publications in Chicago and st. Louis. When
the determined opposition of the general execu-
tive committee of the Knights was encountered
the leaders of the socialistic party decided the
utilization of the strike on the Southwestern sys-
tenn, or Gould lines. in the firm and altogether
not unreasonable hope that Mr. Gould, under the
circumstances, would refuse to accept arbitra
ton and thus force the order to general strike
throughout the country The movement was
properly timed. Unforeseen circumstances pre-
cptateG it, laid partially bare the secret springs
and thus enabled the executive committee TO
ward off the blow aimed at the peace, prosperity
and good name of the order"
Recent Utterances Of MT. Powderly.
Scranton (Pa.1 Special.
Before Mr.. Powderly left for New York for
the conference with Gould, ne said .'This will
be the last strike of the Knights of Labor in
America" If his views could be carried out this
might be true AL of Mr.. Powderly's labors
have been in opposition to strikes as a means of
settling differences between labor and capital
He was at work on plan when taken sick that