Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-13
1c,,n KNIGHTS AND POLITICS.
Can Tor F"nd with
which TO Fight JAY Gould.
From TIE Hetc f0r6 Sun.

from TIE hs1C IOrk SUM-
,aw feature of the strength Of the
roigbts OF Labor as an order is fluid
Iia1,od 10 General Master Workman
ppowderly and the General Executive
po,rd for the fighting of the battles of the
o.5.r N the courts. Over $1.0OO,O00 has
boen pledged, and may be had whenever,
in the judgement of the Executive Board,
Il IS needed o,, ., :.
,rtention TO break up the order if 1t cost
I'm, mint of money, and to do it through
No medium Of the law, Mr.. POwderly
ocIed promptly and effectively. A letter
90 sent TO every local assembly in the
rider within a week. Red letter meet
;ngs we're called by the Master WOrkmen,
IN many instances the communication be-
inv ot such Importance that every man,
4 nor was called upon to take part in con-
s,dering what should be done. In the
letter Mr.. Powderiy declared that fund
with which to fight Gould was absolutely
H necessary.
IlSee that every member of your local is
resent" said the communication. land
4 calmly consider every feature Of the
ouestion at issue before coming to con-
n amazon. We must be ready TO fight fire
n with fire, Jaw Gould, with his millions,
has said publicly that the order must be
killed, and that he would do it by making
the machinery Of the law his weapons.
Ne can do nothing against the man with
ont money, and money we must have and
guckly. We want 81, 600, 900. Let the
locals raise the money at once, and have
it ready when we shall call for it,"
MIR. Powderly at great length continued
to show the power Mr.. Gould had in the
courts. and the imperative necessity"
of being able to meet him with the same
weapon which he would employ. The
tone of the letter clearly showed that the
General Master Workman believed that
the order was IN jeopardy.
Some CONSERVATION was created by the
communication, and every local assem-
bly in the order took prompt action. The
result was that fund of $l,000,000 was
raised within week after the letter was
written. The money was either taken
from the treasury OF the local or
an immediate assessment was made
upon individual members. MIR. Pow
Derby was informed OF the result, and
within ten DAYS after debating the letter,
be had the knowledge that the money was
not wanting for the purpose OF meeting
Gould in court. The fund is still held,
and may be called for at any time.
Efforts were made to induce the EXecu-
tive Board to take a hand in defending
the New York boycotters and even the
Chicago anarchists, but they met with a
prompt refusal.
"'Hhe order is either too big or too
small" said member at meeting OF the
General Executive Committee in Phila-
dephia last week, land the question of
extending it so as to take in all working
men, or of cutting il down so as to be
manageable by the present system, must
be acted upon at the session OF the Gep-
eral Assembly in October. 1t is too cum
bersome, and at the rate of increase of
the last three months within year would
entirely outgrow the present style Of ma
chinery.
The work imposed upon the General
Executive Board is so heavy that the ac-
tive members are incapable of giving it
proper attention, and the consulting men,
bers are really OF no practical service.
The General Assembly will probably go
further than the special session went, and
besides increasing the active force OF the
General Board will divide the work up
Geographically"
While the member referred to c0nsid-
4 cred the necessary improvement in ma
chiDery important to the order, he freely
n declared that the mOst Important question
n to be considered was the political future
n Of the order.
There is very strong sentiment, back
n ed by the Home Club, in favor of forming
labor party and making nominations IN
4 all the States. Others less radical prefer
e active work at the primaries. They say
ID Take hand in making the nominations
81 OF both the dominant PARTIES, and let the
81 election take care Of Itself" Still another,
"A ana the conservative class, including
n Master Workman Powderly, oppose any
n political action whatever. There the
Il great fight OF the general session
a will take place. In New York the
~ Knights are almost solid for separ-
8 ate action, not so much with
& view TO electing the nominees as to
defeat all who may in any way be con.
nected with the conviction of the boy
4 cotters. The Home Club, which includes
a the brains ofthe New York knights. has
n been at work laying plans for the captur-
ing OF the General Assembly on this politi-
& cal question, and nearly every delegate
rom New York and BROOKLYN, as well as
from the other assemblies in the vicinity
n o. those cities. has been pledged to fight
n Tor the control of the General Assem- bly,.
Chicago, st. Louis, and several other
N Western cities will also send delegates
favorable TO the Home Clubs course, and
Tue conservatives fear that they will be
outnum0ered. Philadelphia has a dele
cation which, in the main, opposes any
r. msddllng in politics.
Inc delegates believe that an active
part IN politics would be the beginning OF
Tue end ut the order. The middle ground
recommending strong efforts at the
PRIMARIES will probably be accepted by
oU'h parties. The membership is so large
III nearly every city that a combined night
WOULD defeat any man who was marked
y! the order. The agitators say that
.uete is no issue between the Democrats
auu Republicans of great Importance
no"' ana that the workingmen are ready
~ break away from party ties and vote
lOT personal interests.
ME the session of the General AS
seholy VIII be held too late i'm the tall to
p5rullt OF great party organization, it will
Ste tlne to marshal the voters for the
aU pose OF voting for or against individual
aaSSDIi,hees, and that such will be done Is
o's,lll'ed by every prominent man in the
i,ueI, Already has the Home Club and
- - ioH0Wers black list, and the result
o. sue election in NOvem Der will be I'M
nv Salh until the ballots are counted.
,b w poluclans have been aware that
hhlghts OF Labor are preparing to
irnI ana many have endeavored to get
n a. tIe ranks for their own personal hene-
Ut Mr., POwderly saw it six months ago,
ose III circular letter sent to every local
of ,ooWi.44iN urged the members to keep out
10 tFo a yes and to relegate the politicians
''He background.