Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-10-05

tire length of the room, in rows, rs close
together as the possibility of the moving
between them would permit. On either
side of these tables were seated the del
egates.
Neither flag nor streamerS broke the Sc
we're simplicity Of the white brick walls
and the unbroken white paint Of the arch
ed ceiling. The only things that even
hinted at decorative purpose were lithO-
graph portraits of Master Workman Pow
derly and General Secretary Turner, that
hung on either side of the room, and a
large gilt frame enclosing photographs of
members of the Joel Parker Association
that hung behind the little platform. The
latter is the property of the regiments IN
whose quarters the convention met and
was simply permitted to remain.
While the sound of the Master Work
mans gavel still re-echOed footsteps were
heard approaching the entrance door. 4
moment later General Fitz Hugh Lee, the
Governor of Virginia, entered. As he
walked up the center aisle, leading tn the
platform, escorted by VIM. II. Mullen, the
Master Workman of the Richmond District
Assembly, and Tom O'Reilly, of the Tele-
graphers' Assembly, of New York City, he
wac greeted with enthusiastic cheers which
redoubled rs he stood on the platform bow
il g in response to the greeting. When the
applause had subsidized and Mr.. Mullen
had presented Governor Lee to Mr.. Pow
n, l,tt Oh ord
sented him to the members, announcign
that Governor Lee was to deliver to them
an address of welcome and through them
to those they represented throughout the
entire country.
WELCOMED By GOVERNOR LEE.
Governor Lee was then introduced and
delivered long address, welcoming the
Knights to Virginia'S Capital. During the
course ofhiS remarks he said:
Zone OfYirginia'S greatest statesmen has
said, 1T is proper you should understand
what deem the essential principles of the
government What were the principles OF
government laid down by wise men?
Equal and exact justice to all men, OF
whatever persuasion, religious or political.
Fly from the tluttering folds ;of your flag
that sentence, and the ground on which
you march will always be strong and firm.
We are told, gentlemen, the organization
you represent is formed to elevate
and protect the rights of the
working class. Why, who are
interfering with our rights and who
tramples upon your privileges rs Ameri-
can citizens? Organizee capital, | hear
Against that is war declared? Will it be
war Eto the knife and to the hilt, or
will there be peaceful issue to the con-
flict? Which, in your opinion, Is neces-
sary To promote the interests OF both? The
helm of the ship of this Republic was con-
structed by men of different and apparent
ly irreconcilable views, and the COnstitu-
ton was only framed by compromise of
all conflicting opinions. Compromise then
gives us our Constitution and compromise
will solve the difficult problem of the hour
which you have assembled here to grapple
with.
''The battle, we are told, is one of labor
against capital. But
WHAT CLASS OF CAPITAL
is there depressing you, and whose cause
is injurious to the lines marked out by
the founders of the Republic / divide
capitalists into two kinds, and will go with
YOU and give the command Forward and
fight by your side against one of these
classes. Make war against Incorporated
rascahty and we will help you to ride 1t
down. Cambat moneyed corporations that
seek to control your Legislatures, Federal
and State, by bribery and corruption, IN
order that they may get votes IN the
Federal halls of legislation to perfect and
Elsten upon the whole country legislation
for their benefit and not for the benefit
of the people at large. We will march
shoulder to shoulder with you in that.
Draw the fangs from the money kings who
seek to take possession of the great tele-
graph lines of the country and defect them
from their legitimate purpose by controli-
ing them to defeat the will of free people
in an attempt to defraud the country of
their constitutional right, and we will
order to your support horse, foot and
dragons in that. Organize against capi-
talists who furnish money to carry elect
ions and then claim rs the reward the
selection of the men upon whose shoulders
shall be thrown the purple robe of the ju-
dietary and we are with youin that.
But all capital, my friends, Is
NOT USED IN THIS WAY,
nor for such vicious purposes. Let US
make no war upon those who use their
good fortunes to alleviate the sutterings OF
mankind and whose eulOgies are written
in the hearts of thousands on account OF
their generous, donations and noble deeds,
and whose money is employed to whiten
the oceans with Sailsand cause the wharves
TO be laden with commerce. Employers,
as has been we'll said, have no right to lock
ont n whole shop full of hands to bring a
few unwilling ones to terms, nor have
thev in my opinion the right to engage
with other employers to fix rate for them
to pay or compel all TO
remain idle, but they have
right to exercise their Just judgment
as to what fair-dealing and justice demand
and what they would be willing to give
for the work they want, and afterwards,
if sustaining loss, to say they would not
be able to give so much. "You can have
hell in your factory" says Washington
GLADDEN., 'or you can have heaven there,
inst as you wish Ifit is hell you wont,
build your business in the law of he'll,
which is simply, EVERY man for himself
and the devil take the hindmost one. Out
of that you will get fighting, perennial and
unrelenting. If it is heaven You want,
then build your business on the law OF the
Kingdom of Heaven, Thou shall Iove
thy neighbOr as thyself.' That will lead
You into the path of peace.
NOR CAN 1T BE ADMITTED
on your side that you have a right to the
combination or otherwise, to prevent 9TH
ers working upon the terms and conditions
you have rejected, if they desire to do so.
Tho naonls of this eountry can never be