Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-10-03

the boycott fend. While in some places men
are vet timid and are afraid to assert then
manhood, lest the monster should fasten
its fangs in them, yet every time 1t IS put
to flight their courage wakes stronger.
1t is only a question Of time till
every sensible man in the country Will
wonder to himself why it was that the
American people were so timid and foolish
as to tolerate for q day this hideous on
spring of European tyranny.
Here is something from Grand Master
Workman Powderly's secret circular TO
the Knights of Labor, published last
Nav, which is full of good advice and APP
plies well to the difficulties in Wheeling;
sIask of our members to keep q jealous
eve upon the doings of the labor men who
never labor, and when they charge any
thing to our order in your locality, set the
seal of your condemnation on 1t Mt once by
denying it.
'tifa paper criticises the Knights OF La
bor or its officers, do not boycott it, and II
Won have any such bOycotts on, remove
them. A journal not long since made some
uncomplimentary illusions to the General
Master Workman of the Knights Of Labor,
and at the next meeting of the nearest as
sembly a motion was cast to boycott the
paper; not only that, but every person who
advertised in the columns Ofthe paper. |
wrote to the assembly asking that they re-
move the boycott, and it was dOne. We must
bear in mind that our General Master Work
man is only man, and is not above crit
cism. We demand for ourselves the right OF
free speech. We cannot consistently deny 1T
TO Others. We must tolerate fair, open crit
icism. Ifa reply is necessary make it IN a
gentlemanly, digniied manner. If we are
criticised or abused by a BLACKBOARD sheet,
treat il as YOU would the BLACKBOARD him
elf-in silence.
THAT our aims and objects are good Is
no reason why our members should be re-
garded rs beings ofsuperior build or ma
terial. We are no more the salt OF the
earth than the millions of unknown toll
ers who do the work of the world. In our
dealings with labOrerS and capitalists we
must deal fairly by them. II We would
have equity done to us We in turn must do
equity TO Others. This is the aim of the
knights of Labor, and must not be lost
sight of in She future.
Let me direct your attention to q few
little abuses: | find that wherevera strike
occurs appeals for aid are scattered broad
east among the assemblies. Do not pay
one cent for such purposes in future unless
the appeal comes from our own District
Assembly OF the General Assembly. If
boycott notices are sent to you, burn them.
| have in my possession over four hundred
boycott notices which were sent to assem-
blies with a request that they be acted on.
Let me mention some of them: A menu
Der is editing a paper. He fears a rival and
proceeds to get into an alteration with
him. bOycottS him and then asks the order
to carry il out. 4 certain paper is in
~fluental in one or the other of the political
parties. Members of the opposing party
conceive the idea of getting rid of the pa
per, and they envOke the aid OF the
Knights of Labor, first taking the pre-
caution TO have the paper in question say
something uncOmplimentary Ofthe Knights
of Labor. In fact our order has been used
as q tail for 100 different kites, and in
future it must soar aloft, free from all of
them.
81 hate the word boycott. / was boy
cotted 10 years ago and could not get work
at my trade for months. 1t is a bad prac-
tice; it has been handed to us by the cap
italiStS."