Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-10-14

His annual Address 70 the Knights Of Labor
At the present .ssslon in Richmond. Va,
Of the General Assembly Of knights Of
Labor. General Master Workman Powderly
delivered bis animal address, as follows:
TIE most eventful and trying year Of our ex-
istence a. an order has ended II we are guided
by the experience q toe past. ana i'ct sccoEa-
safe and sure that no assaults from its enemies
can injure L. II We are not guided by that ex-
perienee. i We fail e rad aTlSni me sisns e
without having improved on the past We VIII
fail to properly represent those who sent us
here: In one year 4.o6s assemblies have oesn
bronRht together could not be properly assiini-
lated Thousands have been attracted toward
the order through mere Curiosity: others have
come for purely selfish motives. while the great
bulk Of our new recruits have Joined MS Tor the
coed that they could do Quite few have en-
tered our order for the purpose o. redrosslng
anything concerning the duty Of the knight 70
the order, have plunged into rash and nl-t'on-
sidered strikes IL y an established iaet in2i
men who were employed By detective aRencses
stood mp on the floor Of the last general sssfIn-
bis, made iniiammatory speeches urging the
men 70 deeds Of violence, and urged that the
property OF the street car companies be de-
str0yed. Ii was only the good sense Of the me7
that prevented sEch outrages from being perpe-
system induced ssme desperate men 70 blow up
the cars upon the streets OF St Louis- For
these outrAges tho order was 10 no Way respon-
sible The S.. Louis car troubles were oaI the
beginning OF the tidal wave Of strikes and boy
colts which swept over the country. and which
strained the strength and resources OF yolr gen
erai officers almost beyond then powers OF en-.
the Missouri Pacific men while they were on
strike. No such statement ever. escaped my
LIPS. That the men Of the Southwest suffered
a. has ma
and Ii Is my firm belief thai the railway COM
paniss, with full KNOWLEDGE OF what these
grievances were precipitated the ngnt them
selves at a time when IL would appear 20 the
world thst the strike was for an insignificant
cause
THE ElGHT- HOUR STRIKE
which took place May /. was not successful ex-
cepl in cases where employers and employees
wece acting in harmony. or where employers
were willing TO adopt the plan In
many cases the system OF WORKING long
TiAdes recommended the LIST Of May. but adopted
or suggested no definite plan by which TIE short.
hour system could be fnaugurated- cautioned
cur members AGAINST rushing into this move
useps had the right TO do 1t. and am firm In
the belief that had not dose 50 great loss would
have been entailcd upon vast numbers OF our
assembled. What / said in my secret circular
of March 10 has been severely criticised. and
have been accused Of opposing the eight hour
movement No statement ever was further from
this truth. A reduction OF the hours OF labor u
necessity AM sooner or later must be had but
we must not forget that in many places the teh-
hour plan hag not been adopted yet. The very
discussion of the Sudden introduction Of the
eigbt-honr plan injured business, so much so
that in many places men were reduced 70 half
time or thrown out OF employment altogether
Millions OF dollars worth OF Nerk was left
undone because Of the uncertainty in regard
70 perform work. Never vas IL more
clearly demonstrated that An injury 70 one Is
the concern of ALL than IN the movement am
speaking Of Before the eight-hOur plan Is
adopted. the knights Of Labor and the trade
unions of America must lay ssade their lsal-
ousies and differences. come together. name
day on which 10 put the plan into execution.
adept the plan OF action. which must be gradual
and such as will not infiet injury up-n either
employer OF workman Before 3 skort-bour
system that will be Of any benefit 70 mankind
can be inangarated, the relation which the work
man bears 20 the lzbor-savfng machine must
undergo q radical change. Shorten the hours OF
labor under cur present system and the streets
win not Be empsied Of thsE idle thousands
dren will be called into service 70 feed them The
assertion that the advocate OF short hours de-
sires 70 stop production Is false. Il Is 20 make
production gradual, healthy. and have Il keep
pace with the wants Of the con
SINNER, keeping al men employed,
pacity, thst we desire a shortening of the hours
Of labor Visit Cur large and small factories and
you ind that the mechanic Of the past IL but the
feeder OF the machine Of the present We already
hear Of machines in coarse OF perfection which
will set the q pc anu mould the cigars faster
than hamsn bands can do the work: and eiee-
trtcity viii soon take the throttle lever from the
hand OF the man who runs the locomotive The
day viii soon dawn when thsSe agencies viii be
doing their work: and when that day does come
the mechanic, now proud Of his calling. viii
stand face TO face with the Alternative Of asking
for charity or the adoption Of the calling OF the
street sczyeneer. Nnen that day comes, the
MAE who now seeks to array labor against labor
IN asserting that the -S3 day man should not
move IN the same society circles with the man
the 81 day man out Of his place or accept the
erurnbs OF charity 70 sustain life History win
repeat itself, and the Eight for existence viii be
waged with unrslentin9 fury.
WHAT II The RENEDTf
The machine must become the slave Of the
man. instead Of keeping the man in attendance
cooperation through which the workman may
control the machine he operates must one day
supersede the present system To properly map
on; such plan requires more time than have
had or am likely 70 have a. my disposal can
only cooperate with others IN the work.
The thirteenth srtlcle in oar declaration OF
principles reads, he prohibition. by law, OF
he employment Of children under fifteen years
OF age ia workshops. mines and, factories The
end sought for IN carrying this declaration into
effect is not thar the child may tive In ldleuess:
It il not that more adults may be employed. Is
il that the child Of the poor man may be enabled
70 acquire an edncatien to equip him for the
duties which win in future tan upon him as man
and citizen With an education ali things are
easy Of accomplishment. without Il. hope itself
almost dies, and liberty Is farce. In our or
gznixations Of iaisor and il has beer so from the
begiuning. we take up the work Of reform when
the subject IA advanced N years-the new mem
Der must be above sixteen years before We admit
him. We attempt 10 drive from his mind The
false ideas gathered in from the workshop, or.
possibly the street corner. His habits are
formed and the work that should have been
begun 81 seven years we take up at twenty or
later on IN life II the principles Of the Knights
Of LaboT sre right. aud few men question them.
we should te ek them 70 the young II should
h. ~ hR Anr q tn
tain the number Of children who do not attend
school in its vicinity, learn what the causes are.
and take steps 70 have them attend school The
sword may strike the shAcEles iron the limbs Of
the slave. but its education and organ
izAtion that make Of him free man. He ts
still a slave whose limbs alone have been freed
ask that special committee on education be
appointed TO prepare and recommend 10 this
general assembly plan for the better education
OF the American youth The trouble with trade
unions in which certain Of our members and as
senblies have been engaged was greatly magni-
fed and distorted There were mistakes made
on both sides. Some pf our organizers have
been 80 jealous in their way Of organizing that
they have encroached upon the prerogattTe OF
other associations, and on several occasions the
rights Of our members have been
SERIOUSLY INTERYERED WITH
BY members Of trade unions. For the future. 1
recommend that ali matters Hkely to create q
breach Of the Eeace between our order and any
other be at once submitted to the executives Of
both organizations This plan has worked vel,
In every new case called TO my attention since
u
adoption. More trouble has been caused Us by
men who profess 70 be members of the Knights
Of Labor than by members q trade unions. /
respect the man who. being 4 member Of trade
uniun. does everything honorable IN his power
TO defend and peTpetuate his examination: bat
for the Knights Of Labor VITO would even at
tempt to subordinate cur order TO any other
have npthing hut contempt. In my estimation,
there is but one place for such q man, and that
is on the outside Of the order, IL the represent
a'ives Of the trade unions and Of our order come
TO their respective organizations. an honest and
satisfactory solution OF every difficulty en- be
arrived At have never, during the seven years
that have served as general master workman,
made member OF this order subject Of per
sonAl OF public criticism or abuse. such treat
meat has not been accorded to me. Whether
the intsntson was 10 have me reply through the
p1biic press do not know, but have made 1t q
rule neTer TO speak 10 criticism. harsh OF other
wise. Of a man. except VIXEN standing face TO
face with him And | have stndiously re-
accusations against me. except in the presence
Of those who made them When called upon to
defend the order or its principles. / have at
tempted to do 80. have bsen accused Of dis
playing lack OF nerve. Of want Of backbone
and Of being too weak q man TO lead strong
movement l have never replied to these
charges. nor viii do so now. i simply point
back to record Of seven years Of service
BIZ men who are not Knights of
eountenanoed violence and hasty, ilI-sdyised
action. have no excuse 10 offer, for IL this is
an o1ense let the general assembly itself offer
the apology. NV views upon such questions
were known TO each general assembly before NV
election rs general master workman, and in