The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-04-13
THE LABOR CUES ZION.
Aims OF the Knights Of Labor Explained by
JOhn Swintnn


John swlnton.
John Swinton, writing to the New York
lPOrldota recent date, says: The'discontent
and the struggles Of labor are everlasting,
but latterly they have reached an unpre-
cedented magnitude, and are raising ap.
prehensIon II not alarm. The strikes and
the unrest Of other times are not at all
comparable with what we now sec, and
neither the ompiriciBm nor the repression
onCein vogue Is applicable to existing con.
ditiong.
The present phenomena are produced
by the tremendous social and industrial
transformation that Is being wrought By
the development Of machinery, the CON
centration Of capital, and unparalleled
growth Of huge Cities the advance Of in.
telligenCe among the masses, and the ten
denCy Of the working millions to organize
for mutual defense and welfare under the
revolutionary changes Of the times. These
are current forces, which must be compre.
hensively stddied by every man who at
ttempts 10 form judgment as to their out
come.
There arc several novel features OF the
present labor movement which strike one
at the first glance, more especially II he
turns his eye upon that unique orRaniza.
ton tho Knights OF Labor.
/. Its experimentation is to-day as
wide 40 our boundaries, covering every
State aud all their industries. There are
local and State labor parliaments; there
are a score OF trades possessing national
organizations; there Is the National FEEDER.
alton Of Unions, and there Is the order OF
the Knights Of Labor, which embraces all
productive vacations and extends over the
whole country. The last named organiza.
ton, at the opening Of the present year,
had the power Of quarter OF q million OF
members, and Its numerical strength will
probably DO double that number before
the close Of the present month, when tho
number who have been waiting for the
withdrawal OF the quarantine against new
assemblies shall have passed "behind the
veil" Never.in old times did such bodies
exist anywhere, and they are formidable
agencies that cannot be left out OF account.
9. Its Solidlty-Thls also is a feature
without precedent in any previous labor
movement. II approaches the solidity OF
military method. The rude hosts are
rapidly acquiring discipline, and recruits
who but yesterday were being put through
the goose.step are to-day in full line, under
the watChword OF Obedience" with Off.
GERS holding power through free and dem.
ocratiC election, by universal suffrage. For
example, the order OF the knights Of La.
Dor Is governed according to the federal
system under the authority Of the General
Assembly, which annually elects an Ex-
ecutiye Board. De ToCqueville found the
unit OF our political system In the town.
ship, which has It's correspondent unit In
the local assembly, and just as In politics
we ascend from the township 10 the
county, the State and the federal union,
with Congress and the administration, 80
In this industrial organization the scene Ia
from the "lOCa" 10 the District" the
estate" recently provided for), and the
General Assembly" with the Executive
Board" The mechanism is systematic
and solid. It's operation has been harmo.
niouB ever since It's origin, seventeen years
ago. I repeat that the present movement,
thus exemplifed, Is In this respect also
diferenCed from any other Of times past.
s. It's Breadth Of Purpose-The present
labor movement has a larger object than
that Of the old Unions, which confined
their energies 10 the fixing Of wages and
trade rules. Look at the platform Of any
central labor Union, or Of any State organ.
ixatlon, or Of the federation, and look
espeCiallyat the declaration Of principles
Of The Knights OF Labor, who are In the
van, You will find that the latter is az
broad as the commonwealth, dealing NOT
only with wages and hours Of labor, but
touching the land question, the financial
question, the establishment Of aCo:opera.
tive system Of industry, and the relationE
Of capital. The nottingham Of America
has discovered that these things concern
him, and that he has power over them,
Here again is dilierenCing feature Of the
movement Of to-day from lie predecessors,
4. tts Mutual Helpiulness-Ths exen.
Publications. Of this feature In recent year,
have been as surprising as they are novel;
The local assemblies oil the iafthest west
and south give the full measures Of ser.
vice TO their brethren Of the iarthesL eaBl
and north. They all Join hands In aiding
an approved strike, III raising supplies, Ii
the boycott, In defending any brother
who suffers on their account, aud fol
such other objects as get the approval OIL
the executive board, There have been
not few cases Of mutual aid that may
we'll Ooniound the pesslmists. For eG
ample, In his letter on the Southwestern
railroad strike Vice President HoHle sale
II had grown out Of q supposed wrong TO
single member In Texas. The statement
WA INACCURATE, and yet the motto Of Thu
knights Of Labor, which II copied from
maxim OF Scion, runs thusl " An injury
10 ono d the concern Of all" Here agaii
is feature oil the present movement tina
gives II 0 power not before known Il
labor,
B. fb 1ntensity-Tho intensity Of thl
earnesIness Of the present labor move
, mani IL aNnihaF nj In hPndnminn1t lea