The Northwestern standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1885-1886, 1886-03-27

without the gaining Of ssingle point
by the strikers
THE knights OF Labor, and the
other labor organizations in sympathy
with it's plans, constitute at the present
time the most powerful organization OF
workingmen ever knpWnin the history
Of the world. Its strength is increas-
ing every day, and it's influence is felt
in every branch Of trade in this coun-
thy. 1t is dangerous 10 abuse this
power 1t can always insist upon just
demands, carefully considered and
taoughtfully digested. it cannot af-
ford to fritter Itself aWaY on every lit
tie pretense Of wrong, hastily formG-
lated and pig-headedly insisted upon.
The growth Of the power Of Labor
should be an occasion for calm delibeI-
alton and moderation. The working
men should be careful to see to it that
they do not sap ana undermine their
strength by extreme demands and un-
reasonable assumption OF Importance
and power. It is, as some one has
said before me, a good thing to have
the power OF a giant. but it is all evil
thing to use it like a giant. a strike
should be the last resort, when every
thing else has failed, end not an every
day expedIent, which, used as such.
loses its power as it increases It's ire
quency. AS our organizations grow
there viii be less strikes, because there
will be less necessity for them
lis the strike the only last resort Of
the knights Of Labor asked the re-
porter.
The Master Workman smiled. =
see,'' said he, what you are. driving at
"A strike is q bad thing, put a boycott is
worse in it's results. A strike stops
production merely; boycott kills It,.
& strike for a week is only the loss OF a
weeks business, trade and wages. 4
boycottfor week can be the utter ruin
Of the business itself. We have failed
in boycott which has been ordered by
the General Committee. Its effective
ness is undoubted, but it is an extreme
power which we use with caution.
SIS there not danger, Mr.. Powderly,'
said the reporter, that your organiza-
ton may becoms engaged in political
movements and thus lose its powerP"
II have no fear of that The matters
involved in the existence and work OF
the Knights Of Labor are nearer to Its
members than matters of partisan poll
tics. We have here, as you see, on this
committee members Of the two old par
ties, a Greenbaeker and with a smilel
other cranks like myself. We are not
politicians here. We have a method of
dealing with those who, as some have,
entered our ranks ID serve political
ends-We turn them out We haye had
no part IN politics. We do not propose
TO have any part in politics It's bread
and butter, the rights Of the employed,
the material and concrete things OF
ments which do now and always will
hold us together, and those are strong
er than partisan political ties. That is
why / do not fear the intrusion OF pol
tiles When people talk, as sometimes
they do, about using the knights OF
Labor as d polit cal engine, theY utter
the most arrant nonsense. 1t is not
worth while to discuss the matter with
such man. He is either a liar or
empty headed fool
In conclusion Mr.. Powderly said that
the knights of Labor, as an organiza-
ton, had nothing to do with the strike
in the bituminoas coal region. as the
miners were under q separate organiza-
ton, but he was satisfied that the day
was very near when all the labor or
CARNATIONS OF the country would be
united under one general supervision
and control.