Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-22
Mr.. PowderIy's Testimony.

Mr.. Powderly. in HIS testimony before
the Curtin committee, talks ike mar
who wants TO do only whas is right ne
very frankly admits THAI IL Is
not aIways possible to control the knights
OF Labor organizations, and that very
often members OF the organizations COM
nit acts Of lawlessness.
There is no doubt that the great MAORI
tv of the Knights OF Labor have very
imperfect idea Of the purpose Of their or
CARNATIONS. They have not had time to
inform themselves with regard to it, and
/ a very large percentage Of them will never
seek Information about it. The most OF
them think that the unions mean nothing
more nor less than that united action
will force from capital any concession
which labor may de mand, without regard
to the question whether the concession is
Just or no..
Ii wise and conservative men were al
ways at the head Of the organizations it
wouldn't make great deal OF difference
whether the Knights, as rule, were edu-
Gated up to the full meaning OF their or
carnations or not. In too many in
judgment. They are pushed to the front
only because of their ability to make
themselves conspicuous. They are sim
ply demagOgues who hope to make their
positions advance their interests in some
way. This being the case, means ought
to be employed by those who are i'm earn
est IN promoting the interests of working
men, through labor organizations, to i'm
press upon each individual member of
them what the real aim of the organiza-
ton is.
Mr.. Powderly says very truly that 1t is
as much to the interest OF employers as
employees that all business and enter
prises which depend upon labor shall be
prosperous, because if they are not pros
porous workinrmen cannot earn fair
wages, but they cannot be prosperous if
they are constantly nagged and obstruct-
ed Dy ill-advised demands, strikes and
b0ycOtts. The Knights OF Labor claim
not to encourage any OF these things, but
to arrange the relations between employ
ers and employees by intelligent arbitra-
ton. II they succeed IN doing what they
claim they aim to do even capital will be
ready to applaud their work, because
nothing is more to be desired by capital
than peace and contentment among work
ingmen.
The Knights ought to be extremely
careful not to attempt to regulate matters
with which they legltimately have no
concern. If they DO attempt anything
of that kind they will not have the
approval of public sentiment, and with
out such approval tbey can accomplish
nothing. That has been demonstrated so
often that it will hardly be denied.
The efforts the knights of Labor are
now making to compel the employ
ment of only Union men has not
the approval Of public sentiment
and will fail. 1t is denial Of liberty.
What is more tyrannical than for one
workingman to say to another: "YOu
shall not earn bread for your family I'M
less you JOIN the organization to which |
belong and obey its regulations ?" or
for an emplOye to say to an employer:
'You shall employ only those whom am
willing to have employed under penalty
of having your business ruined?" There
are certain things which workingmen
have right to demand, and in demand
ing them they will be sustained, and there
are certain other things which they have
no right to demand, and they will not be
sustained in demanding them. Common
sense draws the line, and when working
men cross it they become the OppressOrs.
Persistence in crossing it must bring dis
tress to labor and ruin to capital.