Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-05-29

The General Assembly Meeting fu
Cleveland, Ohio-Address OF the
Trades Unions.
lBy telegraph to the pispatch.l

lobbies and on the streets during the past |
few DAYS has been the treaty that was pre-
pared at the Philadelphia conference of the |
trades union officers last week for pre-
sentation 10 the General Assembly Of the
Knights OF Labor. The address and terms
OF thetTeaiy have never before been made
public.
At the Convention today the Executive
Board Of the knights OF Labor presented
its report, embodying the address OF the
trades unicns aud terms on which they
wished to settle existing troubles. The
address i a. follows
Officers OF the National and International
Trades Unions desire TO make statement.
They have no antagonism toward the
knights Of Labor. and believe that as an
order il has a Legitimate mission in The
labor movement OF America.
Through the DEVELOPMENT OF industry
and the aggregation Of crpitaI the tendency
is TO mOnopeliz6 The business OF the coun'
try: hence the various trades have been az
fected by the introduction OF machinery,
the subdivision Of labor. the use OF women
and children labor, and the lack OF an ap- |
prentice system, so that skilled trades |
were rapidly sinking to the level of pauper |
lator. TO protect the skilled labor OF |
and 10 sustain the standard Of Ameri'
can workmanship and skill the trades
unions Of American have been established.
They are a social necessity, and their past
history proves that not only have they been
benefit in raising the wages Of workmcn
and in reducing the burdens OF toll, but
they have fulfilled the irateraal duty OF
visiting their members when unemployed.
when sick, ard when disabled by accident
and old age. aud provided for the widows
and orphans OF their deceased brethren.
Consequently the trades unions have be-
come fixed and permanent institution III
America-not antagoniStic 10 the welfare OF
the country, but calculated 10 elevate all
the branches OF labor 10 higher degree OF
cihZensbip and larger share Of social com
fort. For this principle, thoughtful aud
far.seeiug men Of various crafts nave
founded unions ~ their respective trades;
and TO maintain these trades unions men,
bers have sacriccd countless time and
money. and where ut first many predicted
their complete failure, time has not only
proven their usefulness. but has demon
stlated that they are destined TO fuIiii
higher mission, aud their progress is in
| exact prOpOrtiOn Il the intellectual deVel-
opment Of their members. When they are
| founded on such grounds there need be no
| fears Of Their destruction, nor need there
| be any antaeOUi>m between them ana the
| knights oi Labor.
OF late our greatest fears have not been
that the Knights Of Labor would destroy
| the trades unions. but that the capitalists
| Of the country would use every 0pportu'
| nifty 10 pit one form Of organization against
another and in the conflict destroy both.
/ Within the past year the national ana IN
tcrnational trades unions have grown with
great strides. For example. we viii cite a
few instances The International Typo
graphical Union has gained 9,G42 members
/ the Cigarmakers' International Union.
| 71O1: Brotherhood Of Carpenters and
Joiners. 13,iG1 National Bakers Union,
| 1864: International Brick Makers and Ma
sons. 9.75S; Furniture-W Workers. G.633; 1;
/ Amaleamatcd Iron and steel-WOrkers.
/ s.230; lrun-Molders. 12.400; Granite-Cut-
| tiers, 1922; Custom TailOrs, 2,jil; CoIl-
! Miners, $4,000.
out OF TWENTY-FIVE national and internl-
ti0nal unions represented IN the Phll1del-
phia Conference, and fourteen additional
! national and international unions that en-
/ dorSed its work, only nine Of the chief 0lli-
GERS are saarird. and their salaries range
/ from Sl2 to go per week, the balance OF
/ the officers dev0ting themselves Ia their
/ duties without salary. The trades unions
are economically managed, and the most
J rigid accountability is eXacted from their
! officers in all financial and business
transactions. As the officer, are pledged
| 10y the most sacred obligations TO promote
! the interests of their respective unions,
! the chief officers felt IL was their duty to
| attend the Philadelphia Conference. The
results Of that conference are such that Tor
the future there ale 40 doubts that the
| trades unions oi America will not only
grow, but become more fXel institution.
( The treaty itself Of course ~ the most
! important part Of the work. aud u the bone
Of contention, for il IT. terms are agreed 10
| hy the knights Of Labor it i'll work radi-
cal changes in the management and organi-
| zatOn Of local assemblies. The treaty is
| a. follows:
/. That in any branch Of labor having
national or international organization the
! knights Of Labor shalt not initiate any per-
! son. or form any assembly OF persons, fol-
| lowing said organized craft or calling, with
! out the consent Of the nearest national or
! international union affected.
! =. That no person shall he admitted to
! the knights oi Labor who works for less
| than the reg ulhr scale of wages fixed by the
| union Of his craft, and none shall bee ad.
mitted to membership in unions Of Labor
| who have ever been convicted OF sclbJlug,
| rating, eInbcZzlement, or any other OIL
| fence against the union 0i his trade or cali
/ ing until eXontTated Y the same.
| 3. Tbat the charter OF any knights OF
| Labor assembly OF any trade having a na-
tiOnal or international union shall be re-
| yOked, and the members Of the same re.
| qu'sted to join mixed assembly or form a
local union under the jurisdiction of their
| respective national or international trades
unions.
4. That any organizer OF knights OF
Labor who endeayOrs 10 induce trades
unions TO dIsband, or tamper with their
growth or privileges, shall have his COM
mission forthwith revoked.
8. That wherever strike or lockout OF
any trades unionists is in progress no as
sembly or district assembly Of knights OF
Labor shall interfere until settled 10 the
satisfaction Of the trades union affected.
G. That Knights OF Labor shall not e,tab-
llsh nor issue any trade mark or Label in
competition with any trade mark now is-
sued, or that may hereafter be issued, by
any national or int eynational trade union.
| CLEVELAND, o., MAY 2S.-Tbe Knights
| VI LdDOf DhChltu uONH 10 bElhtrS tV-ud.
and held two sessions. The Committee on
Laws presented their report recommending
that tie General Executive Committee be
increased from five 10 eleven members.
After an hours discussion the recon-
mendaton was adopted. six new mem.
bers Will be elected by ballot, and will
serve during the uneXpiIed year which
ends in October. Permanent he ldquartets
will be opened in Philadelphia, and, u ne
cessary, the Board will sit throughout the
year instead OF assembling at the call of The
General Mastt Workman.
A resolution was adopted giving Mr..
Powderly power 10 recall the commission
Of all organizers.
The subject of appointing competent or
ganizers and means to De takeu Tor their
selection was being Discussed when the
noon recess occurred.
wnirIwind in nichiga1.
IBy telegraph to the Dispaten.l