The Osceola times., 1886-05-15
POWDERLY AGAIN.
The General Master Workman Is
sues Another Secret Circular,
In which lie Talks Pointedly ana flai"i'
of Abuses which Have Crept INT"
the Order. and which Must BE
at Once Corrected.

cago. and will be read in the various as
semblies during the coming week;
NOBLE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS or L,'l
PHnapfipHI,. May 3, lsss.
To THE ORDER. EVERYWHERE, l HkhE sI,',d EliS1d
Tie response to the secret clfculat lsa.Su
On March l7, has been 50 generous anu w ~,
ndorsement OF the sentiments contained IN
I has been so unanimous, that ieel eu-
outraged AMI strengthened IN tue wuIA, uIA,
Nearly four Thousand assemblies nave
pledged themselves to act on the alVicS
Fontained In the circular of the 18Th UT l
'eel that IL only requires the coming 10 we
front OF the real men OF our .i1 ui1'
to set US right before tine NoIiu'
We have been losing ground so lar a ptp
lie opinion IL concerned for some time. ohe
pf the causes is that we have ailoNev thlhEs
70 be done under the name ut the hhlgnts "
Labor for which the Organization Wa N nv ~
way responsible. ] ask OF our memuess 70
keen a Jealous eve upon the dOings OF the
labor men VINO never labor. aud when tnef
charge anything to our order IN YOUR 10.
caiity, set the seal OF your condemnation
upou 10 at once by denying IT,
liza paner criticises the knights OF lahor
Or it, officers do not boycott u, anu 70.
have any such boNcotts on remove thein.
journal not long since made some uncoh-
nIiueutary illusions to the General Master
Workman OF the Knights OF Labor anu Nv the
next meeting OF the nearest assembly u M.
tion was cast to boycott the paper, nov nov .'n, -,
alone but every person who advertiser IN
the columns Of the paper. ! wrote 20 the
assembly asking that they remove tnt noy,
cntf aud it was done. Nemust bear IN iulhu
that our General Master Norkman - ohil
man and Is not above criticism We demand
foroursclyesithe right offree speech Me'vhn
not consistently deny u TO others We mus
tolerate fair, open criticism. II fePA -
necessary. make il in genilemaniy ugnl,
fed manner. II We are criticised or abu-eu
by A blackguari sheet. treat II a. you wouid
the blackguart himseli-in silence.
That our aims and objects are good IS no
reason why our members should be re-
aarIed rs being OF superior buhl or ma
terial. We are no more the stit oi the eav.n
than the millions OF unknown toliers VINO
do the work OF the world. In our dealings
with iabOrers and capitalists we must deal
Justly and fairly by them. II we wonli have
equity done to N we m turn Wu-t 10
equity to Others. That Is the aim OF & the
knishts Of Labor and must not be lost
signt OF IN future.
Let me direct your attention to few Ut
tie abuses. | find that wherever q strike
occurs appeals for aid are scattered broad
cast among the assemblies. DO not pay one
cent for such purposes In future unless the
appeal comes from ynur own oistrl Assem-
bly or the General Assembly.
II boycott notices are sent 10 you burn
them. | have in IN my possession over loAf
hundred boycott notices which were sent 20
assemblies with a request that they be acted
on let me mention some OF them. Amen.
Der Is editinE paper lie fears rival anu
proceeds TO get into an alteration with hln
boycott him. then asks the order 10 carry "
out. \ certain paper Is Influential al IN one or
the other political parties. Members of the
opposing party conceive the ldea OF Htttlng
ri.l OF the paper. and they invoke the AID Of
the knights OF LABOR, first taking the pre-.
canton TO have the paper In question say
something uncompi m sniary OF the Knight.
OF Labor. In fact, our order mas been useu
as tail for a hundred different Kites, and IN
future Il must soar aloit from all of them
| hate the word boycott ! was hoycotted
ten years ago and could not yet work at my
trade for months. IL Is a bad practice u has
been handed to US by the capitalists have
no use for il only when everything else
tails
Npneals for aid. circulars. petitions, ad-
yertisements OF every kind are scattered
everywhere thOughout the order. copy a
letter which comes to me on the subject; ~
large part OF our time has been spent In
reading boycott notices and appeals for aid,
kecplng us until twelve O'Clock. We were
led to believe the knignts OF Labor 70 be an
educational Institution, but TINS kind OF ed
ucution l. not productive OF good. we nave
no time for Instruction. What do you ad-
wise ms TO dOs
advised them to either burn or table
these matters, aud now ask fthe secretary OF
each assembly TO do the same. II your jour,
nat we're not boycOttcd by or members u
could be made the medium OF communica'
tlOn between the general officers ANA the or
DIR but the journal is not read by one quar-.
ter Of the assemblies. some assemblies SEND
out documents in envelopes addle-scd 10
secretary OF Assembly No. -" In many
place. the secretaries have been discharged
because Of this practice No member has
the right to address another In that way, and
Il l. ever practiced again the offender VIII
be punished.
III future the general executive board
must not be lnterfered with in the perform
Ruce OF its duty. u you have confidence In
ttcm. sustain and obey them, II not, ask for
their resi-nations. While the board was en-
dcuyorng 10 settle the southwest trouble
assemblies IN some places with the best OF
Intentions no doubt, were passing and pub
fishing resolutions cOndemuatory of Jay
Could These things did no good on tile
contrary they were injurious. In the settle
meut OF troubles IL becomes the duty OF tn q
executive board to meet everybody aud "a
everywhere. While they are doing this
they mpst not be hampered by the ac-
tlons OF those who do not know what theit
task is.
Keep quiet let your officers do Their best
and II You can not Ind way to aid them, do
not retarl their progress. Resolutions do
not prevent land stealing. stock watering oI
gambling In the necesstrie- OF life. II had
my mn1 made mp TO rob bank at midnight
n string of resolutions as long a. the moral
law protesting against my contemplated ac-
ton would not influence me particle, but i
some interested party would take the trouble
70 study up tie questions and would inform
himselk.s to my right to rob the bank, aud
would -tand guard at the door OF the vault
would not rob it at midnight If he did hi.
duty. What VIC want from every member d,
rights. We know we have rights without
passing resolutions Men who think, study
and act are required
The General Assembly will meet In special
session on the sjth OF May. in the city OF
Cleveland From the receipt OF this letter
you must not address any communication
to me, nor need you expect an answer II YOU
do. have thousands OF letters piled mp
around me now, and they never can be
read, much less answered. by one man.
lr m1 Ill m a 10
livered NJ my house has exceeded four hun.
dred letters a day. They come from every
body and everywhere. must play the part
Of wheel horse instead OF leader of a great
movement. and our members are re
spons Bile for tt. asked through the Jour
nal that no one seni letters to me. ! nm
told by some to get help. II had fifty as
sistants II would do no good, for IL
takes my whole time to read one half
Of the letters and In the middle OF my work
/ am waited on by some committee,
who generally misreprcsent me after they
leave-for every member OF the committee
will tell different story. From now until
the General Assembly meets ] will receive
no eommittees, answer no letters. | must
formulate plan for the future and will
not be- interfered with Let me repeat.
will receive no committees, answer no let.
tiers. nor will go anywhere at the request
OF members of assemblies. This il imneta
tive. ] must have chance to do something
OF beneht Tor the order, and can not do IL u
i AN to SIT for eighteen hours a day reading
letters which have been answered and rean .
swcred In the journal and constitution
what VIII say to the General Assembly will
be said TO the entire order and YOU must
give me time to prepare IL.
We have had some trouble from drink ing
members and from men who talk about buy.
Ing guns and dynamite II the men W ho
possess money enough to buy guns and
dynamite would invest II in the purchase OF
some well selected work on labor, they
would pvt the money to good use. They will
never need the gun or dynamite In this
country. IT is my opinion tiat the man who
does not study the politics OF the Nation and
the wants OF our people would make but
little use OF a rife The man who can not
vote intelligently and who Will not watch
the man he votes for after he is elected, can
n 4 aa- Ill l