The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-05-15

am to sit for eighteen hours day reading
letters which have been answs red and rean-
sweIed in the Journal and constitution.
what will say to the General Assembly VIII
be said. to the entire order ana You must
give me time to prepare II,
We have had some trouble from drink Ing
members and from men whotak about Duy-
ing guns and dynamite. II the men VINO
possess money enough to buy guns ana
dynamite would invest 1t in the purchase of
some well selected work on labor, they
would put the money TO good use, Ihey VIII
never need the gun or dynamite In TINS
country. II is my opinion tnat the man VINO
does not study the politics OF the Nation and
the wants OF our people would make but
little use of rifle The man who can not
vote intelIlgently and who will not watch
the man he votes for aiterhe is elected, can
not he depended upon TO use either gun or
dynamite. II the head, the brain of nun can
not work out the problem now confronting
us, his hand alone will never solve It. II
kill my enemy | silence him, 1t is true,
but do not convince him, would make
a convert rather than corpse OF my enc
my. Men who own capital arr not our
enemies II that theory hold good, the
workmen OF to day would be the enemy OF
his fellow toer OF the morrow, for after
all 1t Is how to acquire capital and how to
use 1t properly that we are endeavorlng
to learn No; the man OF capital is not nee.
essarlly the enemy of the labjrer; on the
contrary they must be brought closer to-
gether.
! am we'll aware that some extremists will
say am advocating weak plan, and viii
say that bloodshed and destruction of prop
erty alone will solve the problem. To our
drinking members l extend the hand OF
kindness. l hate the uses to which rum has
been put, but 1t Is my duty to reach down
and lit up the man who has fallena victim
to the use of liquor. If there is such man
within the sound of the secretary's voice
when this is read Il ask him to stand.
erect on the floor of his assembly, raise his
hand to Heaven and repeat with me these
words: 81 am a Knight of Labor. l be-
lieve that every man should be free from the
curse of slavery, whether the slavery APP
pears in the shape oil monopoly, usury or in
temperance. The trmest link in the chain
| of oppression is the one l forge whenI
drown manhood and reason in drink. No
man can rob me of the brain my God has
given me unless am party to the theft.
II one moments forgetfulness or inattention
to duty while drunk brings defeat to the
best laid plans, Il lifetime OF attention to
duty alone can repair the loss. | promise
never again to put myself in such q posi-.
ton"
We have, through some unfortunate mis-
understanding, incurred the enmity of sew
| eral trades unions. While l can find no ex'
cuse OF the humanity attack made upon us
| by some of these people ut a time when we
stood face to face with a most perpleXing
| question, neither can see any good reason
| why there should be any cause for a quar-
| rel We must have no Gushing between
| OF the trouble ! stand ready at a moments
! notice to make way for any one OF my riV-
| ais whom the General Assembly select
| Break the power of the Knights of Labor
| and you hand labor, bound hand and foot,
| over to its enemies Years ago | extended
an invitation to men Of all trades to become
| part and parcel OF the knights of Labor.
| day stand ready to make every honor.
able concession, to do every thing in honor
| to bring about better feeling be-
| tween trades unions and the Knights
! OF Labor. At the special session OF
| the General Assembly the entire trouble can
| and must be settled. If mistakes have been
! made they must be rectfed; II wrongs have
| been inflicted they must be rlghted; but
| there Is one thing that will not be done while
I stand at the head OF this organization. 1t
| will not be used to further the schemes of
| individuals cliques or parties, and 1t will DO
subordinate to no other organization on
| earth.
[Sgnedl T. V. PowDERLY,
| General Master Workman.