The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-03
TRADEs-UNIoN CONFERENCE.
War Will Not Be Made on knights of Labor
but Closer Union Solicited.

War Will Not Be Made on knights of Labor,
but Closer Union Solicited.
CLEVELAND, May 2-P. ]. Mcclure. general
secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and
Joiners, whose name heads the list of signatures
to the secret circular made public yesterday in
Pittsburg, was interviewed to-day regarding the
object of the conference of trades unions. Being
asked who was the author of the circular, Mr.
Mcclure said
Now that the matter has been brought into
print will not hesitate to admit that am the
author of the call for the proposed conference Of
the chief officers OF all the national and inter
gstional trades unions. The conference will be
held at Philadelphia on the 18th of this month,
and since its issue many hearty responses favor
able to the call have been received at my Office.
/ prepared the circular after due consultation in
various cities with many prominent labor men,
alike trades-unionsts and Knights of Labor Had
1t been matter Of public concern, would most
gladly have given the circular to the newspapers
at the start From all indications, some indis-
Greet or misguided person in Pittsburg furnished
the circular to certain daily in that city, and
since then have been beseged with letters and
kilograms concerning it. There is no cause for
any undue alarm, and far less need for sensa
tional announcements of a labor war, OF OF q
bitter struggle between the trades unions and
the Knights of Labor No such thought ever
entered my mind-not for a moment; nor is it
the intent of the signers of the call. Nothing
would afford the enemies of organized labor
more pleasure than to see the trades unions and
knights OF Labor precipitated into open hostili
ties or engaged in an internecine quarrel, which
it is needless to say would be mutually hurtful,
If not largely destructive"
s'What is the object of the conferences"
.As l understand ir. the object of the proposed
tradesunion conference-and it is distinctly
ftated in the Calls to provide for a plan for
the closer alliance of the trades-unions and the
Knights of Labor for their adoption It is
hoped that in this way both orders enter into
reciprocal arrangement under which they can
work together without any antagonism and with
ont encroaching on each others legitimate work
Tor want of this, difficulties have cropped up in
IA number of instances, and unless some
ing is done, there is every likelihood Of their
t.currence in the future. There is q certain
", impatient and inexperienced element that
j recently foated into this labor movement
MS element is hostile to the patient construct
re, conservative methods of trades unions, and,
as is said in the call for the trades union confer
eDee, under cover of the Knights of Labor, and,
far we learn, without authority
from that body, this element pursues
its evil work Now, it is with view of check
ing this strife breeding, anarchist element, and
to arrive at harmonious understanding with
the knights of Labor that the call was issued
Between the knights of Labor and the trades
unions we desire to establish the closest ties of
fraternity, complete solidity of interests, and
in this speak a member Of both orders and,
like myself most OF the trades union officers are
Knights of Labor Was there any real hostility
between the two orders it would not be likely
that trades-unionists would have done so much
TO nurture the Knights of Labor and aid them,
as, notably, in the telegraphers' strike On
that occasion. in New York and the large cities,
most of the funds for the relief of the strikers
were subscribed by trades-unions. Ii our object
was hostility to the Knights of Labor we would
not have called the conference to Philadelphia,
the headquarters of the K. of L. But we un-
tha
there May 1S and propose to have a COM
mittee wait upon them, so as to have the subject
brought to the attention of the special general
assembly, which meets in this city May o."