The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-17
INTERESTS OF WORKINGMEN
Interview with General Master Work.
man POwderly on Points of Interest.
The Coming General Assembly viii Be an
Important 0ne-The knights and Poll
tics-Items About Work and Wages.

NEW York, Aug. 16-In the course of an In
,terview with reporter of the World, General
Master Workman Powderly said:
TT will be an American Congress IN all the
word implies, for while our countries have arti-
ti6cial boundaries which separate them from
each other, in our organization there are no Dar-
fiers between nations ofnationalities. The con-
vention will be decidedly representative. Every
man will speak directly for his own constituency
and every woman too, who has right to do So
Men who belong to other labor organizations
not trades unions, but organizations or SOCIAL
4stic or Anarchist tendency-haye declared tnat
they will make the Knights of Labor the field
Of their operations / shall go to the convention
at Richmond fully determined that member of
any other organization shall have a voice in shap-
ing or influencing the actions of the order Anarch-
ksts will not be tolerated and can have no infiu-
once in our order The Anarchist cranks of this
country were very anxious to have general
strike for the eight-hour system on the LIST of
last May They desired that every industrial
center of this country should have strike so
that, il possible, they might take ad
vantage of the excitement and perform
work of destruction. To show how insignif-
rant an influence the Anarchists exert in our or
ganization. need but refer to q circular which /
Issued the 18th of last March. In one part Of
that circular gave an a1vice-only an advice
TO our members that inasmuch as the General
Assembly of the Knights of Labor had never
recommended the 1st of May as the day on
fWhlcn 10 iuAuRurate the clgntnOur system, our
members should take no part IN the demonstra.
tion. grander spectacle was never presented
~ the world than the admirable manner in
which the organization acted in that ordeal.
While enemies OF the Knights of Labor criticise,
Ind faHlt-fnders have endeavored to lay the
blame of the LIST of May, those
Anarchist troubles, on our organization, they
have not shadow of foundation on which to
base their assertions. When that advice of mine
went along the line of the Knights, every man
stood firm. Our critics have said that our or
ganization was without discipline. but the illus
tration have given proves the contrary to be
true. No, the Anarchists never can have any
influence in our organization. Anarchisns means
destruction Of law and order, the breaking of So
ctal ties and fabric Our organization aims at
maintaining law and order, and believes in sub
ktituting good laws for bad ones, and establish
Ing more firmly the social and political ties
which bind our people to each other"
Mr. Powderly then said that he thought it
would be necessary for the convention to take
definite action in regard to strikes. Sat the
Cleveland convention we placed check on boy
colts and strikes, so much so that few have oc-
Cured since then No sooner did our order
place its strong hand on the strike and boycott.
than the employers of labor began to strike and
boycott Over two hundred lockouts have
members of our organization could not strike
without violating the laws Of the order. have
always opposed strikes; / always will, except as
q last resort: but the action Of the employers
cleveland
made II absolutely necessary for us TO take some
action to protect own members Whatever
legislation is enacted will be judicious and well
regulated, whether it relates to the strike the
boycott. The peaceful words of the committee
will consist in effecting such legislation as will
bring the industrial people in closer relationship
and as will gather local assemblies that are now
Isolated, together under State iurisdcton-such
legislation will bring the trades together, and
nearer to those who not fortunate enough 70
tnp lncn wa w
undergo an entire revision. A committee on
revision of our laws and constitution are row in
eession at Philadelphia. They Lave not as yet
perfected the plan which they will present to the
General Assembly at Richmond There are a
nnfnber OF changes to be made in several parts
ef the law which relate only to detail There
will be some changes made In the laws by which
the general officers ara governed"
Mr. Powderly was then asked if his organiza
ton placed more reliance in boycotts and
strikes than it did in the ballot His reply was
.No it does not. 1t believes in the judcious
use of the ballot, and the discussions which take
place In our assemblies concerning the laws of
the country are in the direction of teaching the
citizen his duty The politics of parties or men
are not discussed. The merits of John Jones as
the candidate of one party or another will not
be enacted by John Jones. whether elected as
Republican, Democrat or otherwise, furnish
food for discussion. The parties of the present
day are trial. The million men who are in
the knights of Labor are to day studying the
science of government They in turn will be
teachers of other millions, and if the parties of
to-day do not heed the handwriting on the wall
and make American laws for the American peo-
ple the millions so instructed can form party
that will do So There never will be political
party called the Knights of Labor, but members
Of the Knights of Labor, in such a contingency
Sc have limited at, may one day co operate with
other thinking men in forming party that will
keep the country straight in the lines marked out
fnr Inv ha for dare of fha Rann IN
Window Glass People to Confer To-Day.
PITTsBURG. Aug 1.-THE window-glass man
ufacturers and workmen will tomorrow hold the
first conference of the year on the wage ques-
tion. To-day neither side would say much, but
1t is understood that the workmen will demand
10 per cent advance for the gatherers. Presi-
dent Cline expresses the opinion that the de-
mand will be granted. A manufacturer who
was spoken TO said there were indications of
the factories starting at the usual time, Sept l,
as fire has not vet been put in the furnaces