Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-08-16
Communicated
The knights OF Labor and Political
Parties.

(Communicated)
The knights OF Labor and Political
Parties.
la the off years it is pretty difficult
for the dominant parties to keep their
ranks full. Secessions, divisions and
the novelty and enthusiasm of reform
organization endanger the supremacy
of the two normal divisions. Some
of the Democratic papers are negotia-
ting for union offensive and defensive
with the Knights of Labor. AS Repub-
licans, we perhaps should not interfere,
but we will venture to suggest that no
responsible party will have the ghost of
chance of success in the pending cleo
ton for state offices which adopts the
Knights of Labor as an accredited
ally, unless the latter organization re-
nounces, denounces and disclaims GER
tain principles and practices, some OF
which we will point out.
First-The Knights must renounce
and denounce the practice of misusing
and abusing non-union men who are
willing to work but are deferred from it
by the threats, menaces and often bru-
| tai violence OF persons claiming to car
ry out the orders of the Knights OF
| Labor.
Second-No one denies that all en-
ployes, whether Knights or non-union
men, have right to strike when wages
are inadequate or when their mployers
treat them as interiors or for any other
real grievance, but the knights have no
right to strike because their employers
see fit to employ non-union men. The
purpose of the Knights and their mode OF
accomplishing it are clearly illegal,
unamerican and barbarous. All labor
ing men must join the Knights or starve
for want of employment.
Third-They have no right, after hav-
ing struck, for any reason to stop street
|
human life. After leaving their places
on strike they have no right to inter
fere with railroad trains, or stop them
by mob violence, or by uncoupling cars.
They have no right, after having struck,
to enter foundries or manufactures,
shiver the windows with stones, and
brutaly assault the persons who may
be at work inside, and thus paralyze all
labor and industry that is not under
their control. And they have no right,
after having struck, to enter such fac
tory during hours of labor and while the
employees are busy, and endeavor to
persuade them to leave such employ
ment unless the owners consent to
such interview.
We think we have a right thus plain
ly and alphabetically. to condemn the
mistaken methods of some of the labor
organizations.
There is no room for arbitration or
any lasting peace between the employer
and employe till all outrages of the
! character above noted are abandoned
and condemned The idea that rights
cannot be obtained in this country even
from the corporations and capitalists
/ without resort to violence, manifests q
want of faith and confidence in our
fellow men-want of faith in the ballot
box 1t is a remuneration of appeals to
reason and the sense of justice which
we believe to be dominant with the
American people and resort to stones,
5ludgeons. brickbats. boycotts and
bull-dozing, till the militia are COM
PEELED to intervene with bullet and bay
onet
1t is manifestly the purpose of the
Knights of Labor to subject the entire
body of wageworkers to the control of
a syndicate composed Of their chiefs.
AIr. Powderly thinks the scheme could
be completed in five years. Ii such con-
troll can be obtained by persuasion and