Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-05-14
A POwDERLY CIRCULAR.
The knights Have been Losing Ground
Words of Wisdom From the Mas
ter Workman.


A secret circular was issued to knights
of Labor by Grand Master Powderly, last
week, and has reached the public almost
as quickly as if offered in an executive SEES
sion of the United States Senate Among
other things he says:
hate the word "boycott." was boy
cOtted ten years ago, and could not Z, t
work at my trade for months. 1t is IA bad
practice.
| feel that it only requires the real men in
the front rank of our order to set us right
before the world. We have been losing
ground, SO far rs public opinion Is con
cerned, for some time. One of the CAUSES
is that we have allowed things to be done
under the name of the Knights of Labor
for which the organization was in no way
responsible | ask of our members to
keep jealous eye upon the doings of the
labor men who never labor. \
That our aims and objects are good is no
reason why our members should be re-
garded as being of superior build or ma
terial. We are no more the salt Of the
earth than the millions of unknown toll
ers who do the work of the world Ia our
dealings with laborers and capitalists we
must deal justly and fairly by them. If
we would have equity done to u.s. we in
turn must do equity to others.
GUNS AND DYNAMITE.
We have had some trouble from drink
ing members and from men who talk
about buying guns and dynamite. If the
men who possess money enough to buy
guns and dynamite would invest it in the
purchase of some well selected work on
labor they would put the money to good
use. They will never need the gun or dy-
Mantle in this country. 1t is my opinion
that the man who does not study the
wants of our people would make but little
| use of a rifle. The man who cannot vote
inteligently and who will not watch the
| man he votes for after he is
elected, cannot be depended on ia
use either gun or dynamite. II the
head, the brain OF man cannot work out
the problem now confronting us, his hand
alone will never solve it. if | kill my
enemy silence him, it is true but it does
not convince him. | would make a con
vert rather than corpse of my enemy.
Men who own property are not our
enemies. If that theory held good the
workman of to-day would be the enemy OF
his fellow toler on the morrow for, after
all, it is how to acquire capital and how
to use it properly that we are endeavoring
| to learn.
CAPITALIST AND LABORER.
The man of capital is not necessarily the
enemy of the laborer; on the contrary
they must be brought closer together,
am well aware that some extremists vii
| say am advancing Il weak plan, and will
say that blOodshed and destruction Of
property alone will solve the problem.
INTEMPERANCE
To our drinking members extend the
hand of Kindness | hate the uses tc
which rum has been put, but it is my
duty to reach down and lift up the mar
who has fallen a victim to the use OF
liquor. If there is such Il man within tn,
sound of the secretary's voice when this is
| read, | ask him to stand erect on the flo j
of this assembly, raise his hand to heaven
and repeat with me these words:
"'I am Knight of Labor, and | believ,
that every man should be free from the ours,
of slavery, whether the slavery appears in the
| shape OF monopoly, uslIrv or lnlempcrance
The tirIncst link in the cuain of oppression l.
the one forge when drown manhood an'
reason in drink. No man can rot me of tn
brain my God has gwen me, unless am
partH to the THEFT. If one moments forget
tulness on inattention to duty win d unl
brings deic t to the least of l,nors, II liletim,
of at tent ion to duty alone can repair the loss
| pi omise never again to put myself in such
position"
Years ago | extended an invitation t,
men of all trades to become Il part ant
parcel of the knights of Labor. To-day
stand ready to make every honorable con
cession, to do anything in honor to brni
about a better feeling between trade
unions and the knights of Labor. At tn
. special session of the general assembly tn
entire trouble can and must be settled
If mistakes have been made they mus
he rectitied; if wrongs have been intllcte
they must be righted. But there is on
thing that will not be done while | stan
at the head of this organization-it wi
not be used to further the schemes of il
3 dividuals, cliques or parties, and it will b
a subordinate to no other organization o.
earth.
II. V. POwDERLY,
General Master Workman