Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-04-21

thlhg connected With the Orga ni14tiOn, It's /
signs. passwords and everything else.
| am willing 70 lay everything before this |
committee aud before the world. I
| want II understood that SO
lar AS our executive board Is concerned ! I
have from over four thousand assemblies (
letters OF Endorsement OF secret circu- 4
lar OF mine, which, since IL was Issued,
has been made public. These indorse.
ments bear ME ont in what have said so
ina yuu can understand from the tenor
Of that circular the chsrac-
ter Of our organization. When /
stated that our organization was
willing TO meet our contestants before
the courts ! had no idea that was max
ing wrong statement. ! believe that the
law OF the lard IS higher than any organi-
1auon, and that when man violates the
law OF the iauy, either as q Knight OF La.
DOT or as prgRte citizen, or as a mem
Der of an association, he Should be pun
ishod for ", pnd that his connection
with an organization should be no
shield for him, and | have thought
on the other hand that man who violates
the law and who IA worth millions OF
dollars should suffer the same as a poor
man. ! have made that statement and
the people have seen at TO see in Il an in
vitation to anarchy. II that Is anarchy,
in the name Of God, what is law?n
Mr.. Burnes 1.-THE country gener-
ally seems to place good deal
OF confidence in your integrity, your
intelligence and your patriotism. Being
disposed to consider the question
practically, | ask II You have given
thought to the question OF legislative
remedy for the evils to which you have
alluded?"
Powderly 81 have never marked it
out properly. ! have thought IL over, but
have not followed 1t to Its conclusion"
Burnes: "Will you be able during the
sittings OF this committee TO give your
views on the question of the remedy for
the wronPt"
| Powderly GLOW long is the committee
likely to sit2n
Chairman "About two mouthsn
Powderlyi 81 think / win be able be-
cause ia that time you viii have an oil.
cial declaration from the chief men Of our
organization on that pointn
Burnes; al would suggC st further that
1t may be well to consider what, IN your
Judgment, can he constitutionally done,
ana what might be done and what ought
TO be done by amendments to the con-
stimton"
4 Powderly; 81 shall be pleased to do
SO. | thank you for the suggestionm
Mr.. Grain: 81 find It stated In the bill
OF grievances produced by you that the
men. asked for redress time aud time
again, but In vain; that the executive
! committee of the Knights OF Laoor sought
to settle the matter, and that the reply OF
( the general superintendent OF tse Mis-.
! souri, Pacific railway was refusing to
agree to conference as proposed.p
) Powderly; ses, | am told also tha
I along the Iron Mountain railway anS
: along other roads IN parts Of Texai
superintendents and foremen are inter
ested In company stores, and that III,
! men are compelled to deal in the stores
4 Employees are not told In so many swordi
that they must deal there, but they ur,
reminded that it Is their interest TO do so
: II murmurs Of complaint are to reach TN
D ear of the president Of the company,
must go through the superintendent ant
man will be discharged
: as soon as he utters word Of complaint
( Men whose money is invested Ia RAJ road,
know nothing about this In many place
] double prices are charged In these stores.
9 Mr.. Buchanan; "Will you be able tc
/ furnish specific instances Of this kind?n
iOnhCllD llO GOlutulblNG Will INT
j proof soon ofall these things. The men also
; complain that conyicts are brought from
the penitentiaries in Texas TO work OF
' the railroads, and that striped suits may
be seen side by side with honest labor II
] track repairing. That statement has beer
made to me by numerous parties.n
5 Buchanan; "You promised TO furuisl
the committee with some views as to tn,
legislative remedy for troubles Of the kline
mentioned. viii you also in con
: sideriDg that question take intl
) view the complexion of this government
and the divided responsibility between
| federal and state legislation so as to make
your suggestions which the legislator
can duly act upon"
/ Mr. Powderly; al win do 500
. Mr. Grain "What is the principle OF
/ the organization known as the Knights Of
| LaborYn
Powderly; "Our organization aims tC
, settle all differences by arbitration ant
/ reconciliation, and that is one reason why
we have difficulty In managing it. II was
! never thought OF until recently that
/ our organization should have any
thing to do with strikes. So, too, boy
, cotting is thing which we have never
|, legislated on but once, and that was Il
restrain III, ana our restraining influenc6
will 90 still further.n
Grain; "Then the principle on which
your organization is based is tiiat Of
! bringing capital and labor into closer re-
lations?"
Powderly "Yes.n
Chair: "And this strike went into
effect on authority Of the district as sem
blies, not on that OF the general organl
zauon2r
I Powderly "our general organization
has never given It's general officers any
power over the question Of strikes
I At this point the committee adjourned
Investigating tho Strike.
special 10 the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, April 20 The initia
meeting OF the special committee 10 in,
yestigate the labor troubles occurred to,
day at the Congressional hotel. a large
number Of spectators were present, among
whom were Gen. Swaync, attorney ioI
Gould, Messrs Turner, Hayes
and Mcdowell Of the execu.
tive board Of the Knights Of La.
Dor. MIR. Barnett, secretary Of 1.-THE
Knights Of Labor, Mrs Charlotte Smith,
A.. a.. 4. q