The Indianapolis journal., 1886-03-31
THE LEADER OF THE KNIGHTS.
fConoluded from First Page.l

concluded from First Page.l
Knights of Labor. joined that night 1t was
Assembly No. So I found there all crafts, and
thought had found just what | was looking
for. NosM68 was then the only assembly in
northeastern Pennsylvania; all of its meetings
We're very secret, and nothing was ever said
about its existence outside of the meetings. Our
idea was that we should secretly add to our
strength and keep out politicians and other self
seekers.
ssWhen the panic of 1873 came. i was laid off
with many others. went West through Ohio
and western Pennsylvania. / settled in Oil City,
Pa, and became member of the Machinists'
and Blacksmiths' Union there and a month later r
was sent to the national convention of the union
at Louisville. KY, in September. 1874 Shortly
after, / returned to Scranton, and was employed
at my trade by the Dickson Manufacturing Com
pany. did not work for them very long ha-
cause / was sent out to do many outdoor jobs
and, as have always been troubled with quinsy
sore throat. could not bear the exposure.
| went back to Carbondale and worked at my
trade. I tried to induce the Machnists' and
Blacksmiths' Union to join the K. of L., but for
worked secretly, having to take each man alone,
and sound him. aud convince him. The great
obstacle was, as said, the contempt with which
the machinists and blacksmiths looked upon
other workers. At last my efforts were success
full, and the union was disbanded, and the mem
bers became Assembly No. 222 of the Knights of
Labor. During this time had worked among
the surrounding towns, so that, when the Car
bondale union joined the Knights, there were
several assemblies in the neigbborhood had
thus worked to win them to the Knights Of La
Dor, because l saw that in the union all their
legislation about apprentices and shop rules
would amount to nothing.
with the introduction of labor saving ma
chinery the trade was all cut up, so that man
who had served an apprenticeship of five years
might be brought in competition with machine
run by a boy, and the boy would do the most and
best. l saw that labor-saving machinery was
bringing the machinist down to the level Of day
laborer, and soon they would be on a level My
aim was TO dignity the laborer In the K of L.
/ saw good field for operation. In 1876 we
organized district assembly of five or six assem-
blieS In Lackawanna county, and was elected
district secretary, an office which have held
ever since from choice In 1877, when the strikes
on the railroads swept over the country, many of
our men with others not of the K. of l. !, num-
bering in all about 5000, were discharged and
went West. settling in the Western States and
Territories Wherever our knights went new
assemblies sprung up. Up to that time there
Frederick Turner. of Philadelphia; Richard
Grifhths, of Chicago, Charles Litchman, of
Marblehead. Mass; Thomas King, of Read
ing, Pa, and l met and held the first
general assembly Of the x. of l.. at Reading,
Pa. in January. 1878 We then had seven
districts, representing Philadelphia, Reading,
Pittsburg, Charleston, w. Va, Scranton, and
Shawnee. o., and several local associations
which cannot now recall Mr. Uriah Stephens,
of Philadelphia, was elected the first general
master workman, and I was elected to the next
Office, which was called grand worthy foreman
We there changed the date of meeting from
January to September We next met in ST.
Louis. Mr.. Stephens did not attend this con-
vention, but wrote a letter recommending me
for general master workman. In April, 1875.
was elected Mayor of Scranton. After that I
gave my entire time to the work of my office,
this being the first time that / had worked at
any business other than my trade.
1.-The strikes OF 1877 were caused by the men
not understanding one another. At that &nse /
began to study the causes of that strike and of
the distress of the workmen l concluded that
an organization should be perfected which would
be grand industrial school. l had no hobby.
Others were for greenbacks, tariff revision, and
a dozen other things. L had not read the writ
ings of any theorist. l mad never met theorist
was reelected Mayor two or three times.
When first elected | was not known outside of
the laboring classes. It said by my oppo-
nents that all sorts Of trouble would como if I
was elected. However. l was elected, and
among other acts discharged the entire police
force of the city because I found that / must
have men on whom could rely. Then. during
my administration the debt of the city was re-
duced about 800 900. Previously the debt had
annually increased. In 1884 the Knights of La
Dor had grown SO large that the business of the
order took all of my time so lad to decline
nomination for Mayor. We now have assemblies
in England and Belgium.
II have read Henry Georges Progress and
Poverty Spencers Social States. and Thorn
ton on Labor. l am not sure what my plans will
be for the future. A syndicate of newspapers
has offered to send me to Europe to write up the
labor question as it is there. do not believe in
strikes, because | do not think there is
any necessity for them. 1 believe that these
troubles can be settled without strikes. The
order has materially changed in few years, is
broader and more liberal than at first, less Sc
cresy now, the oath has been abolished in the
initiation, and only the word of honor is now re-
quired. The whole matter of the wage system
is wrong So long as finds it to his advan-
tage to buy labor at the cheapest price and the
other demands the highest price for it. trouble
will come. Profit sharing is the remedy The
Knights of Labor will not allow liquor dis
tiller or brewer, or liquor seller, or one whose
wife is a liquor seller, to become a member of
the order. and / am now striving to prevent
liquor drinkers from joining"