The Wilmingtonian., 1886-10-09
The knights of Labor.

nond Va.
Thousands Of ctiz MS of Wilmington are
| personally interested in this meeting. They
nave sent tleir delegates to the capital OF
the Old Dominion who on their return here
" hen the two week 's session is over will bring
back with them to the local lodges here
budget of most interesting information upon
| lie transactions Of the General Assembly.
1t is expected that there will be no ques-
tions presented at the meeting that will cause
any great divergence Of opinion.
Mr.. Powderly is credited with saying that
the eight hundred delegates who have met
| represent membership of over a million,
seven hundred thousands of whom are mem
bels in good standing. The Knights have
S15O, 600 dep sited in the Philadelphia bauks
The New York Herald speaks editoiialy
| # the r chmond meeting thus ''The Ma
tional Convention of Knights of Labor, which
opened Monday in chmond, is notable
event. 1t is by all means the most import
ant meeting in the liisto of the body under
whose auspices it is held, aud there are few
thoughtful men in this whole country who
will not listen to its utterances with mingled
interest and soliciiude. The Knights are
known to be men Of muscle and they have
| proved themselves to be men of brains. They
are to have a wrestling match with many of
the profoundest questions which uudersie our
prosperity as a nation, which affect the sta
bi.ity of our business interests, and last, but
by no means least, the happiness of our
homes they possess that desperate COM
mon sense " hich is necessary to solution
they will accomplish better results than a VIC
tory on the fl Id can give. Ii they discuss
these blaz ny topics with perfect fFanknt SIS,
with open doors, and with that Judicial fair
ness which is essential in matters of tlis
kind, they will discover the difficulties la the
way and while they will not lose one whit
of thei determination to accomplish their
purpose, they will see that social revolution
which works slowly is better than an explo-
-lou which destroys whaG has already been
accomplished.
Tuesday morniu- Governor Fitzhugh Lee
Of Virginia, was introduced to the delegates
4 by Mi. PoMdcrly.
The governor is an excellent orator and
Kept his aud ence spill hound in listening to
his silvery oratory. Among his remaik-
I were the following salient points
What part are the representatives of the
assemblages Of Knights Of labor going t
play in bringing prosperity and peace to this
Republic? What ohj c-s have they in view
and what plans do they propose to unfold in
the future? "Thr miilinn 81 men who are
il the knights - Lab,I, Says Mr.. PUwdtily
(whom am glad to SEQ and meet here) 'Ire
studying the science Of government" Sure
} ly we are all interest, d il that One Of Vir-
gnia's greatest statesman has said 1t Is
} proper you shoIld unlerstu d what | deem
: the essential principles Of government"
a "The helm Of the ship of this Republic
D was constructed by men of different, anH ap,
: parenty irreconciable views, and the consti-
S stitution was only framed ty compromise
@ of all conflicting opinions. ConpromiSe,
then, gives us our constitution, and compru
Il mise will solve the difficult problem of tht
hour which you have assembled here to crap
4 Pile with "The Knights Of Labor" says
4 the head of this organization, ''never will be
e political party, but its members may one
day cooperate with other thinking men il
forming party that will keep the country
straight in the lines marked out for it by tht
6 founders of the RI public"
z The speaker continued, advising his listen
is ers to eschew politics, that the Knight
\ should obey the law, and closed by suggest
i ing TO their careful consideration the qnes
is ton of the in,e dependence Of Labor ant
,l Capital.
r. Master Workman Powderly made tn
v, speech of the day. His words,a as usual wer
Ii full of sound advice and bore the burthen &
q. conservative action in all matters concerning
the Knights.
His strongest points were as follows :
EVERY great cause will triumph in the END
ct aud the cause Of labor is as grand as an
be that man can advocate.
q The question is asked, "Why have 70
such an organization as the knights of Ii
ID Dor ?" And the answer comes from the lii
u of every man who does not receive just con
- pensation for labor done it comes from ii
IL, lips of the thousands Of underpaid, underft
on and overworked laborers and mechanics
We comes from the mouths OF the thousands
oh farmers whose lands are as profitless
:. though blight had fallen on them; it com
=, from every hilltop and valley and eve
Il. home where the paugs of unrequited toll
by felt. That answer is, be au>e men in who
81 hands power and wetth have been plar,
have forg atteu that this nation is a ReIi
,,t lie; hecausethey have forgotten that the i u
Ia. d,rs nT th,. Rpuuhl c iutt ltul that IT, Ehn