Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-04-07
Appeal of the western Knights

OF LOUIS, a Jtlf U-Luo JOINT EXP-
cutive Board Of Assemblies 101, 90, II,
knights Of Labor. this afterno III issued
the following address:
To the workipsmen Of tho World:
Friends aud Brothers: Hear us, for
We plead for cur right. Men Of equity,
look upon us, for we struggle against
giants Of wrong.
Nal with. he frenzy and pride Of self.
I'D tatiop, oegc item ms 1t Is Of the sue
cess OF outrage and tnfsmy there stands
before n. gisn. Ut aggregated aad in.
corporated wealth, every dollar o;
which Is built upon blood, ipju stice q no
Outrage. The giant of corporate wealth
has centralized its power In and is i'm !
|psrsonated 10 the eager hend who
sloats as he grind, the life out Of hi
fellow msr, and grimaces and dances
as they writhe upon his instruments OF
| torture.
o, ye work men Of America, who love
lyour liberty aud your native land 70
kAroat ere tors Of wealth, who stand az
ghs foundation of all national good,
look upon your brothers to day.
Gould, the giant fiend--Gould, the
money monarch, 10 dancing, az he
clsims, over the grave of our Order
over the ruin Of our homes and the
blight Of our lives. Before him the
world has smiled in beauty, but his
wake 10 . graveyard OF hopes, cyclones
of devastation aud death. Our strong
arms have grown weary In building the
TO wer Of siren 9Th, and yet he bids n
build on or die. Our young lives have
grown gray too soon beneath the strain
OF unrequited constant toll. Our loved
ones at home are hollow-cheeked and
lpale with long and weary waiting for
better days 70 come. Nay, more thar
this, the graveyards are hiding his vic
Tins from our longing eyes.
Brother Workmen: This monster fiend
has compelled rs 20 toll in cold and rair
for q ve and Atty cents Q day. Others
have been compelled to yield their tim,
10 him for seventeen and thirty-si1
weary hours for the pittsnce Of min,
hours pay. Others who have dared {,
assert their manhood and rebel agains
his tyranny are blAcklisted and boy
cOtted all over the land.
he has made solemn com paots with
the highest authority IN our order apt
then has basely refused to fulfil b.
pledge. he lives under and enjoys al
8 the benefits OF republic m form O
government, ard yet advocates snl
/ | perpetuates the most debasing form o
White slavery. He robs the rich ant
poor, the high and low with ruthles
hand, and then appeals TO COZ rupt an
purchased courts 10 help bin take on
little homes away. He breaks GU
9 limbs and mains our bodies, and the
s demands that we shall release him from
= every claim for damage or be black
2 listed forever. He goes to our grocer
g aud PERI uadss the m not TO give us credi
because we refuse to be ground In hi
, human mill. He tn ms upon us horJ
!, lof lawless thugs who shoot among on
|, wives and children With deadly Intent
y and then he bowls for government hell
~ when hi gets his pay " @ lin allie.
Fellow workmen. Gould must be oveI
: thrown. His giant lower must b
1 broken down, or You and / must b
@ slaves forever. The Kaights of Labo
4 alone have dared to be David to hl
a Goliah. The battle is not for to day
!, the battle Ia not for to morrow, but TO
. the trooping generations In the comm
u = ages OF the worid-for our children an
our childYen's children. 1t is the grea
g question of the aSe-shsll We in th
IS coming ages be nation Of freemen or
: nation Of slaves?
vi The question must be decided now
. The chains are already forged that ar
n to bind us. Shall we wait until the
II! are rivetsd upon our limbs? Nay. Go
forbid.
Workmen of the world Marshi
l. yourselves upon the battlefield. Worl
a men Of every trade and cline Int
Is the frayl Gould and his monopoli,
1t must go down or your children mu,
d be slaves. Think of the little oily
l. plants around your hearthstones this
v will be big hted by his curse. Thin
= Of the little home he Is trying to 70
you of. Think OF the wife from whas
e eyes he has wrung floods of tsars an
u from whose heart he has tortured drop
y of blood.
a Who can look calmly on hts perfid,
t. his outrage and his crime? For he hi
e sought to incite felony smoug our ran
n and file. He has bought the perfidy
a vile men to entrap the un wary that
might stain our fair name and gloi
:. lover our misfort1nes. Oncs for al
~ fe low workmen, arouse! Let evsI
20 and that tolls be lifted to Heaven Al
l. swear by him that liveth forever tbi
d these outrages mast cease. Let ever
10 heart aud brow be turned toward o,
1t common foe. And let no man gro
f. weary until, like Goliath, our giant
/. Idead 1t our feet.