The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-26
PARSONS ON P0WDERLY.
He Declares that the Knights and the Anarch-
lists Are Working Toward the Same End.

CHICAGO, Aug. 25-The Times prints the fell
lowing letter:
If General Master Workman Powderly, of the
Knights of Labor, is correctly reported in his
speech delivered TO workingmen at Luzerne, Pa,
yesterday, where he is credited with saying, viz:
Anarchy Is destructive of civil liberty, and no
honest workman can afford to identify himself
with an organization which has for its object the
destruction of life and property"-if he uttered
these sentiments, then / am justified in denounc-
ing him as man who bears false witness against
his neighbor. Whether he said it or not is inn
material, since it has gone forth to the world,
which believes he did. What right has Mr..
Powderly to define the meaning of anarchy I'M
less he knows what it is2 Or, knowing what it
is. for him to falsfy it is both cowardly and
dsspicable. In the names of tens of thousands
o. American workmen solemnly protest. In
the past ten years have been active as a labor
organizer and orator. / am Knight of Labor.
In that time, from New York in the East to St.
Louis and Kansas City in the West, and from
St Paul, Milwaukee, and Detroit in the North to
Louisville and Baltimore in the South. Ihave adj
dressed at least 500 900 workingmen, and among
all that number in all these years I challenge
Mr.. Powderly to End man who can truthfuily
say that /. as Socialist or Anarchist have ad-
vocated or countenanced ''the destruction of life
and property" Whoever Gays so lies. The
foundation principle of Socialism or Anarchy is
the same as the Knights of Labor viz: 1.-THE abo-
htion OF the wages system" and the substitution
In its stead of the industrial system of universal
co operation, making every capitalist laborer
arG every laborer a capitalist ending forever the
conflict of classes and the inevitable antagonisms
of the wage slave system. If this be "destruc-
tcn of life and property then is Mr. Powderly
equally criminal with the Anarchists The as
Bertion that we use and advise the Of force is
gratuitous and untrue. But we have declared
chat the existing social order is founded
on force and maintained by force, and we have
and do still predict a social revolt cf the work
;~@At 81 49,
wage workers. will be driven unconsclously into
open rebellion against The class rulo and class
domination. This result will flow from cause to
effect and not from anything that Mr. Powderly,
myself or anyone else may say or do The more
general and intelligent the diffusion of this truth
the less violent and destructive will the period
of transition be. This is anarchy, its teachings,
which mean end forever to brute force; the
. reign of eternal peace and prosperity.
For saying these things myself and comrades
now are in prison awaiting the pleasure of our
executioners think it i'll BELTS Mr. Powderly in
the name of labor to join in tho cry for onr blood
Whether we live or whether we die, the social
revolution is inevitable. The boundaries of hu-
man freedom must be enlarged and widened. The
seyenteenth century was struggle for religious
liberty, the eighteenth for political equality, and
now IN the nineteenth century mankind is de-
mandine economic or industrial freedom The
fruition of this struggle means the social revolu-
tion. We see it coming. We predict it. we hail
labor movement means the downfall of BOSSES
of dictators and rulers, and ruler or dictator
is no more to be tolerated in the order of the
Knights of Labor than out of it, and is no more
sufferabe whether hs be Powderly or a Gould.
Mr.. Powderly can ill-afford TO malign his fellow
laborers and when he does so in the name of
labor his act is doubly despicable
The speech of James g. Blaine at Sebago, Me-,
to-day, is the real opening of the national presi
Dental campaign in 1883. He reads the signs
of the times, and forete!ls the coming
question--viz., s'The labor problem" But
opine that he reckons without his host when he
endeavors to outline the protective tariff ques-
tion as the coming issue. The racket won't
work any longer. 1t is played out. The liberty
of labor is worthless thing when it consists of
a mere choice between being feeced by pro-
tectionist or free-trade exploiter. Our present
statesmen will have to try again. or else other
issues and other men will lead the labor hosts in
1888 The black laborer of the South is not
worse off than his white brother of the North,
because of their respective political status. O,
no; it Is the economic status which regulates
the political. for every enc knows that money or
business regulates politics. and is not regulated
by it.
The labor question is up for consideration and
adjustment. TO the hundreds Gf thousands who
have heard and know me- Isay: Beware of false
gods and false issues A. r. PARSONS