New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-03-27
PLAIN TALK FROM POWDERLY
STRIKES AND BoYCoTTs TO BE AVOIDED.
~ THE PRINCIPLES or HE KNIGHTS OF LABOR
ARE NOT OBSERVED HE WILL RESIGN.

| ST. LOUIS. March Bertrand Master work.
man Powdery issued secret ercular 10 the Kniehts
OF Labor OF America which made public to-day and
which he takes the ground that he must resign II tho
local ORGANIZATIONS continue disregard the principles
OF the order. The circular IL as follows;
(SECRET CIRCUJARl
| Noble order fhe hnighIs Of Labor Of America
PHILADELPHIA, Penn, March l3. lsS6.-the record.
ing secretary WILL receipt OF this circular pace IL 10
the hands OF the master workman. whose duty 1t shall
be to issue red letter call for full meeting either
regular special. have full attendance aud real It,
Its extreme length be excused for cannot to
each Assembly TO speak the present crisis, and ako
this method OF reaching them. An order recently
Issued to suspend Orgsni cation OF new Assemblies for
forty days. 1t did not out until careful review OF
thei field had been taken. Had not been con-
vinced that it absolutely necessary for the saliva
Of the order vote would not be cast In favor OF
O cessation Of work. One OF the Rravest
that faced human being is squarey before
the head OF this order to-day II Ia not
cOmng-it is here-snd it must be firmly
dealt Before taking other step any direction,
want to before the great mass or our membership
through the medium OF this circular AJAX OF them to
speak frankly now talk to them. and tell
what ia best to be done. II the order is to perform
its mission intended by its founders aud those who
have worked with it from the beginning, radical
change must be Elected 1t has always been. aud Is at
the present time policy to advocate Cancellation and
arbitration in the settlement Of disputes between
poyer aud employe The law Of Knishthood demands
at the hands OF our members an adherence to that
policy. Thousands Of men who had become dsgusted
with the ruinous policy OF the strike the only remedy
for tho Ills complain OF. drawn to us because
we had proclaimed to mankind that we had discarded
the strike until all else failed. six
months will not teach our principles and proper
methods Yet Impressed with the idea that they
learn them six weeks six days and before the
ground Work for proper education Is laid we find our
Assemblies a strike or lockout. and in too many
he me
ineonslderate action. No matter what advantage We
gain by the strike it is only medcatng the synptoms
1t does perpetuate the system aud therefore fails IN
efecng My policy must long be
misunderstood. While l. as the chosen mouthpiece Of
the Order proclsming to the world that the Knights
OF Labor do advocate countenance strikes until
every other has failed the wires from thousand
cities and towns bearing the Of many strikes
by Knights Of Labor in which arbitration and cOncila-
tion were never limited at Not that alone, but
they in many scorned and rejected by
our own members In some cases these
strikes were entered upon against the advice Of
the General Executive Boz 4. 1t is claimed by our
members that arbitration one-sdei. That may be
Of the past but the voluntary concessions made 10
WITHIN the last months prove most concusivev
that the just claims Of labor will be listened to- II we
forward the way started 1t is claimed that this
year Or concessions aud advances. Be that as
may we cannot force them by striking.
Five hundred assemblies added to the roll I'm Feb
ruary-as many organized the first eight years
the ORDERS existence. 1t Ia within the bounds OF
human possibility to expect that all these new
recruits can be properly trained before
to win CONCESSIONS or gains with our present. raw IN.
disciped membership, would be like hurting nnor-
Again It is fsir the older assemblies 10 bring in
new members pick their quarreis rs soon as organ
who helped build the Order for noble purpose It's
a IL wrong to encourage them IN the ida that they
have nothing 70 do themselves that they are TO lean
upon Others They must depend upoh themselves aud
IN any case receive assistance inside OF six
months, and Will hold out no inducements that will
sstance then.
We have bniIt up a moral force that will command a
hearing for before tribunal ia the country. We
must not fritter away our strength and miss the golden
opportunity 70 crown effort with success by rush
ing useless strikes To the cardinal principles Of
the order we must add another" patience" You have
hal patience for years. and had not the Knights Of Labor
appeared upon the scene you would sinI be waiting.
Your scales OF prices must stand they for the
you raise by any OtLcr process than
strike You must submit to injustice AZ th' hands of tho
employer In patience f0r while longer. Bide well your
time Make no display Of organization or strengtn NATL
you nave every man ami woman IN your depart ment OF
not only Your condition but that OF yGnr employer
Find out how much You are Justly entitled to. ana
the rest. Org1nizers who publish an account
Of their work to te wSFa "a S that P16s9 an
whether tubic or pry.t who speik boisttnGy -four
owl business. Keep your own counsel
rhe Knights OF Labor are not opposed to the EN-
pOyer OF labor but 1t not intended that tae order
should harbOr unjust employers. In many assemblies
the employers and manufacturers have
them viii express themselves as
hey feel, and in my opinion would De treat
with an employer as he is rather than as brother
Kulght. We deal just fairly by hun beyond the
wells as within the sanctuary Take In As few employ
The name Of this order and it. principles are pub
lshed everywhere, and men vnO stood Opculy arrayed
against us two years ago are now our friends Beware
politician planning night and day how the
Knights OF Labor for the advantage Of himself
parry and. assured, has his emssares IN our
effort OF tie parry man IL matters not OF which
party-who attempts to use us for political purposes To
those assemblies which drag the ot the order into
the political action Of sny party say:
to-day and We must remain So"
Every reform that could possibly come through the
organization ora new party can be- obtained without
one We are every day gaining concessions from State
formation OF new party 10 use the nome Of the order
in political contest is criminal. and must nevor
1t is evident that our members are properly in-
sructed else would not find thrm pass resolutions
approving OF the action OF executive officers in
fixing NAV as the day TO strike foI eight hours" Tho
upon May FOR "a strike OF any kind. Assemblies
OF the Knights OF Labor must not suke for the eight
hour system on May under the Impression that they
are Obeyng orders from headquarer for order
was not aId viii not be given. Neither employees nor
employers educated to thr eds and
tho shori-hour plan II one branch OF trade.
many who are ia total ignorance Of the movemenL OGt
OF the people IN me United states aud Cana
sentiments OF the milonsln favor OF the shorhour plan
il is 1oasense 20 think of it. Let o. .ru why our
hours OF labor should he reduced. and ,rach others
Nearly every Slate Assembly that has been formed
since the General Assembly net has been organized amid
discord and contention. | fear that the
struggle Is not 70 the order SO much
as to serve personal ends. Our
Order IL business institution IL must be- bust-
ness principles aud II 1t Is not Ia way t
will 20 the road OF all misnxnaged concerns WhiIe
write. dispatch is banded me in which read these
words
" They discharged our brother and struck for Won
know our motto is an injury to Is the concern Of
ALL"
Yes. injury 10 one Is the of ALL But iti,
wise iuure all for the sake one. IL would hays
been far better to continue work and properly invests
<sts the matter bringing t before every tribunal
han To struck. The thousands OF earning
hing could nave sveu 10 cents speos support tho
brother for few weeks much easier than TO spend
weeks and months idlsness many them never To DO