St. Landry democrat., 1886-04-03
POWDERLY'S POWDER.
A Brand Warranted Safe From
Premature Explosion.
A Circular Not Intended For the Public
Eye, But Concerning Matters In "hicn
the Public Are Deeply Interested
The Ring of the True Metal.

The Ring of the True Metal.
ST. LOUIS, March 26.-The following
remarkable circular was made publlc
this morning. 1t is the first official ut
terance Of General Master Workman
Powderly of the Knights of Labor, and
in it he defines with startling ciearness
his very sensible views concerning
strikes, boycotting, the eight-hour sys-
tenn and other important questions con-
corning organized labor:
ISecret Circular.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. March IL, 1885,.
Noble Order Of the Knights Of Labor Of Amer
icG:
The recording secretary will, on receipt OF
this circular place it in the hands of the mas
ter workman whose titrty it sifttH be TO Issue
red letter call for full meeting, either reg
uiar or special, have a full attendance, and
read It Its extreme length must be excused,
for can not go TO each assembly 10 speak
on the present crisis, and take this method
of reaching them
An order was recently issued to suspend
organization Of new assemblies for forty
DAYS. It did not go out until careful re-
view of the field had been taken. Had
not been convinced that it was absol uteIy
necessary for the salvation of the order my
vote would not be cast in favor of cessa-
ton of the work.
One of the gravest emergencies that ever
faced a human being stands squarely before
the head of this order to day. 1t is not com
ing-it is here-and 1t must be firmly dealt
with. Before taking another step i'll any di
rection want to go before the great mass Of
our mem bershp. through the medium OF
this circular, ASK OF them to spenk to me
frankly as now talk to them, and tell me
perform its mission as intended by its found
ers and those who have worked with 1t from
the beginning, a radical cha1ge must be eff
fected. stop must be called, and the ship
brought back to her mnoringS. 1t has
always been, and Is at the present time,
my policy to advocate Cancellation and arbi.
tration in the settlement of disputes be.
tween employer and employee The law of
Kntghthood demands at the hands OF our
members an adherence to that policy. Thou
sands Of men who had become disgusted
with the ruinous policy of the strike as the
only remedy for the ills we complain of were
drawn to US because we had pro laimed to
mankind that We had discarded the strike
until alt else had failed The men and WON
a knowledge of their wrongs. They
nave endured these wrongs for years,
now to right these wrongs by the least ex-
pensive and most satisfa Glory. as well rs
lnsting remedy. Six months will not teach
men our principles and proper methods, vet
men are impressed with the idea that
they can learn them in six weeks six
days, and before the ground work for a
proper education Is laid we find our assem-
bles on II strike or locked ont: and in too
many cases the provocatiOn comes from
their own hasty and inconsGerate action.
No matter what advantage gain by the
strike, it is only indicating the symptoms;
il does not penetrate the system. and, there
lore, fails in effectins q cure. The only nat
always means more medicine and II weaker
patient than before. You must bear with
me and read this letter to the end. tor it may
be the last one i will ever write to you. My
be measured by the standard of dollars and
cents. My policy must no longer be mis-
understood. While /, rs the chosen mouth
piece OF the order, am proclalming t" the
world that the Knights of Labor do not adj
vocate or countei ance strikes until every |
other remedy has failed, the wires from u
Thousand cities and towns are bearing the |
news of Ms many strikes by Knights OF La
Dor, in which arbitration and Cancellation
were never limited At. Not that alone, but
they were in many cases scorned and re-
jected by our own members. In some cases |
these strikes were entered upon against the |
advice OF the general executive board. 1t Is
CLAIMED by our members that arbitration Is |
one sided That may be true OF the past |
but voluntary concessions made to us with |
In the last three months prove most conclu-
Siveiy that the just claims of iabur will be
listened to IL we go forward in the way we
started out Il is claimed that this is j ear
tor concessions and advances. BE TINT rs 1t |
may, we can not force them by striking
am aware that the machinery of GU or.
der ID not capable of performing the work
required by the large gains In membership,
and this fact must have restraining intlu- |
ence upon our members until the next gem |
eral assembly meets. Five hundred assem- |
blies were added to the roll in February-as
many as were organized in the first eight
years of the orders existence. 1t 10 not |
within the bounds of human possibility to !
expect that all of these new recruits can be |
properly trained before tine assemblies
visit them for instructions but
once, and this is not CROUCH. |
They must devote their spare moments to
educating those already organized before |
q 'idlng any more new assemblies to the or
der. To attempt to win concessions or gains |
with our present raw, nndisciplined mem- |
lied mob against u we'll drilled regular |
army. Again, 1t 8 not fair to the older as
semblies to bring in new members, pick up |
their auarrels as soon a. organized. and |
have them expect pecunary aid from those |
who helped build the order up for a noble |
purpose. 1t Is not SO to give men and |
wrong to encourage them in the idea that |
they have nothing to do themselves.
that they are to lean upon others; they must |
depend upon themselves, and in any case |
can not receive Assistance inside OF six |
months, and will hold out no Inducements !
that Will encourage them In the belief that
they will receive assistance even then.
Ne have built up moral force that will |
command hearin for us before any tribu-
nal In the country. We must not fritter |
away our strength and miss the golden OPP |
portunlty to crown every effort with success |
ny rushing Into useless strikes. To the car |
dina! principles of the order we must add |
You have had patience |
FOR years; am had not the knights |
of Labor appeared upon the scene |
you would still be waiting. Your scales
or prices must stand as they are |
Tor che present II you can not raise them bv |
any other process than a strike You mnst |
submit to injustice at the hands OF the en-
pioyer In patience for while longer. Bde
well your time. Make no display OF organ
ization or strength until you have every
mnn and woman in your department of in
dustry org anzed and then do not strike,
but STUDY not Only yOur own condition hnf