The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-11-25
THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR AND
THE LATE CAMPAIGN.


arraylnG ~ poor against rich IN the late cam
paIgn. CONSTANT READER;
Some weeks ago, in conversation with
prominent gentleman III North Caro-
lima, the editor Of the CHRONICLE expressed
his belief that the order known as the
knights Of Labor was striving, III the
main, to advance correct principles and
that he was il accord with them III their
endeavors to educate and better the con
dtion of the men who work with their
hands The gentleman said, in substance,
THAT is the only objection | have to the
CHRoNICLE ii lends all its influence TO
the worklugmen and is not SO good
friend Of capital rs it is Of labor. | am
opposed to the knights of Labor in toto
and think the CHRONICLE is doing itself
great inju.y IN standing by the order"
As all our readers know, the CHRONICLE
has been the consistent friend of this order
As LONG IS IT KEPT OFT or POLITICS and it is
day as it has ever been and ever will
be, the sincere friend Of the workingmen.
But who are the ''workingmen" whom we
would befrleud They are all men who
whether with the plow or the plane
or the pen.
That man is an enemy to his country
who tries to array men in one condition
against men in another; who would make
the manual laborcr feel that he ought to
distrust the brain worker; who would stir
up and fan the flames Of class distinction.
The tenet Of the CHRONICLE is that it
knows no man from his occupation, We
regard a man as man and nothing more.
We have no sentimental guoh or crocodile
tears to shed over the workingmen or any
other class who by hard labor earn their liy
ing. We don't sympathize with com
munism or socialism ii any shape or form,
or in oppression by wealth, or withhold
ing of just compensation for labor We
regard the conduct of the Republican
leaders in North Carolina in the late cam
paign and the continued utterances OF
peripatetic agitators in arousing the preiu
dices Of the poor against the rich as the
most demoralizing and deteatable mode OF
campaigning ever seen III the State. 1t Is
that and it is more than that. 1t threatens
to destroy the very government itself. 1t
is as unwise for the poor class to hate
and seek to injure the rich, as it IS rob
berry for the rich to oppress the poor
The character of the argument in the cam
paigning in Wake-it was similar in some
other counties-was this The Demo-
cratic party is the party Of aristocrats and
rich men. There is no place IL it for poor
men. The Republican party is the friend
of the poor man This is Il contest of poor
against rich. 1t is Il contest of those who
have something against those who have
nothing. Every Republican speech we
heard or heard of was almost in its en-
tirety devoted to the demogogueical
attempt to make the poor people be
lieye that the Democratic party was their
peculiar enemy. Such tactics helped the
Republicans to partial success this year If
such arguments should succeed again we
would tremble for the prosperity and per
petuity Of our country and its Institutions
If the Knights of Labor helped las is openly
stated) to make such a campaign they de
serve harsh cenSurc.
The wage earners in this country have
the power to control. They ought to have
it. But every man who works is an ear
man. The proper exercise of this power
involves the highest responsibility. How
| shall the poor man, who has children and
| who loves his country, best fulfill his first
duty to his family and his second duty to
his country? By following the lead Of men
who live by perpetual agitation? BY lis
| tenng to the croakings of malcontents? {?
| By needing the high sounding rhetoric of
/ peripatetic labor orators who make their
living by arousing class prejudice?
Not at ALL The men who work with
their hands occupy to-day a critical posi-
tion-one that demands wisdom and de-
liberation. The social questions are the
/ great questions of the day. The laborlng
men-the idlers-the hoarderS of wealth.
must study them. The hand workers can,
if they choose, initiate Samson and pull
down the house on their supposed enemies
and upon themselves. But they them
selves cannot escape in the wreck. What
helps one man helps another whenever
the hand says to the brain have no need
of thee or the brain-worker despiSes the
hand tOiler there comes the day of anar-
chv, the day of ruin to all. We hope
never TO live to see it.
Unions, Brotherhoods, Lodges every
agency to advance the workingman-ou
to be encouraged and supported But
| every man who loves his country must
oppose everything that tries to build VI
distinctions between men of equal sense
and equal skill. The Knights of Labor
have undoubtedly accomplished some
good Outside of politics they can do
much for labor and can command the en-
dorsement of all men. But when they
make fight by arraying poor against rich
educated against ignorant, birth in hum
BILE surroundings against birth in wealthy
circles and pander to the prejudice against
LAWYERS, the CHRONICLE unhesltatlngl y
condemns such actions and warns the order
that it cannot live and accomplish good by
such methods.
An Early Rising Editor.
from Elizabeth City Falcon.