Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-12-25
PoWDERLrs COMMON SENSE.

POWDERL Y'S COMMON SENSE.
MIR. Powderly could not have done a
greater or more timely service to the
Knights of Labor than to call halt to
the movement, on the part of assemblies
of that order, to raise funds and also
sympathy for the condemned anarchists
in Chicago. In certain of the Chicago as
sembles the anarchistIc element is clearly
in the majority and has not hesitated to
either express itself or give as much eff
feet as possible to its sentiments and as
pirations. Not content with passing
resolutions breathing sym 1atby for Spies,
Parsons aud the other condemned men !;
with denouncing the court and jury, it
also inaugurSted the work of raising
contemplated in TIT supreme court of Ill
inois. 1t is true that it would not be
just to connect the Knights ofILabor, as a
whole, with this movement--to hold the
order, from Maine to California, respon-
slble for the utterances and actions of the
two assemblies in Chicago, But, inevita-
bly, the course Of the Chicago assemblies
involved their brothers throughout the
entire country, and brought Knights of
Labor generally under suspicion as SYM
pathizers with the condemned men. "If
the Knights do not approve the action of
their Chicago brethren"-so reasoned the
public-"why is 1t that somebody in au-
thority does not intervene and let the
world know that the order is misrepre-
sented9" This is precisely what Mr.
Powderly has done-done very emphati-
cally, too-and his action is most oppor-
tune. The Knights OF Labor are numer-
GUS and their order Is a strong one, but
it is not strong enough to array itself
against public sentiment in this matter.
1t Is preferable to believe that Mr.. Pow
derby, in his order forbidding the collec-
lions for the anarchists, voices the senti.
ment of the organization of which he is
the head, and 1t will be well for the
Knights II they show to the world
stand. Nobody will question the right or
the propriety of individuals contributing
to the help OF the unfortunate, misguided
men, who are in prison and sentenced to
death. Their condition fairly challenges
commiseratlon and pity, and it would be
ahard-hearted man, great as their Offend
Ing was, who could withhold it. But
this sympathy should manifest itself
through individual channels and not as
the action Of grea. organization that
claims to be based on conservatism, and
DESTROYS of maintaining social and politI
caleorder. Carried to its logical sequence,
the anarchistic doctrine would overturn
and wreck the social fabric In this coun.
try, affecting the interests Of the laboring
man as well as the capitalist. Mr.. Pow
DERBY came to the rescue In the nick of
time, and let us hope his course will
have the result Of dlsentangling the
knights OF Labor from situation that
must have proved highly detrimental to
the order, Every fair-minded American
desires to see the anarchists have every
right, and the benent of every opportun-
ity due them under the law. II thew
lacked means to get into court, THE GA.
zETfE itself would cheerfully contribute
to secure them hearing. But in so do
Ing THE GAZETTE could not feel any
sympathy for the principle involved, or
aoate one iota of its detestatlon of the
aparchistic propaganda. Without desir-
ing or intending to establish standard
for others, THE GAZETTE conceives that
the knights of Labor cannot, with pro.
.priety and justice to themselves, take
any other view of the matter.