The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-28

it appear so. Some persons have represented to
Parsons that | attacked anarchism since his
trial. / have never mentioned his name /
know nothing about the details OF his case, and
feel as every fair-minded man should,
that ii passion or prejudice had any
thing to do with his conviction or that
of his associates, it would be nothing more than
fair TO give them another trial Justice has
nothing to fear from a searching investigation
into every case. | have never regarded the
action of the Anarchists of Chicago during the
early days of May as having anything to do with
the Knights OF Labor no matter how much cer-
tain people may have endeavored to identify
that movement with our order. The men who
threw the bombs in Chicago did not receive
their teachings in an assembly of the knights of
Labor. nor did they act in accordance with any
law. summons or command Of any of its officers
IN committing any acts of violence. In conse
Quence, our order cannot be held responsible for
their acts of violence know that certain men
connected with the anarchist movement in Chi
cago are endeayoring to create a feeling against
me because of the ordering off the strike on the
18th of last month, and they claim that over
stepped my authority They also claim
that Messrs. Barry and Carleton are op-
posing me for the action l took. In this
they are mistaken, for neither OF the gentle
men named has expressed himself in any man
ner calculated to give ont such an impression.
1t is true that Barry and Carleton were both in
Chicago when the order to declare the strike off
was sent from Philadelphia Before ordering
the strike off had the opinions of four members
of the executive board of the Knights of Labor
in addition to my own views. These were
Messrs. Hays, Bailey. Mcclure and Aylesworth.
They were unanimous in voting to put an end to
the strike, and gave as their reasons that the
order had not decided it proper at the time to
strike for eight hours They also held that it
was an act Of Injustice for people who were re-
ceiving good wages to strike for shortening the
hours of labor at a certain point, while men en-
gagged IN the same line of business throughout
the country were competing with them on the
ten-hour system. / have the assurances of q
number Of men engaged in that line of business
that they willing to establish the eight t-hour
system just as it can be made uniform
throughout the country, and the men OF Chicago
will he gamers with others by the move
ment. If that strike were continued in
Chicago, the men would expect support from the
knights of Labor throughout the country. 1t
would not be consistent in me, as chairman of
the executive board, to ask men who are work
ing ten, twelve and fifteen hours day, who are
working for compensation ranging from 70
cents to ST. so per day, to support strike for an
elght-hpur system al only one point"
rs the revolt against your leadership as deep
as the dispatches indicated" asked the cor
respondent.
''1heso is no revolt against me in Chicago"
said Mr.. Powderley. 1.-The General Assembly
which sent Mr. Barry to Chicago unanimously
voted to adopt the suggestion of the chairman,
that only the good offices of the Knights of
Labor were rendered toward settling the
trouble; but in the event of failure the order
should rot be called on for financial assistance.
l don't care for any revolt that few hot heads
may inaugurate," continued Mr.. Powderly, with
a smile. "The order will stand by me-" and the
executive board is with me to man in defend
ing the organization from the assaults OF its
enemies within and without. / don't like to en-
gage in a.newspaper discussion, he added, las
have time for such work | have no fear of
any revolt. The order will stand by me in ad
yocating Justice and fair play, and l can advo-
cate nothing else"