Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-05-10
A Circular from Mr.. Powderly.


during the coming week
Noble Order of the Knights OF
Labor of America,
Philadelphia, May 5, 1856.
TO the Ordcr ECerywhere, Greeting:
The response to the secret circular Issued
on March 18th has been so generous and
the endorsement of the sentiments contained
in it has been so unanimous that l feel en-
couraged and strengthened in the work.
Nearly 1000 assemblies have pledged them.
selves to act on the advice contained in the
circular of the 18th 1llt. feel that it only
requires the coming to the front of the real
men of our order to set US right before the
world. We have been losing ground so far
"a public opinion is concerned for some
time. One of the causes is that we have
allowed things to be done under the name
| of the Knights of Labor for which the or
ganization was in no way responsible. |
ask of our members to keep jealous eye
upon the doings of the labor men who never
labor, and when they charge anything to
our order in your locality set the seal of
your condemnation upon it at once by deny
ing it. fla paper criticises the Knights of
Labor or its officers do not boycott it, and if
you have any such boycotts on remove
| them. A ournal not long since made some
|
Master Workman of the Knights of Labor,
and at the next meeting of the nearest as
sembly motion was cast to boycott the
paper not that alone, but every person who
advertised in the columns of the paper.
wrote to the assembly asking that they re-
move the boycott and it was done. We
must bear in mind that the General Master
Workman is only man and is not above
criticism. We demand for ourselves "the
right of free Speech" We cannot consist
emily deny it to others. We must tolerate
fair, open criticism. If a reply is necessary
make it in q gentlemanly, dignifed man
ner. IF we are criticized or abused by
BLACKBOARD sheet treat it as you would the
hlackguard himself-in silence.
That our aims and objects are good is no
reason why our members should be regard
ed as beings of superior build or material.
We are no more the salt of the earth than
the millions of unknown toilers who do the
work of the world. In our dealings with
aborers and capitalists we must deal Justly
and fairly by them. If we would have it
equally done to US we in turn must do
| equally so to others. This is the aim of the
Knights OF Labor, and must not be lost sight
| Of in future. Let me direct your attention
| to few little abuses. find that wherever
strike occurs appeals for aid are scattered
broadcast among the assemblies Do not
pay one cent for such purposes in future un-
| less the appeal comes from your own district
assembly or the General Assembly. If boy
colt notices are sent to you burn them. |
| have in my possession 400 boycott notices
which were sent to assemblies with request
that they be acted upon. Let me mention
some of them "A member is editing
paper he fears rival and proceeds to get
into an alteration with him, boycotts him,
and then asks the order to carry it out. A
certain paper is influential in one or the
other of the political parties. Members of
the opposing party conceive the idea of get
ting rid of the paper and they invoke the
aid of the Knights of Labor, first taking the
precaution to have the paper in question say
something mplimentary of the Knights
Of Labor. In fact our order has been used
as tail tor hundred different kites, and
in future it must soar aloft, free from all of
them. hate the word boycott. was boy
cotted ten years ago and could not get work
at my trade for months. 1t is bad prac.
tice il has been handed to us by the CAPT
tals,s. 1 have no use for it only when
everything else fails.
We have had some trouble from drinking
members and from men who talk about
buying guns and dynamite. If the men
who possess money enough TO buy guns and
dynamite would invest it in the purchase
Of some well selected work on labor they
would put the money to good use. They
will never need the guns or dynamite in this
country. 1t is my opinion that the man
who does tot study the politics of the nation
and the wants of the people would make
but little use of 81 rifle The man who can
not vote intelligcntly and who will not
watch the man he votes for after he is elect
ed, cannot be depended OH to use either gun
or dynamite. If the head, the brain Of man,
cannot work out the problem now confront
ing us, his hand alone will never solve
it. If I kill my enemy l silence
him, it is true, but do not convince him.
! would make 4 convert rather than corpse
of my enemy, Men who own capital are
not our enemies. If that theory held good
the workman Of day would be the enemy
of his fellow toiler on the morrow, for after
oil it is how 10 acquire capital and how TO
use it properly that we are endeavoring to
learn. No. The man of capital is not ne
cessarily the enemy Of labor, Oh the con-
trary. they must be brought closer togeth
err. am we'll aware that some extremists
will say l am advocalinga weak plan, and
will say that bloodshed and destruction of
property alone Will solve the pr0Dlem. III
man speaks such sentiments in an assem-
bly, read for him the charge which the mas
ter workman repeats to the newly initiated
who joins our Army Of Peace" 1.-The re-
peats his nonsense put him out. In the
hands of men entirely great the pen is
mightier than the sword. To that add
In hands of men entirely mouth the gun is
harmless us his sword.
We must have no clashing between the
men of labor's army. If am the cause
of the trouble, stand ready at moments
notice to make way for any one of my rivals
whom the General Assembly may select.
When joined the Knights Of Labor left
the trade union. l believe the aims and OBJ
iects of our order come first; | believe in
combining all the scattered battalions of la
boris mighty host in one grand whole. La
Dor saving inventions, steam and electric
r