Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-20
The Ambition of Martin Irons.


Mr.. Martin Irons, who ordered the
strike on the Gould system Of roads,
promises to make trouble for General
Master Powderly. He does not deny that
he is a candidate for Mr.. Powderly's place,
and it seems he has quite strong sup
port for the position. There are great
many Knights of Labor who do not APP
prove of Mr.. Powderly's conservative
course. They would like to have a man
at the head of the knights who is more
aggressive and who, perhaps, would
rather settle labor troubles by means Of
the strike and the boycott than by arbi-
tration.
Mr.. Iro ms says that be thinks that Mr..
Powderly is an honest man, but that he
lacks judgment. He doesn't like the way
Mr.. Pawderly treated him during the
Southwestern labor trou bles, and his pres
ent attitude, perhaps, is due to a desire
to punish Mr.. POwderly rather than pro-
mote the welfare of the Knights OF La
Dor.
1t is much more probable, however,
that at the approaching convention of the
Knights the power OF ordering strikes
will be taken from the ohairmen of dis
trlct assemblies and vested wholly in
the chief executive, or general board,
than that Mr.. Irons will be chosen to the
position OF General Master Workman.
The strike which Mr. Irons ordered, and
which attracted the attention of the en-
tire country for weeks, was a most dis
asLrOus one for the Knights. 1t was not
only unsuccessful but thousands of the
strikers are now out of employment and
dependent upon the organization for sup.
port.
A great many Knights in different parts
of the country were led to believe by I'M
founded statements in one or two papers,
which pretended to be organs of work
ingmen, that the strike on the Gould sys-
TEN was not ordered because of the dis
CHI arge of the man Hall, an employe of the
Texas Pacific railroad. Mr.. Irons, how
ever, was virtually forced to admit that
the strike was ordered because Hall was
discharged. In his testimony before the
Congressional committee he was asked:
"When did you first conclude that a strike
was necessary 30 He answered: "W hen
u
Knights had other grievances, but he
could not recall one that had been dis
cussed in the assemblies. He even couldn't
remember any grievances which had come
under his personal observation, and he
said he didn't know what grievances
were discussed in his executive board
when the question of ordering a strike
was considered. He further said that he
never made any complaints to officers of
the railroads except in one case, and that
in that case the complaint was heard and
the cause of it removed.
Mr.. Irons certainly made out a very
poor case for himself and a very bad de-
tense Of his action in his testimony before
the Congressional Committee. From his
own showing the strike was inexcusable
and without the least justification. And
yet this man who is responsible for OBJ
structing the commerce OF great section
Of the country for weeks; for riots in
which men lost their lives, aud for the
pitiable condition in which thousands of
workingmen with families dependent
upon them at present find themselves,
aspIres to the chief place in the organiza-
ton of the Knights of Labor.
1t is safe to say that Mr.. Irons am.
bition will never be gratified. There are
too many men of sound common sense
and cool judgment among the Knights to
displace a man like Mr.. POwderly for one
like Martin Irons.