The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-10
of which was the attribntng of the riot in Chi
cago to the recent use OF the militia by the Cor
ernors of Illinois and Wisconsin
MASTER WORKMAN PowDEsLY.
Another of His Secret Circulars Speedily
Finds It's Way to the Public.

Another of His Secret Circulars Speedily
Finds Its Way to the Public.
CHICAGO, May 9.-The Daily News will say
tomorrow morning that the following secret
circular has been received by the Knights Of
Labor of Chicago, and will be read in their
assemblies during the coming week:
NOBLE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR
PHILADELPHIA, May 3, 1886.
TO the Order. everywhere, greeting:
THE response to the secret circular issued on
March IL has been generous and the indorse-
ment of the sentiment contained therein haa
been so unanimous, that feel encouraged and
strengthened in the work. Nearly four thousand
assemblies have pledged themselves to act on
the advice contained IL the circular of the 18th
ult feel that it only requires the coming to
the front Of the real men of our order to set us
right before tho world We have been losing
ground, SO far as public opinion is concerned for
some time. One of the causes is that we have al
lowed things to be done under the name of the
knights of Labor for which the organization was
IN no wise responsible l ask of our members
to keep jealous eye upon the doing of the labor
men who never labor, and. when they charge
anything to our order in your locality, set tue
seal OF your condemnation upon them at once by
denying IT.. 1t paper criticises the Knights OF
Labor or its officers do not boycott it,
and il you have entered on such boycotts,
stop them. We must bear in mind that our gen.
eral master workman is only q man, and is not
above criticism We demand for ourselves the
right OF free speech. We cannot consistently
deny it to others We must tolerate fair open
criticism and if reply is necessary, make it ina
gentlemanly. dignifed manner If wa are criti-
cised or abused by blackguard Sheet
treat it as you would the blackguard himself-iu
silence. That our aims and objects are good ia
no reason why our members should be regarded
as beings of superior build or material. We are
no more the salt of the earth than the millions
of unknown toiIers who do the work of the
world III our dealings with aborers and capital
lists we must deal justly and fairly by them. Ii
we would have equity done to us, we must id
turn. do equity to Others. That is the aim OF
the Knights of Labor, and must not be lost sight
of in the future.
Let me direct your attention to few little
abuses: l find that wherever a strike occurs
appeals for aid are scattered broadcast among
the assemblies Do not pay one cent for such
purposes in future unless the appeal comes from
your own district assembly or the General
Assembly. If boycott notices are sent you,
burn them. have in my possession over 400
boycott notices which were sent to assemblies
with request that they be acted on Let me
mention some o. them. A certain paper is in
fuential in or the other political parties.
Members OF the opposing party conceive the
idea OF getting rid of the paper, and
Labor. first taking the precaution to
have the paper in question say something
uncomplimentary of the Knights of Labor. In
fact, our order has been used as a tail for huus
soar aloft from all of them ask of the secre--
tary of each assembly to either burn or table all
appeals for help, boycott notices, and waste no
more time in reading considering them.
Some assemblies sent out documents in enveI-
opes addressed to Secretary Of Assembly No
- In many places the secretaries have been
discharged, because of this practice No mem
Der has the right to address another in that way,
and II 1t is ever practiced again, the offenders
will be punished
TN fufu fha o,,%;r hoor
not be nterfered with in the performance of it's
duty. If you have confidence in them show it
and obey them if not, ask for their resigna-
tions, While the board was endcavoring to set
the the Southwest trouble, assemblies in soma
places, with the best of intentions, no
doubt, were passing and publish
ing resolutions condomning Jay Gould.
These things did no good; on the contrary, they
were injurious. In the settlement of troubles it
becomes the duty of the executive board to
meet everybody and go everywhere While they
are doing this they must not be hampered by
the actions of those who do not know
what their task is. Keep quiet; let your officers
do their best, and II you cannot find a way to
aid them do not retard their progress. Resolu-
tions do not prevent land stealing. stock water
ing, or gambling in the necessaries of life If I
had my mind made up TO rob bank at mid
night string of resolutions as long as the moral
law would not influence me particle; but il
some interested party would take the trouble to
study up the question, and would inform himself
as to my right to rob the bank, and would stand
guard at the door Of the vault, would not rob
it at midnight if he did his duty. What we
want from every member is not gush or windy
resolutions about our rights. We know we have
rights without passing resolutions Men who
think, study and act are required.
1.-THE General Assembly will meet in special
session on the 25th of May in the city of Cleve-
land From the receipt of this letter you must
not address any communications to me- nor need
you expect an answer if you do. / have
thousands OF letters piled up around me-
now, and they never can be read much less
answered, by one man. During and since NV
illness the mail delivered at my house has cx-
ceeded four hundred letters day. They come
from everybody and everywhere. / asked
through the journals that no one send letters
to me. am told by some to get help.
If had fifty assistants it would do no good, for
it takes my whole time to read half of the letters
and in the middle of my work I am waited on
by some com mittee, who generally misrepresent
after they leave-for every member
of the committee will tell different story
From aow until the General Assembly meets,
Will receive no committees. answer no letters.
must formulate plan for the future, and will
not be interfered with. Let me repeat, j will rev
ceive no committee, answer no letters nor will
go anywhere tthe request of members of assem-
blies. This is imperative. | must have chance
to do something Of benefit for the order. and
cannot do it if arm to sit for eighteen hours q
day reading letters which have been answered
and re-answered in the journal and constitution.
What will say in the General Assembly will be
said to the entire order, and you must give me
time to prepare It.
1--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 we-selected works on labor they
would put the money TO good use.
They will never need the gun or dynamite in
this country. tits my opinion that the man who
does not study the politics of the Nation and the
wants of our people would make but little
use of rifle. The man who cannot
vote intelligently, and who will not watch the
man he votes for after he is elected, cannot be
dynamite. If the head. the brain, Of man
cannot work out the problem now confronting
u.s. his hand alone will never solve IT If I kill