The Labor enquirer., 1886-08-14
the principle that, to the producer

the principle that, to the producer be-
longs the product.
But right here the fox steps in. He
is the emissary of Capitalism. His par
ticular mission upon this occasion is 10
prevent a coalition of the elements
which differ hardly at all; for he and
his masters know thatif such union is
perfected then all the cunning of the
former and the cruelty of the latter can
not avail against its Intelligent force.
Wise men in the labor movement
have for sometime seen that there pust
be q complete union of the Trades
Union and Knight of Labor forces. They
realize that the interests of all who
work for wages are identical and that to
better protect those.inteTests there must
be universal, compact organization. For
time distinct, class organization may
succeed in upholding the interests of Its
own members, by refusing to consider
the welfare of all other wage workers;
but such success Is bound to end in ulti-
mate failure in an age where inventive
genius is continually making inroads
into the supposed stronghold of skill.
1t requires no argument to prove this
statement to the man who has been able
to see and read during the past twenty
years.
But selfshness is sometimes blind to
its own detriment, as we'll as the well
fare of others, and herein lies the dan
ger of the present situation and the fox
is in the seventh heaven of ecstacy. \
The Knights of Labor, standing upon
the broad platform that all honest work
ers have an equal right to protection in
the enjoyment of their productions, has
grown to an enormous membership
greater by large odds than all the other
labor organizations combined. A fair
proportion of the members of Trades
Unions are also Knights of Labor. and,
for reasons which each one may find for
himself, it is generally the most ener-
getic, thorough and self-denying union
man who allies himself with the
Knights. 1t is also true, on the other
hand, that as rule, the most active and
valuable Knights are Trades Uuionists.
Under these circumstances what more
natural than that the tendency should
be towards an amalgam alton of the vari-
GUS organizations into one grand body,
which would give the workers complete
control over their labor and it's results
What have been tn Q practical sugges-
tions of these earnest men ? They have
recommended that all national and in
ternational Trades Unions become Dis
trict assemblies of the knights of Labor
thus bringing all the organized workers
into one body. Many of the benefits to
accrue from such con oncentration must
be apparent to every thoughtful person.
But did they ask that these trade Or
CARNATIONS surrender any of the distiuc
tive features IN their present methods of
controlling their own affairs ? No. 1t
is cardinal principle, we'll understood,
that each Trade District assembly shall
have full and absolute control of all mat
ters which are purely relative to its
trade. Then why the concentration : ?
That the whole power of the producing
classes could be brought to bear to pro-
tect the rights of any one branch, and
that none should exercise a power to
infringe upon the ground where the
rights of another begin. He who will
not endorse this as principle, is not a
true man and merits the contempt of all
honest people.
So urgently and ably has this amalga-
nation been advocated, and so favorable
were becoming the conditions that capi
taliem, seeing in the contamination of
this aim the overthrow of it's tyrannical
powers, has turned its forces loose and
like the fox in the parable, it is
urging on fight between the labor or
CARNATIONS. Look at the trouble in
New York City.
The worst feature of it all is, that the
most useful tools of the capitalists are
found inside the labor organizations !;
they are creatures of base ambitions, of
iealousies and petty spites, and they fall
an easv prey to the bribes and trickery
OF the enemies of labor.
Let the above paragraph strike whom
it will, care not; and say now, as l
have said before, that the first duty of
lapor organism is to free itself of these
tools-wittinglv or unwittingly-of capi-
talism. Purge the ranks; get rid of the
kickers, the plotters, the political oppor-
tunists and all the other obstructionists,
and then the march to victory and per-
manent success is straight and clear.
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CIVILIZATIONS VICTIMS.