The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-09
Ten Thousand Coal Miners Cease Work, and
Four Thousand Carpenters Follow Suit
-BoycOtting City Directory.
THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
Master Workman POwderly Talks of tn
Growth and Purposes of the Order.

Master Workman Powderiy Talks of the
Growth and Purposes of the Order.
PHILADELPHIA, March s.-Grand Master
Workman Powderly, the head of the Knights of
Labor organizations, who is in this city attending
q meeting of the general executive board, said
tonight, to a representative of the Associated
Press that he had received no summons to ST
Louis, to settle the difficulties between the
strikers and the Gould system; that there is no
significance in the fact that SO many strikes are
now in progress in the United States by assem-
blies of the Knights of Labor
s'It is a coincidence, merely" said he, "and
there is no concerted action contemplated by
the order, as has been suggested, the strikes be-
ing incidental, and, think, chiefly owing to the
fact that this is just the beginning of the spring
trade and the opening of period of prosperity
in business"
Mr.. Powderly, upon being asked whether he
did not think that the increase in the number of
strikes Just now was owing to the knowledge of
an increased power by the organizations Of la
Dor, said:
~ doubt it. land think that speak
for the general executive board-do not think it
is wise to inaugurate SO many strikes. unless it
can be shown there is an extreme necessity for
them. If many of the men who are striking
would display little more common sense and
use little more patience they would get all they
are striking for and save their time and money
in the bargain. If they would exercise the
proper moderation in their negotiations with
their employers and submit their claims, firmly
made and properly represented, to arbitration am
free to say that sure that cases out of ten
which end in strikes could be satisfactorily
ranged without resorting to such an extreme and
generally doubtful expedient. Indeed, in the
nine cases there would be no necessity for a
strike. There is feeling now that labor must
be recognized by the employers that the employ
ers must listen to the employees; and the time
has come when the shopman, the mill owner, the
manufacturer in every department OF trade, is
ready to listen to the demands of his men, and
to yield to them when those demands are reason
able. Organization, discipline and realization
of the right and the might in the case, has
on the part of the employers should not be re-
pulsed by hasty and inconsiderate action on the
part of the workingmen."
Arbitration, then, and. not strikes. is the
theory Of the order9" said the reporter.
eyes, arbitration always when it is possible;
strike only as last resort. But when that
point is reached strike hard, strike in earnest,
and never surrender. except to just concessions.
Why, this board (polnting to the members, who
were listening) has, since the 1st of January, set
tied by arbitration $50 cases which would other
hov tad in etri<as with tho coip
ing of single point by the strikers. The
knights of Labor and the other labor organiza
tions in sympathy with its plans constitute, at
the present time, the most powerful organiza
tion of workingmen ever known in the history of
the world. It's strength is increasing every day,
and its influence is felt every day in every
branch of trade in this country. 1t is dangerous
to abuse this power. 1t can always insist
upon just demands carefully considered and
thoughtfully digested 1t cannot afford to fritter
itself away upon every little pretense Of wrong,
hastily formulated and pig-headedly insisted
upon. The growth of the power of labor should
be an occasion for calm deliberation and moder-
alton. The workingmen should be careful to see
to it that they do sap and undermine their
strength by extreme demands and unreasonable
assumption of Importance and power. 1t is. as
some one has said before me, good thing to
have the power of giant, but it is an evil thing
to use it like giant It was the disposition on
the part of the employers to refuse to treat with
their workmen that made the labor organization
a necessity to them. Now that we have the pow
er which comes from organization, we must use
that power wisely and moderately, and be care
full that we do not change position with the en-
ployer. and refuse to treat with him, except at
the muzzle of the pistol-or the strike, which
is about the same thing. A strike should be
the last resort, when everything else has failed,
and not an everyday expedient, which, used
as such, loses its power as it increases in fre-
quency- In the old assemblies, which are familiar
with our plans and purposes, strikes Were in
frequent 1t is the new, and, as yet not fully
informed organizations, which, upon sometimes
insufficient and frequently trivial causes, make
this final and desperate appeal. AS our organi-
cations grow there will be less strikes Our
power will be, in time, greater than men now
think. 1t will last long as we use it wisely
land 1t will be so used. 1t is q power no less
important than the Constitution itself"
''Is the strike the last resort Of the Knights Of
Labor?p
The Master Workman smiled. II see, said