The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-27

tion, but that of your employer Find out how
much you are justly entitled to. and then the
tribunal of arbitration will settle the rest. Or
ganizers who publish an account Of their work
to the world, assemblies that publish an account
of their strength to the world, and members,
whether public or private, who speak boastlngly
Of our strength to the world, are very indiscreet
Mind your own business. Keep your own coun-
sci. If the world wishes to learn anything concern
ing us let it ask for information. If it is proper
to give the information we may do it. Where
we win victory let us be magnanimous, and
not boast of it or speak slightingly OF the van
pulsed. He who does So is coward Each
district assembly, each local assembly, must
appoint a competent committee on instructions
to teach our members what the order was In
tended for. l have no advice as to how much
they should be taught Let them learn ala they
can.
The Knights of Labor are not opposed to the
employer Of labor, but it was pot intended that
the order should harbor unjust employers. In
many assemblies the employer and manufacturer
have controlling influence. The men who work
for them will express themselves as they feel,
and in my opinion, it would be best to treat
with an employer as he is rather than ae broth
er knight. We can deal just as fairly by him
beyond the wells as within the sanctuary. Take
In as few employers as possible.
The name OF this order and its principles are
published everywhere and men who stood open
ly arrayed against us two years ago are now our
friends. Beware of them. Take them In II you
will, but watch them. The politician is plan
ming night and day how to catch the Knights of
Labor for the advantages Of himself or party.
and, rest assured, he has his emissaries in our
ranks We must expect this, and we must
stamp out every effort Of the party man--it
matters not Of which party-who attempts to
use US for political purposes. 70 those assem-
blies which drag the name of the order into the
political action of any party say: We are great
or than any party on American soil to-day, and
we must remain so. Every reform that could
possibly come through the organization of a new
party can be obtained without one We are
every day gaining concessions from State and
the formation of Lew party. To use the name
OF the order in political contest is criminal,
and must never occur again.
1t is evident that our members are not proper
~ instructed, else we would not find them pass
ing resolutions approving OF the action OF our
executive officers in fixing the 1st of May as the
day to strike for eight hours" The executive
officers of the Knights of Labor have never fixed
upon the 1st of May for o strike of any kind
Assemblies of the Knights of Labor must not
strike for the eight-hour system on May ], under
the impression that they are oheying orders from
headquarters for such an order was not and will
not be given. Neither employer nor employe
are educated to the needs and necessities for the
short hour plan. If one branch of trade or one
assembly is in such condition, remember that
there are many who are in total ignorance of the
movement. Out Of the GO, 0,000,000 of people in
the United States and Canada, our order has
Of the millions in favor of the short-hour plan
before May IL It Is nonsense to think of it. Let
us learn why our hours of labor should be re-
duced. and then teach others
Nearly every State assembly that has been
formed since the General Assembly met has
been organized amid discord and contention. I
fear that the struggle is not to serve the order
so much as to servo personal ends. Nearly every
assembly in the States of Kansas and Michigan
has complained to me about the attempts being
made tO tato To OF mt
to elevate labor by starting out an assembly Of
any kind with fight is folly. 1t would be far
better to stop work in these States now, and be-
gin again in a practical way, than to carry the
work forward under the prejudices and animosi-
ties now resting in the breasts of the digsp-
pointed ones.
Our order is business institution. It must
be run on business principles, and if It is not
mismanaged concerns. In selecting officers to
manage a banking concern the men best quail
fed are chosen. The rash, nconsiderate man is
set aside; the man who is quick of temper and
hasty of speech is passed over and the man of
maturer judgment and business qualities is Sc
lected l am panied to witness the quality of
men some parts of our order select for i'm
portant work. These words of mine must be
needed or this order goes down as surely as
night follows day. Elect no man because of his
fine speech or impetuosity; put none but the
coolest men in positions of any kind. Keep them
there and uphold them in their work 1t is not
the duty OF an officer to picture the wrongs of
man until he excites his assembly to fever heat
Heaven knows the indignities which labor COM
plains OF are grlevous enough and require no
painting We must look at them as they really
exist and settle them as best we can.
Viii write, a dispatch is handed me in
our brother, and We struck for you know our
motto is, An injury to one is the concern of
ALL" Yes IAN injury to one is the concern of
all, BUT 1T is NOT WISE TO INJURE ALL FOR THE
CONCERN OF ONE. 1T WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR
BETTER TO CONTINUE AT WORK and properly in
vestigate the matter, bringing it before every
known tribunal, than to have struck. The
thousands OF men now earning nothing could
have given ten cents apiece to support the
brother for few weeks much easier than to
spend weeks and months in idleness Many of
them will never be restored to their former posi-
tions. In this case the injury to one was not re-
paired, and all concerned will be more or less in
jured. We could have prevented our brother
from being injured by assisting him in a far diff
ferent way Zeal in the cause sometimes brings
on the discharge of a member. Sometimes too
open expression of opinion does it. 1t is not
necessary to indulge in the latter.
Now word on another subject: The church
has been watching our order for years. In our
infancy we had but little power for good or for
evil; to-day we are the strongest, as well as the
weakest labor organization on earth. Strong
in numbers and principles; strong in justice of
our demands, If properly made, we are weak in
the methods we use to set our claims before the
world Strikes are often the forerunners of law
less actions One blow brings on another and
if single act Of ours encourages the anarchist
element we must meet with the antagonism of
the church. I warn members against hasty
illconsidered action. The church will not inter-
fere with us so long as we maintain the law. If
the law is wrong it is our duty to change it. l
am ashamed to meet with clergymen and others
to tell them that our order is composed of law
abiding, intelligent men, while the next dispatch
brings the news of some petty boycott or strike.
The daily papers have a column devoted to
strikes and boycotts every day, and some of the
causes are ridiculous.
! write this circular to lay before the order
the exact condition of things / am neither
physically nor mentally capable of performing
the work required of me. I am willing to do my
part, but must not be asked to maintain false
two things must take place: Either the local
and district assemblies of the order must obey
its laws. or must be permitted To resign from