The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1886-10-14
GENERAL MASTER WORKMAN FowDERIr.

ANYTHING concerning the duty Of the Knight to
the order, have plunged into rash and tll-con-
aaaered Strikes T. Is an establishsd fact that
stood up on the floor Of. the last general assem-
bly, made tnfammatoty speeches urging the,
men to deeds Of violence. and urged that the
property OF the street car companies jbe de-:
stroyed. It was only the good sense Of the mon
that prevented suoh outrages from being perpe-
trated, although these agents OF a nefarious spy
system induced ssme desperate men to blow up
the cars upon the streets Of St Louis. For
these ontrages the order was in no way respon-j
stble. The st. Louis car troubles were but the
beginning OF the tidal wave OF strikes and boy.
colts which swept over the country. and which
strained the strength and resources Of your gem
eral officers almost beyond their powers! of en-.
the Missouri Pacific men while they were on q
strike. No such statement ever escaped my
lips. That the men Of the Southwest suffered
and IL is my firm belief that the railway COM
panies, with a full knowledge of what these
grievances were. precipitated the fight them.
world that the strike was for a Insignificant
cause l5s: :.s55zzsS5$ ~
THE N1aHT-HouR STRIKE, 3
which took place May 1, was not successful ex-}
cept In cases where employers and employees
were willing to adopt the plan. In In
many cases the system Of working long
hours has been revived The Federation Of
Or suggested no definite plan by which the short
hour system could be inaugurated. cautioned
our members against rushing into this move
ment. had the right TO do i, and am firm in
the belief thRt.had not done so great loss would
have been entaiied upon vast numbers Of our
assemblies. What said in my secret circular;
Of March IS has been severely criticised. andI
have been accused of opposing the eight-hour
movement. No statement ever was further from
the truth. A reduction of the hours of labor Ia o
necessity, and sooner or later must be had. but
we must not forget that in many places the ten,
hour plan has not been adopted yet. The Yory
discussion Of the sudden introduction5 of the
,eight-hour plan injured business. 30 much SO
that In many places men were reduced TO half,
time or thrown out Of employment altogether
Millions OF dollars worth OF work was left
undone because Of the uncertainty In regard
to taking contracts or In making engagements
to perform work Never was It more
clearly demonstrated that IAN injury to ono Is
the concern Of ALI than III the movement am
adopted. the Knights Of Labor. and the trade
unions OF America must lay aside their jeal-
ousies and differences, come together, name D
adopt the plan Of action. who'll h must b gradual
and such as will not inf1lct injury upon either
employer or workman Before q short-hour
cam be inaugurated. the relation which the work
man bears to the bor-savtng machine must
undergo radical change. Shorten tho hours OF
viii not be emptied Of their. idle thousands.
More machines VIII be erected and more chill
dren will DO called into service to feed them. The
aSoc1b tuhb tue huVOCat6 O1 BuOEb Q6-
sires to stop production is false. It 10 to make
production gradual, healthy. and have It keep
pace with the - wants of the con-
iaisness w sappe.r sss
producer remain q consumer 10 his fullest ca
pacity, that we desire o shortening Of the hours
you find that the mechanic Of the past Is but the
feeder Of the machine Of the present. We already
hear Of machines in course Of perfection which
than human banda n the NOR re- nm n1oc.
tr1city will soon take the throttle lever from the
hand Of the man who runs the locomotive. The
Gay VIII soon dawn when these agencies will be
the mechanic, now so proud Of his calling, will
stand face to face with the alternative of asking
for charity or the adoption Of the calling of the
street scavenger. When that day comes, the
man who now seeks to array labor against labor
in asserting that the "$3 q day man should not
move in the same society circles with the man
the 81 o day man ont OF his place or accept the
crumbs of charity to sustain life History will
repeat Itself, and the fight for existence will be
Waged with unrelenting fury. Ss$tsts ~ l7g7
WHAT Is THE REMEDY?
The machine must become the slave Of the
man instead Of keeping the man In attendance
on and subordinate to the machine. "A plan Of
cooperation through which the workman may
control tho machine he operates must one day
Hupersede the present system. To properly map
out such plan requires more time than I have
had or am likely to have at my disposal can
only Snly go Cooperate Nth others Il the work
principles reads, The prohibition, by law, of
he employment of children under fifteen years
Of age In workshops, mines and factories. The
end SOUGHT for In carrying this declaration into
effect is not that the child may live in idleness;
1t 1s not that more adults mny be employed. It
Ia that the child Of the poor man may be enabled
20 acqutre an education to equip him for the
duties which will in future fall upon him as man
and citizen. With an education all things ara
easy Of accomplishments; without 1t. hope itself
nj nat uv1d1 l1
ganizations Of labor, and It has been 50 from the
beginning. we take up the work OF reform whom
the subject Is advanced in yeare1zthe new menu
him. We attempt to drive from his mind tho
false ideas gathered in from the Workshop or.
possibly the street corner. Els habits are
begun At seven years We take up at twenty OF
later on in life Il the principles Of the Knights
OF Labor are right. and few men question them,
be part Of the duty Of every assembly to ascer-
tain the number OF children who do not attend
school in Its vicinity, learn what the causes ara
sword may strike the shaokles from the limbs Of
the. slave. but its education and organ
fzatton that make Of him; free man. He is
= ask that special committee: on education be
appointed to prepare and recommend to this
general assembly 0 plan for the better education
81 iae i youth TIE trouble With trade
sembi1es have been engaged was greatly magni-
fled and distorted There were mistakes nade
on both aides Some Of orr organizers have
other associations, and on several occasions tbs
rights Of our members have been 3 g.
sERIousLY 1aTERFERED WITH
by members Of trade unions. For the future. j
recommend that all matters likely to create d
breach OF the peace between our order and any
other be At once submitted to the executives {of
both organizations. This plan has worked well
in every new case called to my attention since
adoption: More Trouble has been caused us by
men who profess to be members Of the Knights
9of Labor than by members o. trade unions.
union. does everything honorable IN his power
ior ths Knights 81 Labor who would even It.
have nothing but contampf In my estimation,
there Is but one place Tor such d man, and that
jfs on tho outside Of The order u Sths represent
together. and both are sincere I'd their devotion
10 their respective Organizations, an honest and
satisfactory solution Of every difficulty can be
that have served as peneral master work khan,
made member Of this order d subject OF per.
/ sonal or public ritfcism OF abuse. Such treat
tho mention WIS 70 have ne reply through Tie
gpnbltc press do not know. but haye made It Z
rule never 10 speak ia criticism; harsh or other
ssssgs sa hsn sSs
trained from replying 70 Of yin9 stacks u
accusations agafnst me- except II the presence
/ Ct {. those Who made them hon saIlsd upon q
tempted 10 DO %. 4 I hava been aocrsed 81 Sdis-
playing slaok q nerve, Of want 81 backbone
sand q being too weak q man TO lsad q strong
charges, nor WIN I do 30 now { simply point
back to- D record Of ssyen yeatg Of service.
By s. men q VIII, who ne Iot Kalshts ma
couutannpeed welcomes and h1btr iIl.ndvfeed