Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-10-07
MIR. Powderly's Address.

GOOD deal that Is not vet known 10 most OF
his brethren OF the order OF the Knights OF
Labor.
The FIRST thing that ought 10 be learned
by all who would like TO be instrumental In
solving the labor problems OF the day is that
most OF the men thus engaged, whether
warning against the employer or against
the employe, are honest and sincere. They
are not wiiiuily doing wrong. For many
persons, 1t j. difficult to cOncede. or even 10
believe, that such is the fact; yet such 1t
must be, or else human nature is so desplca-
Die thing that we ought all TO be ashamed
OF ~. Note, for example, in what plain
language MIR. PowDERLY condemns the
car.driver.' strike and proceedings there
under in st. Louis. and also the Southwest
strike.
Mr.. POwERDLY's remarks upon theeight.
hour strike Of May last cover the whole
ground, and show clearly that he has
studied the question involved in it,.
"Neither workmen nor employees were
ready for it," The very DISCUSSION he
says, "iniuIed business = seriously. Read
his words, ye Richmond Knights, and own
that they apply TO this city. Mr.. Pow
Derby says:
"Millions Of dollars worth Of work was
left undOne because OF the uncertainty in
regard 10 taking contracts or in making en-
gage ments 10 perform work. The
householder. through uncertainty as to
how many hours of labor his employees
would work for him, made no contracts to
erect buildings, and tue carpenter was
thrown out Of employment; the man who
made the window. glass; the man who made
the nails in fact, every man OF woman
engaged in the manufacture Of articles
which go 10 build or furnish house-suf-
fered through the attempt to enforce the
eight-bour sy,tem on May 1st."
In a word, institutions and customs and
habits grow; they cannot be made out Of
hand. Evolution. not progress per Saltum,
Is the law Of society.
Mr.. POwDERLY recognizes the fact that
the invention OF labor-saying machinery
has had large fundamentally in pro-
ducing the unhappy condition Of things
now existing. His remarks upon this sub
ject necessarily leave the subject Just
where it was before. lie does not pretend
to believe tbgt it would be right 10 pro.
hibit the invention Of new labOr-saying
machines, or destroy those already in use.
The circulation OF the New York jPOrid
last Sunday was over 100000 copies. On
hand-presses, four men used TO print about
a thousand sheets an hour. 1t would,
therefore, have taken $50 men and go
band.presses four hours to do the work
that was done in the case before Us
BY few men and few presses. Who,
however, would therefore destroy fast
printing-pressfs Mr.. PowDEaLY tells
what be iearsi coming, but he merely be-
walls the fate OF the wcrkingman. He can
not point out the remedy. He does indeed
tell us that "the machine must become the
slave Of the man instead Of keeping the man
subordinate TO the machine" but he does
not tell Us bow this is t. De done. To quote
the New Testament, it is like telling men
"Be yewarm," and "Be ye clothed" lie
adds:
"a plan Of cooperation through which
operates must one day Supersede the pres
ent system. TO properly map ont such
plan requires more time than have had or
am likely TO have at my disposal. can
only cooperate with others in the work."
All, he will indeed be wise man who
shall teach lis how "the workman may con-
troll the machine he operates" The world
is so old that 1t contains ffteen hun
dred millions Of inhabitants, hut The pass
Ing Of thousands Of years has not enabled
It to devise that plan. Nevertheless, we do
not oensure the nottingham for hoping
for more productive future.
Mr.. PowpKRLY tells the story We have
lust alluded TO better than we can tell 1t.
Hear him:
.sBcfore n short-hour system that will be
Of any benefit 20 mankind can be inaugu'
rated, the relations which the workman
bears 10 the labor.saying machine must un'
dcrgo a radical change. shorten the hOdrs
Of l4toT under our present system aud the
streets will not be emptied of their idle
thousands. Mote machines viii be erect.
cd and more children called into SER
Vice b feed them. The assertion that the
advocate OF short hours desires 20 stop pro.
duc,ion Is false. IL il 10 make prOdue ton
gradual. healthy, aud have II keep pace with
The wants OF the consumer, keeping all men
employed, so that idleness win disappear
and the producer remain n consumer II his
fullest eapaeity, that We desire a shortening
Of the hours Of labor. Visit our large and
small factories and you find that the me
ehanic OF the past Is but the feeder OF tn
machine of the present. We already bear
Of machines IN course Of perfection whicl
will SCI the type aud mould the cigar
faster than human bands can 10 the work
and electricity will soon take the throttle
lever from the hand ~ the man who run
lie locomotive. The day will soon dawI
when thesc agencies will be dolng thcil
work; and when that day does come Ia,
mechanic, now 50 proud OF his calling. wil
star fsce % face with the alternative o.
asking for charity or the adoption OF The
calling oi the street-scaycnger. When that
day comes, the man who now seeks u
array isbor against labor in asserting thai
the 'S3.a-day mau should not move 10 the
same society circles with the man who
works for n day viii either seek 20
crowd the sl.a-day man out OF his place or
accent the crumbs OF charity 10 sustain
life. History VIII repeat itself. and the
fight for existence will be waged With I'M
ftlthung iuI!s
The eandor Of the following declaration
T. praisewcrthy. Mr.. POwDERLY says:
eli the management OF the large or
small concerns in operation Ia this coun.
Try were turned over 10 US to-day We would
but run them In the ground, for We lack the
business training necessary 10 successfully
operate them. Our vanity NAV prevent us
from acknowledging this 10 be true, bat we
cannot deny II. II Is through no fauitDi
ours thai IL Is true, but II Il continues it
will he our fault"
But enough. We need not quote further.
What we have quoted shows that the
knights Of Labor have put the right man
ut their head. We cannot believe tina. a
man who has studied the labor problem as he
has studied II, and reached the conclusions
10 which be has come, VIII ever countc'
narec schemes calculated II not intendedt)
disrupt society. lie Is no "fool 10 rush In