The Labor enquirer., 1886-07-24
POwDERLY's PLAIN TALK.
The General Master Workman Ex-
presses Himself to the Green Bottle
Glass Blowers.

ATLANTIC CRY, N. j., July 19.-Tht
Eastern Green Glass Bottle Blowers as
sociation met in Bartlett hall at 10 a. m.
to-day. ,At 1915 General Master Work.
man 7. V. Powderly and A. G. Denny
one Of the organizers of the Knights of
Labor, entered the room. The Assem-
bly, rose and greeted them with ap.
plause. Mr. Powderlv made an address
in which he said in part: 81 listen now
to the sound of music, and it takes
me back to Just an hour ago, when we
got off the train and walked over 0 the
hotel. | saw crowd of men aud women
and soldiers marching past the hotel,
and heard music all about me. I went
up stairs to see. saw the glistenlng
bayOuets, the gray suits and the soldiers
marching in order. thought the well
come to these men was not accorded to
to the men OF the glass association. Did
you see ANYBODY out to meet you ? Did
YOU hear any pianos playing for you?
We looked into their faces, and we saw
that some Of them were men of means,
and some ofthem mean men, Laugh
ter. Who are they? They are clerks :;
they are tradesmen. This refers to the
Fifth Maryland regiment Some of
them were carrying arms along the
street for exhibition. If it were branch
of organized labor, people would assem-
BILE in astOnishment to see them. The
men who produce wealth assemble to
do honor to men who, wheu working
men demand their rights without vio-
lence, are called on to stand as a menace
to them. They stand as a barrier be-
tween labor and capital. | do not say
that Is what they ought to be. That is
what they are. Wherelae or has had
room and time to assert itself that array
of bayonets has stood between laborers
and their rights. 1t has been demon.
strated that two thirds of the regiments
of each state are members of the Knights
of Labor and that when their time ex-
pires thev wilLno re-enlist. Let he
men who are in the banks and in the
railroads the men who oppress labor
fill up these ranks. Then when the two
sides are arrayed against each other We
will see who will win. They will be too
cowardIy t. do 1t. We do not ask or
beg you to come into our order. | do
not prompt YOU to do anything for nv
sake But l ask you for Your own sake
and for the cause of labor that you array
yourselves in our organization. In doing
this you are not asked to surrender the
right to regulate your trade in your own
way, but we promise to assist you in reg
ulating it in a wav you cannot do your
selves. | want to see the day when not
a drop of liquor, or medicine, or oil shall
be poured from bottle that is not made
l? America and by American workmen.
Applause. They call me foolish in my
district for saving this. Any bottle
brought into my house does not 60
back. I can't smash beer bottle, as
drink ginger ale but the bottle never
goes out alive. This is a small thing,
but if 10000 men who get bottles were
to destroy them it would make big
hole. | have been told that in the mat
ter of strikes we should not interfere
with your right to strike. That is your
affair but it You are doubtful of the re-
suit or of your own strength. call in a
member of the general executive board
and let them have a chance in settling
the matter.
"You have heard of the strike and the
boycott? ? 1t has prejudiced some against
us. That is because they have paid at
tentlon to the newspapers. Every time
we boycotted a newspaper We were
asked to do 80 by the Typographical
union. They tried alone and did not
succeed When we acted people refused
to buy that paper, You should stand
side by side with your western brethren
If you do not, it will be standing men
ace to your trade.
1--WE talk about a high protective
tariff. If the wOrkingmen were organ
lied we could take the tariff down. The
tariff protects the manufacturer and not
the workingmsn. They never under
stood until few years ago the bond OF
union between the different branches Of
labor. I desire to see the unifcation Of
labor. Our organization is not perfect,
Everything God made is not perfe Ct
No man is better than his nelghbor. we
ought to assist one another. If that Is
wrong, then we are wrong. Meet Youl
manufacturers. Place your wages before
them. If, you cannot agree, and believe
that you are right and entitled to more
then the entire forces of labor shal
back you. If l were dynamiter
would hate most awfully to see it wasted
81 never carry pistol. If did
would use it. 1t is the same about the
boycott. Take the Dueber case. l tolc
him in six months he would be glad to
sell his factory to me. saw him after