The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-10-15
GENERAL MASTER WORKMAN powDERLY.

GENERAL MASTER WORKMAN POwDERLY.
His Annual Address to the Knights Of Labor.
At the present session in Richmond, Va,
OF the General Assembly OF knights OF
Labor, General Master Workman Powdcrly
delivered his animal address, as follows:
The most eventful and trying year of our ex-
istence as order has ended. II we are guided
by the experience of the past, and act accord
incly, we can place the order upon footing so
safe and sure that no assaults from its enemies
pcrience, II we fail to read Alright the signs of
the times, and we close this general assembly
without having improved on the past, we will
fail to properly represent those who sent us
here: In one year 4,OGS assemblies have been
organized. The new members SO suddenly
brought tegether could not be properly assimi-
lated Thousands have been attracted toward
the order through mere curiosity; Others have
come for purely selfish motives; while the great
bulk Of our new recruits have joined us for the
good that they could do. Quite few have en-
tered our order for the purpose Of redressing
existing wrongs, and, before waiting to learn
a ything concerning the duty OF the knight to
sldered strikes. 1t is an established fact that
men who were employed by detective agencies
stood up on the floor of the last general assem-
bly,, made int1ammatory speeches urging the
men to deeds of violence, and urged that the
property of the street companies be de-
stroyed. 1t was only the good sense Of the men
that prevented such outrages from being perpe-
trated, although these agents of II nefarious spy
system induced ssme desperate men to blow up
the cars upon the streets OF st. Louis. For
these outrapes the order was in no way respon-
slble. The st. Louis 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 gen.
eral officers almost beyond their powers OF en-
durance. 1t has been asserted that condemned
uy hay NCnr nm n
strike. No such statement ever escaped my
lips. That the men of the Southwest suffered
and it is my firm belief that the railway COM
panies, with full knowledge Of what these
grievances were, precipitated the fight them
selves at time when it would appear to the
| world that the strike for an insignificant
cause.
THE EIGHT T-HouR STRIKE,
which took place May /, was not successful ex-
cept in cases whore EMPLOYERS and employees
were willing to adopt the plan. In
many cases the system of working long
hours has been revived. The Federation of
Trades recommended the lst of May but adopted
or suggested no definite plan by which the short
hour system could be nauvurated l cautioned
onr members against rushing into this move-
ment had the right to do it. and am firm in
the belief that had not done so great loss would
have been entailcd upon vast numbers of our
assemblies. What said in my secret circular
of March l3 has been severely criticised, and
have been accused OF opposing the eight-hour
| movement. No statement ever was furt her from
| the truth. reduction of the hours of labor il
| 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 vet. The very
| discussion of the sudden introduction of the
| eigbt-hour plan injured business, 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
nndone because OF the uncertainty in regard
| to taking contracts or in making engagements
| to perforin work. Never was it more
l Ia n @ nfaIf fhat" An fpit 10
| the concern of all" than Ill the movement l am
speaking of. Before the cight-hour plan is
adopted the knights of Labor and the trade
unions OF America must lay aside their jeal-
| ouses and differences, come together, name a
| day on which to put the plan into execution.
| adopt the plan OF action which must be gradual
and such MS will not inflict injury upon either
| employer or workman Before short-hour
system that will be Of any, benefit to mankind
can be inaugurated, the relation which the work
| man bears To the labor-saying machine must
undergo radical change. Shorten the hours of
| labor under our present system and the streets
| VIII not be emptied of their idle thousands.
| More machines will be erected and more chill
dren will be called into service to feed them. The
| assertion that the advocate of short hours de-
| sires to stop production is false. 1t is to make
production gradual, healthy. and have it keep
pace with the wants of the con
That keepns M Al employed imp ed,
producer remain u consumer To his fullest ca
pacity, that we desire shortening of the hours
of labor Visit our large and small factories and
YOU find that the mechanic of the past is but the
feeder of the machine Of the present. We already
hear of machines i'll course OF perfection which
will set the t>pe and mould the cigars faster
than human hands can do the work: and cleo
trcity will soon take the throttle lever from the
hand of the maa who runs the locomotive. The
day VIII soon dawn when these agencies will be
doing their work: and when that day does come
the mechanic, now so proud of his calling, will
stand face to face with the alternative of asking
for charity OF 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 SO day man should not
move in the same society circles with the mar
who works for ST day" will either seek to crowd
the 81 6 day man out of MS place or E accept tns
repeat ITSELF and the fight for existence will bt
| ~aged with unrclenting fury.
\ WHAT Is THE HENEDY?
The machine must become the slave of the
Tr1aI- instead of keeping the man in attendance
on and subordinate to the machine, A plan OF
cooperation through which the workman may
control the machine he operates must one day
supersede the present system. To properly maj
| out such plan requires more time than have
had or am likely TO have at my disposal. / can
only cooperate with others in the work
The thirteenth article in our declaration Of
ne employment of children under fifteen years
OF age in workshops, mines and factories" The
| end sought for Ia carrying this declaration into
effect is not that the child NAV live in ideness;
IL ds not that more adults may be employed. II
is that the child of the poor man may be enabled
to acquire an education to equip him for thf
duties which will in future fall upon him as man
and citizen. With an education all things arc
easy of accomplishments; without 1t, hope itsel
almost dies, and Y, liberty is farce In our or.
beginning we take up The work of reform when
the subject is advanced in years-the new mem
bcr must be above sixteen years before we admit
him. We attempt to drive from his mind iht
false ideas gathered in from the workshop or
possibly the street corner. His habits are
formed, and the work that should have beer
begun at seven years we take up at twenty Oh
lateron in life. II the principles of the Knights
of Labor are right. and few men question them
we should teach them to the young. 1t should
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 are
and take steps to have them attend school The
sword may strike the shackles from the limbs Of
the slave but its education and organ.
izatfon that make of him free man. He is
still Save whose limbs alone have been freed
l ask that special committee on education bt
appointed to prepare and recommend to thi:
general assembly plan for the better education
of the American youth. The trouble with trade
unions ir which certain of our members and as.
sernblies have been engaged was greatly magni
1 on both sides. Some OF our organizers have
/ been so yea lous in their way of organizing that
| they have sncroached upon the prerogatiye o.
4 other associations, and on several occasions tll
i rights OF ons members have been
\ sE72ousIH ,N'TERFERED WITH
/ recommend that'ail matters likely to create
breach Of the peace between our order and an.
other be at once submitted to the executives o
4 both organizations This plan has worked wei
In every new case called TO my attention sine,
the Cleveland session. and IL is worthy o
! adoption. More anouble has been caused MS b,
men who profess 10 be meslbers of the knight.
fl4abor than by members of trade unions
respect the man Nho. being member of q trade
union, docs everr thing honarable IN his powe
to defe,.d and perpetuate his organization: bu
\ ferthe Knights of Lsbor who would even at.
I tempt to subordinate onr order to any other
hare nothing but contempt. in my estimation,
| there ia but one place ior such man, and tha!
iS eN the outside OF The order. II the represent
ati<es of the trade uni-rns and &C our order cor
| n ai1 tp the}r