The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-04-28
A FORMIDABLE BODY.

Philadelphia Record, an interesting
and suggestive article on the Knights
of Labor, who are now attracting
such attention throughout the coun-
try, and of which numbers of organi-
cations have been effected within
the past six months in the South.
There never was before in this coun-
try such an organization, SO potent
for good or for evil, as its course may
be directed. It is the first time IN
the history of the country when
great bodies of working men, num-
bering many thousands in the North
ern States and increasing rapidly in
the South, implicitly obey the orders
sent out by their recognized officers,
and are governed and controlled
by one mind, so to speak. We have
had trades unions, acting independ-
entity, but here besides these trades
unions, we have a solid body OF
working men of e trades
banded as one body, governed by
one central body of their w choos-
ing, who issue their orders and r
obeyed without question. If they
have a cause of grievance they strike
as ordered to-all strike in the de-
partment where the grievance ex-
lists, and return to work when or
dered to. The cause Of one is the
cause of all, the grievance OF one is
grievance of all, and the of one
is espoused by all. The late great
strike on the Gould Southwest sys-
tenn of railroads was caused by the
discharge of one man whose case was
taken up by the Knights, resulting
ing a strike which effectually stopped
freight traffic for several days, and
resulted in the loss of a number OF
lives and the destruction of much
property from riots caused by efforts
to keep the rioters in check and pre-
vent them from intimidating men
who did not belongt to the Knights but
came to take their places in the shops
and on the road. While all this was
going on the locomotives stood idle
in the yards and thousands of tons Of
freight stood in the stores, ware
houses, or depots, awaiting shipment.
The shipping business ola great por-
ton of the West was at a standstill
for want of hands to handle the
freight and manage the trains. Jay
Gould, with his hundreds OF millions
of dollars, and his body of well paid
officials, was powerless, and had to
look to the States to protect his
property from destruction. The fire.
quency cf these strikes is becOm-
ing a serious matter, for not only the
railroad companies and other enter
prises where they suffer by it,
but the public suffers, the business
Of the country suffers. The effects
+ felt, nor or less, from one end
Of the country to the other. 1t is
somewhat a singular statement to
make, yet it is true, that if the rail
road strike in the West had %contin-
ued a week or two longer there
would have been a meat famine in
those portions ofthe South which de-
pend upon the West for their bacon.
Right here in Winston, for a time,
there was a scarcity of meat, and for
days at a time it was hard to get
it on account of the difficulty in
shipping.
This is a state of affairs which can
not be ignored, and the consequence
is that the subject is now undergo
ing investigation by a committee APP
pointed by Congress, which has sum-
moned Mr.. P%owderly, the Master
Workman, Of the Knights of Labor,
and other Knights, and Mr.. Gould
and other railroad men. before it to
tell what they know about the causes,
and give their opinions as to the
remedy. There is a bill pending be-
fore Congress to provide a commits
sion to hear and settle questions
arising between railroad companies
and their employees, and thus pre-
vent, as far as may be, these strikes.
The object Of the investigation is to
get facts and opinions as to the
best method Of doing this. The re-
suit may be the passage of some leg
islation satisfactory to both parties,
constituting a tribunal to which dis
putes may be submitted and trouble
avoided. This would never have
been done, however, if the Knights
Of Labor had not shown their deter
mination and their strength, and
demonstrated to the lawmakers the
necessity of paying them respectful
attention, lest they become not only