The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-10-08

ne thanked the city OF Richmond for the
cordial reception accorded the delegates.
Southern hospitality was proverbial but
until now many of those present had not
really knownwhaU it meant Continuing
he said:
The men who owe allegiance to the
Knights OF Labor are engaged i'll a conflict,
but 1t is war OF truth against error. 1t is
not, as many honestly believe and many
more dishonesty assert, war of labor against
capital. 1t is war in which the manhood
of the American laborer is fighting for rec
IGNITION. In this war it must be deter
mined which shall rule, monopoly or the
American people, gold or manhood. Our
battles are not fought for the purpose of
determining whether an individual shall
rde q State or an empire, but to decide
whether people who are entitled to life, lib
erty and happiness shall live in the full en-
comes citizens of q republic. No member
must feel, as he turns away from the city
OF Richmond after our work here is
done, that he can safely or conseien-
b.lities and duties of our American cit
izenship. Popular disregard of politl-
cal duty and continued political corruption
will weaken our Government and destroy
our liberties. for the worm can eat its way
through the oak which storm or tempest
could not bend, and political dishonesty will
strike where the lightning could never reach
Ii this land was worthy that brave men should
die for it. it is at least worthy that unsefish
thoughtful men should live and work in
grand devotion to the ideas of q
real, true democracy. We come here not
alone to settle the question of dispute in re-
gard to wages or hours of labor-we come.here
partly to study and learn some lessons of the
head and heart in practical citizenship. We
ere engaged in work VIII: CHI to the thought
fGl observer means more than chid's play
more than the regulation OF trade matters,
and the work will not end to-day nor will
the youngest among us live to see it com
plete.
ITO remedy the evils we complain of is a
difficult and dangerous undertaking. The
need OF strong hearts and active brains
was never 50 great as at the present time
The lash was stricken from the hand of
the Saye-OWner twenty-five years ago.
ana 1t must be taken from the hand of
the new saveowner as well. The monopo-
list OF to-day is more dangerous than the
slave-owner of the past. Monopoly takes the
land from the people in millionaire plots; it
SENDS It's agents abroad and they bring bands
OF desperate men to this country: it imports
ignorance ana Scatters it broadcast through
out; it, ana it alone is responsible for every
manifestation of anarchy that has been wit
messed: All men may not be willing to admit
that this statements true, but when monopoly
dies no more Anarchists will be born unto
this country, for Anarchy is the legitimate
child of monopoly. While l condemn and
denounce the deeds of violence COM
m tied in the name of labor during the
present year, am proud TO say that the
knights of Labor, as an organization, is
not IN any way responsible for such con-
duct. He is the true Knight of La
Dor who with one hand clutches anarchy by
the throat and with the other strangles mon
opoly. 1t is rue that the gu stions of
wages, hours of labor, shop discipline or
some other matter may cause a rupture here
and there between the workman and his
employer, but they can be readily set
tied if mutual liberation and common
once settled they should be allowed to rest
Continued reminders of past trouble often
create new ones. To those who have fallen
into such habits would recommend the ad-
vice you so appropriately gave 10 critic not
long since: Stop fighting when the war is
over +"
In concluding his speech, Mr.. Powderlv
said that some OF the members of the
visiting delegations who were OF darker
hue than their brothers, could not find
place in some OF the hotels. This was i'll
accordance with what had long been the
custom here, and old customs and preju-
dices do not readily vanish There had
been particular mention made of one in
stance where delegation numbering sixty
members had only one colored member
among them. He was refused admission to
the hotel where they intended TO go, and the
delegation, standing by the principles of
the order, which recognizes no distinc-
lions of creed, nationality and color, went
with their colored brother. That, he said,
WAS why he made the selection of that
brother to introduce him to them, SO that
it might go forth that they practced what
they preached.
At the close of his address Mr. Powderly
requested that all those present who were
not delegates should retire and thanked
them for having come to the opening ses-
sion.
All but the delegates then left the hall,
and the convention settled down to the
practical work which called them together,
and i'll which they bid fair to be engaged
for the next two weeks. In secret session
the only business done was the appoint
ment of committee on minor creden-
tials An adjournment was then taken to
nine clock this morning.