The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-04-13
BOycOtting LabOrerS.

New York, April G. Special. The
Tribune of to-day has the following edi
torial, under the head OF "Boycotting
Laborers: = Should employers take the
side of laborers who are organized against
those who are not organized? That is
practically the meaning of the Latest de-
ma OF rebellious Knights of Labor in
~. Louis. \ part of The workers on the
Missouri Pacific system were organized
less than half; more than half were not
i demand is that the company shall
recognize and treat with the organized
part alone and take them all back into it,
employ, whether the Others are needed or
not. Is it right for the employers TO boy
colt men who have not chosen to join any
organization According to the state
ments of Mr.. Gould and Mr.. Hoxie, 900
or 1000 men who have been employed ON
the whole system are not now needed, the
business OF that part of the country having
ben greatly Frustrated by the strike
Others, several thousand I'm number who
had not chosen 10 join any organization,
have come into the service OF the company
since the strikers went out. Shall these
men and part of the old employees OF the
company who were not organized, Toe turned
out Of work in order that organized workers
shall b. all employed? Martin Irons and
his associates say that they shall. The
company declares that they shall not. On
this system of railroads less than half the
men had consented 10 support an organiza-
ton; but according 10 Grand Master Pow
DERBY, there are about 100000 Knights of
Labor in the whole country. According TO
the census there were 100000 wage
earners in 1880, and there probsbly are
now 100000. Why should less than
two men in one hundred OF all the workers
in the country claim the right 10 exclude
from employment wherever they
please ninety-eight in one hundred?
Ought anybody to grant to the two that
power TO wrong the ninety-eight? "But,"
says Mr.. Irons, "the organization claims to
represent the best interests OF all labor"
and demands recognition in that capacity
and ON that ground. That claim is TO be
tested by facts. The fact that ninety eight
out of one hundred labOrers do not recog-
niLe IL Is some evidence that the claim does
not seem well founded To the workers
themselves. The other fact is that the men
themselves, even the organization, through
Its grand master and it, executive com
mittee, do not uphold the claim which is
made by those who rebel against the prin-
ciples and the authority of the order II
is not Mr.. Powderly or the executive COM
mittee who demand that all Knights of La
Dor shall be employed, though other work
ers must be discharged for that purpose.
1t will be found that here is the root of The
difference between Martin Irons and his
associate rebels against the principles of
the Knights of Labor and the loyal chiefs
and supporters OF the organizations. He
and his associates want power to wrong all
men who are not under their control AZ
members of local assemblies. The Knights
OF Labor, a. an organization, does not
claim for it, local assemblies or cOncede 10
them any such power. IL would be a
wrong TO ninety-eight out of one hundred
workers throughout the country if EN-
blowers should grant such demand"