St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-09
POWDERLEY'S VIEWS,
Workmen too Apt to Rush Into IIl-Ad-
vised Strikes, According to the
Grand Master Workman.
Arbitration Quite Capable of Settling
the Majority of All Contests
With Employers.
Aims OF the Knights or Labor, One
OF Them Being Complete Sepa-
ration From Politics.
Progress OF the Southern Railway
Strlke and Labor News OF Inter-
est From Other Sections.
Objects of the Knights Labor.

ObJects of the knights of Labor.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, March S.-Grand
Master Workman Powderly. the head of
the Knights OF Labor organizations. who is
now in this city attending a meeting of the
general executive board, said tonight 10 a
representative OF the Associated Press that
he had received no summons to ST. Louis
10 settle the difficulties between the strikers
and the Gould system of roads; that there
Is no significance in the fact that so many
strikes are now in progress in the United
states Dy assemblies OF the knights of La
Dor.
1t is coincidence. merely" said he.
aud there is no concerted action contem-
plated by the order, as has been suggested,
the strikes being incidental and / think
chleny owing TO the fact that this is just the
beginning OF the spring trade and the opening
OF period of prosperity in business.
Mr.. Fowderly, upon being asked whether
he aid not think the increase in the number
OF strikes just now was owing TO the
knowledge of an increased power by the
organizations of labor. said:
doubt II, and think that can speak for
the general executive board. do not think that
rs wise TO inaugurate so many strikes un-
less II can be shown that there is an extreme
necessity Tor them. If many of the men who
are striking would display a little
MORE COMMON SENSE
snu use little more patience, they would get
All they are striking for and save money in
the bargain. If they would exercise proner
moaeraton IN their negotiations with their
employers and submit their claims firmly
Inade ana properly represented 10 arbitra-
uon, am free TO say. that am sure that out
OF ten cases which end in strikes nine could
oe as satisfactorily arranged without resort
Tug 10 such an extreme and generally doubt
tul eXpedient. Indeed, in the nine cases
mere would be no necessity for u strike
IIere Is feeling now that labor must be
recognized by the employer that the en-
pioyer must listen 10 the employees and the
uine t mas come wnen the shop, the mill owner,
tue manufactures in every department OF
trade is ready 10 listen to the demands of his
men aud 10 yield 10 them when these de-
mands are reasonable. Organization, disci-
pine and realization OF the right and the
might IN the case has brought about these
changes and these advances on the part OF
and '
IScoNsIDERATE ACTION
on the part OF the workingmen."
Arbitration. and not strikes. is the theory
or the orderY' said the reporter.
'fes; arbitration always when IL is posi-
Die; strikes only as a last resource, but when
taat point is reached strike hard. strike earn
estly' ana never surrender except TO Just
concessions. Why, this board" pointing TO
the members who were listening, has, since
lhe ISL OF January, settled by arbitration $50
cases when would otherwise have resulted in
sIflkes- Ihe knights of Labor and the other
labor organizations in sympathy with its
plans constitute at the present time tho most
powerful organization OF workingmen ever
know In the history Of the world Its strength
Is increasing every day and its influence is
teit every Day in every branch OF trade in
the country. II is dangerous to abuse this
power. 1t always insists upon just demands
carefully considered and thougbtfully di-
gested. 1t cannot afford TO fritter Itself
away upon every little
PRsrENsE OF WRONG,
hastily formulated and pigheadly insisted
upon. The growth of the power of labor
should be an occasion for calm deliberation
and moderation. The workingmen should be
careful TO see TO il, that they do not san
ana undermine their strength by extreme
demands and unreasonable ASSUMPTION of
Importance and power. II is as some one
said before me, "a good thing TO have the
power OF giant. but il is an evil thing 10
use II like giant" Ii was the disposition
on the part Of the employer 10 refuse
10 treat with his workmen that MADE
the labor organization a necessity to them.
NOW that we have the power which comes
IRON organization we must use that power
wisely and moderately and be careful that
We 90 not change positions with the en-
ployer and refuse TO treat with him. except
Is about the same thing. a strike
SHOULD BE THE LAST EsoRr
when everything else has failed aud not an
every day eXpedient which used as such loses
Its power as IL increases in frequency. In
the old assemblies, which are familiar with
our plans and purposes, strikes were infre-
quent. The new, and as vet not fully in
formed, organizations upon sometimes in
sufficient and frequently trivial cases make
this hnal and desperate appeal. As our
organizations grow, there will be less strikes
because there will be less necessity for them
Our power viii be in time greater than men
now think II viii last so long as we use il
wisely land it will be so used as power no
less important than the constitution itself "
lis the strike the last resort of the knights
of Labor?" asked the reporter.
The master workman smiled. 81 see." said
he what you are driving at A strike is a
bad thing, but
ABoYCoTr Is WORSE
In its results. a strike stops production, a
boycott kills IL. A strike for a week is ONLY
the loss of a weeks business, trade aud
wages. A boycott for q week can be the
utter ruin of the business itself We have
never failed in boycott which has been
ordered by the general committee Its
effectiveness is undoubted. but il is an ex-
treme power which we use with caution"
lis there no danger that your organization
may become engaged in political movements
and thus lose its power:''
II have no fear of that. The matters in
yolved in the existence aud work of the
Knights of Labor are nearer TO its members
than
MATTERS OF PARTISAN POLITICS.
We have here, as you see on this commit
tee, members of the two old parties, a Green
backer and with smile) other cranks like
myself We are not politicians here We
have method Of dealing with those, who. as
some have, entered our ranks to serve politi-
cal ends-we turn them out. We have had no
part in politics. 1t is bread and butter. the
rights of the employed. the material aims of
everyday life that constitute the elements
which do now and always will hold US to-
gether, and these are stronger than partisan
political ties. This is why do not fear the
intrusion of politics. When people talk, as
sometimes they do, about using the K nights
OF labor as political engine, they utter the
most