St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-05
The Tenth Annual Convention Of the
Great Order Begins at Rich
mond, Va.
Gov. Lee Welcomes the White and Col
ored representatives Of Labor
to the State.
General Master Workman Powderly
Makes a Manly Common Sense
Address.
He Asks Nothing for Himself. but
Wishes the Order to Grow
and Thrive.


| S@'Oi "e 1V'lO ClOch bllS luOIIliHS gave
the signal for the opening of the first ses-
sion OF the tenth annual convention OF the
knights OF Labor, in the armory of the First
Virginia regiment. in this city. He stood
alone upon a small plain pine platform at
the further end of the spacious room and
looked out upon the faces of thousand
delegates assembled from every part OF the
| country, representatives of a million men
and women. White and black faces. the
| faces OF men and women, bound together
| by common object, met his view. The
| session was to be an open one. and in addl-
ton to the large body of delegates were as
many others not of the order as could find
seats. or shared what little standing room
there was with its members. The large
room looked like an immense banquet
| hall, with tables formed of plain pine
boards near the length of the room in rows
as close together as the possibility of NOV
ing between them would permit On
either side of these tables were seated the
delegates.
NEITHER FLAG NOR STREAMER
broke the severe simplicity Of the white
brick walls and the unbroken white paint
of the arched ceilings. The only things
that even limited at decorative purpose
were Autograph portraits of Master Work
man POwderly and General Secretary Tur-
ner, that hung on either side of the room,
and large gilt frame, inclOsing photo
graphs OF members OF the Joel Parker aSSO-
citation, that hung behind the little plat
form. The latter is the property OF the
regiment in whose quarters the convention
met, and was simply permitted to remain.
While the sound of the master workman'S
gavel re-echOed footprints were heard APP
preaching the entrance doors. A moment
later Gen. Fitz Hugh Lee, the governor of
Virginia, entered. AS he walked up the
central aisle leading to the platform. es-
corted by William Ii. Mullen, the master
workman of the Richmond district, and
Tom OReilly, of the Telegraphers assem-
bly, of New York city, he was greeted with
enthusiastic cheers, which redOubled as he
stood on the platform bowling in response
to the greeting. When the applause had
subsidized and MI. Mullen had presented
Gov. Lee to Mr.. Powderly, the latter
stepped forward and introduced him to the
members, announcing that Gov. Lee was to
deliver to them all address of welcome, and
through them to those they represented
throughout the entire country. When the
applause that again broke forth at the
mention of his name permitted him to do so,
GOV. LEE SAID:
One of virginia's greatest statesmen has
said: sit is proper you should understand
the principles of government" What were
the principles of government laid down by
this wise man? Equal and exact justice to
all men of whatever position, religious or po-
litical." Fly from the futtering folds of your
flag that sentence and the ground on which
you march will always be strong and firm
We are told, gentlemen, the organization you
represent is formed to elevate and protect the
rights Of the working class. Who are inter-
fering with your rights, and who tramples
upon your privileges as American citizens?
Organized capital. do [ hear? Against what
is war declared2 viii it be war to the knife
and the knife to the hit?' or will there be a
peaceful issue to the conflict? Which in your
opinion is necessary to promote the interests
of both? The helm of the ship of this re-
public was constructed by men of different
and apparently lrreconcilable views, and the
constitution was only framed by a comprO-
! mise of all conflicting opinions.
COMPROMISE,
then, gives us our constitution and compro-
mise will solve the difficult problem of the
hour which you have assembled here to Crap
pie with. The battle. we are told, is one of
labor against capital. But what class of cap
ital is this opposing you and whose course is
injurious to the Zine marked out by the
founders of the republic?' L divide capital
lists into two kinds and will go with you and
give the command, Forward" and fight by
your side against one of these classes. Make
war against incorporated rascality and we
will help you ride it down. Combat great
moneyed corporations that seek to control
YOUR legislature federal and state. by bribery
and corruption, in order that they may get
votes in the federal halls of legislation to per-
feet and fasten upon the whole country legiS-
lation for their benefit and not for the benefit
of the people at large, we will march shoulder
to shoulder with you in that; draw the fangs
from the money kings who seek to take pos
session of the great telegraph lines of the
country and defect them from their legiti-
mate purpose by controlling them to defeat
the will of a free people in an attempt to de-
fraud the whole country of their constitu-
tional right to elect rulers. and We will order
to your support
s'HORsE, FOOT AND DRAGONS"
in that Organize against capitalists who
furnish money to carry elections and then
claim as their reward the selection of the men
upon whose shoulders shall be thrown the
purple robe of the judiciary, and we are in
with you in that. But all capital my friends
is not all used in that way, nor for such
vicious purposes. Let us make no war upon
those who use their good fortunes to alleviate
the sufferingS of mankind, and whose eulo-
| gies are written in the hearts OF thousands on
account of their generous donations and
| noble deeds and whose money is employed to
W0lleQ Inc OCGdu Will Balls anu CduoO IuC
wharves to be large with commerce. EN-
! ployers, as has been well said, have no right
| to lock out a whole shop full of hands to bring
a few unwilling ones to terms, nor have they
in my opinion, the right to engage with other
employers to fix rate for them to pay or
compel all to remain idle. but they have
right to exercise their just judgment as to
what fair dealings and Justice demand, and
what they would be willing to give for the
work they want, and afterwards,if sustaining
| loss, to say they would not be able to give
so much. You can have he'll in your factory,
| says Washington GLADDEN., or you can have
heaven there, just as you wish.
IF 1T IS HE'LL you WANT,
| build your business in the law of hell,
which is simply, Every man for himself, and
| the devil take the hindmost." But if that
| you will get fighting perennial and unrelent-
| ing. If it is heaven you want, then build
| your business on the law of the kingdom of
heaven, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
| myself that will lead you in the path of
peace. Nor can it be admitted on your side
| that you have a right, by combination or
| otherwise, to prevent others working upon
! the terms and conditions you have rejected,
| if they desire TO do so. The people of this
| country can never be satisfied until liberty of
| action is conceded to all. Samson overthrow
the temple of the Phlistines, but it is in
| structive, says wise writer, to remember
what became of Samson. The inventor of
| the guillotine persisted by its blade. The
| French revolutionists who worked it most
freely on others finally paid tribute to it with
| their heads. The law will protect both capt.
| tai and labor, and behind the statute law is
| great body of law, which has existed all
! through civilized life, and which is known as
common law. Each state in the crown of the
| Union
INHERITS THIS SYSTEM OF LAW,
| and its courts enforce it. ''Students OF polti-
cal economy are universally agreed that the
right of the workingmen to combine cannot
| be questioned, says GLADDEN., and adds:
| 1.-The combinations on both sides are so
| strong that they ought to be able 70 do each
other and the whole country great deal of
| damage, and paralyze the industries of the
| nation, and waste a good part of it's savings
and dig the chasm that separates the en-
ployed and the employer great deal deeper
and wider than it is now, and to sow the
seeds of jealousy and spite that will yield
! woeful harvest through many generations"
| 1t is great mistake to think that all classes
are hostile to the laboring class