The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-06
A Comprehensive Review of Year That Was
Crowded with Events Affecting for Good
and Evil the Great Labor Organization.
The Strike on the Gould Roads and the
Eight-Hour Movement of Last Nay.
The Only Remedy for Long Hours Of Labor-The
Troubles with the Trades Unions-The Mas
ter Workman's Defense Of His Policy.
THE ANNUAL ADDRESS.

WORK DurluS the fAsG rear
RICHMOND, Oct. 5.-General Master Workman
Powderly's annual address will be presented to
the convention, it is expected, tomorrow after
1t has already been made public, and is
as follows:
ITO the Members of the General Assembly:
'The most eventful and trying year of our ex-
istence as an order has ended and we assemble
for the purpose of reviewing what has been done,
correcting those things that are wrong and OF
legislating for the future
'It is required by law that the general master
workman shall make out and submit a report of
his official acts during the year. To report all of
my official acts performed during the past year
would take more of your time than is at all neces
sary; and to properly place them before you
would require at least four weeks time in which
to prepare them for presentation
Il have all Of my correspondence and letter
books within reach, and can, on short notice, re-
fer to them in matters of detail When the law
which requires of the general master workman
to make out report was passed, that officer was
not a member of the general executive board.
Now that he is member of that body,
the report of the board must natur-
ally constitute a report of the important
part of the duties of the general master
workman, for my time during the year was
mainly occupied with general executive board
business. refer you to the reports of the gen
eral executive board and other officers and agents
briefly upon some few matters of importance,
and make such suggestions as | consider neces-
sary.
~'If we are guided by the experience of the
past, and act accordingly we can place the order
upon footing so safe and sure that no assaults
from It's enemies can iEjure it. If we are not
guided by that experience, if we fail to read
Alright the signs of the times, and we close this
General Assembly without having improved
the past we will fail to properly represent those
who sent US here
"Tha rapid increase in organization since the
Hamilton session Of the General Assembly was
most marvellous. An examination of the reports
of the general secretary treasurer for the year
ending July l, 1886, will show that in one year
4, 06S assemblies have been organized. The new
members, so suddenly brought together could
not be properly assimated Thousands havo
been attracted toward the order through mere
curiosity; others have come for purely selfish
motives, while the great bulk of new recruits
have joined us for the good that they could do.
''Quite a few have entered our order for the
purpose of redressing existing wrongs. and,
before waiting 10 learn anything concerning the
duty Of the knight TO the order have plunged
into rash and ll.considered strikes The troubles
coming from this direction began while tho last
General Assembly was in session. The car
drivers of St. Louis were organized under prom
ise from the organizer that they would receive
aid, unstinted in case of strike. Even before
the receipt of their charter they were on strike.
utter disregard for our laws and teachings, that
the paid and known agents of their employers,
the detectives had no difficulty in securing the
passage Of motions of the most violent character
1t is an established fact that men who were en-
ployed by detective agencies stood mp on the
floor of that assembly, made infammatory
speeches urging the to deeds of violence
and urged that the property of the streetcar com
panies be destroyed. 1t was only the good sense
of the men that prevented such outrages from
hai, nd alt oh %6ocn
farious spy system induced some desperate
men to blow up the cars upon the streets For
these on ira geS the order in way respon-
sible The st. Louis car troubles were but the
beginning of the tidal wave of strikes and boy
colts which swept over the country and which
strained the strength and resources of your gen
eral officers almost beyond their powers of en-
durance. The Southwest strike began when
the time and attention of the general officers
were taken up with other matters of vital i'm
portance. No notice of the contemplated action
was given to US, and we knew nothing whatever
concerning it or the causes leading TO it until it
had been IN progress several days.
"It has been asserted that l condemned the
men while they were on strike No such state
ment ever escaped my lips The only statement
of mine that could be made to appear in the
light OF a condemnation was that contained in
my secret circular of the 18th Of March, copy
of which is herewith submitted. did not ap-
prove of that Strike | could not do so, since
era executive board to give them a chance to
examine into the grievances which the members
of d. A. 101 complained of. It was only when
the threat was made to stop every wheel in the
United States and engage the whole order in the
difficulty that raised my voice in denial did
that in defense of the order and the country. |
am quite willing to assume all the RESPONSIBLE
ties attached to the act, and wonld do the same
thing again under similar circumstances.
'"rhat the men of the Southwest suffered
wrongs is true; they were many and grievous;
and it is my firm belief that the railway compa.
MES, with full knowledge of what these griey-
ances were, precipitated the fight themselves at
a time when it would appear to the world that
the strike was for an Insignificant cause. | can
do no better than to submit the reports of
Brothers Litchman and Mcclure These two
members were by me, personally, detailed to go
with the congressional committee, and with that
committee examine into the strike and its causes
so that an early report might be made to the or
der by its own representatives. If the position
| took during that strike was wrong, then the
entire order sustained ne in it, for when is
sued the appeal for aid to support those whom
the companies refused to treat WITH | was most
generously sustained, as a reference to the re-
port of the general secretary treasurer will show
The documents and correspondence relating to
that strike are at your disposal.
''The eight hour strike, which took place May
/, was not successful except in cases where en-
ployers and employees were acting in harmony, or
where employers were willing to adopt the plan.
In many cases the old system of working long
hours has been revived The Federation of
Trades recommended the lst of May, but adopt
ed or suggested no definite plan by which the
shorthour system could be inaugurated. ! eau
toned our members against rushing into this
movement. | had the right to do it, and am
firm in the belief that had / not done so great
loss would have been entailed upon vast num-
'bers of our assemblies. WHAT l said in my
secret circular Of March Is has been severely
criticised, and have been accused of opposing
the eight-hour movement No statement ever
was further from the truth. / opposed the
strike on May because / knew that neither
workmen nor employers were ready for it, be-
cause the education which must always precede
intelligent action had not been given to those