Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-10-06
Master Workman PewderIy's Address
RIcHNnNn Oct & The ANIMAL address, OF

| Master workman Pewderly's Address.
RICHMOND, Oct. 5.-The annual address of
| Mr.. Powderly, which it was expected he
would deliver to-day but which went over
| until to morrow, has been made public. Mr..
| Powderly says that the reports of the secre-
tary treasurer for the year ending July 1,
| 1886, show that in one year A, 06S assemblies
| have been organized. Thousands, he says,
| joined from mere curiosity, others for the
good they could do, and continues: Quite a
| few have entered our order for the purpose
of redressing existing wrongs and, before
waiting to learn anything concerning the
| duty of the Knight to the order, have
plunged into vast and il-considered strikes.
The troubles coming from this began while
| the last general assembly was in session.
| The car drivers of St. Louis were organized
| under promise of the organizer that they
| would receive aid unstinted ia case of a
strike Even before the receipt of their
| charter they were on strike. Their proceed
| ings were characterized by such utter disre-
| gard 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 violent character. 1t
| is an established fact that men who were en-
| ployed by detective agencies stood upon the
| floor of that assembly, made infammatofy
speeches urging the men to deeds of violence
and urged that the property of the street car
| companies be destroyed. 1t was only the
| good sense of the men that prevented such
| outrages being psrpetrated, although these
! agents of a nefarious spy system induced
some desperate men to blow up the cars up
on the streets. For these outrages the order
was in no way responsible. The st. Louis
car troubles were but the beginning of the
| tidal wave of strikes and boycotts which
swept over the country and which strained
| the strength and resources of your general
officers almost beyond their powers of endur
| ance.
The Southwest strike began when the time
| and the attention of the general officers were
| taken up with other matters of vital impor-
| tanoe No notice of the contemplated action
was given to us and we knew nothing what
| ever concerning it or the causes leading to it
| until it had been in progress several days. 1t
has been asserted that 1 condemned the men
while they were on the strike. No such
statement ever passed my lips. The only
II
| statement of mine that could be made to
appear in the light of condemna-
| ton was contained in my secret cir
| cular of the 18th of March, copy of
| which is herewith submitted. I did not
| approve of that strike. I could not do SO,
since confidence enough was not reposed in
the general executive board to give them
chance to examine into the grievances which
| the members of D. A. 101 complained of. 1t
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. I did that in defence of
| the order and the country. l am quite will
ing to assume all the responsibilities attached
| to the act, and would do the same thing
| again under similar circumstance. That the
| men of the Southwest suffered wrongs is
true; they were many and grievous, and it
| is my Arm belief that the railway compa-
MES, with a full knowledge of
wha1 these grievances were, precipitat-
ed tfe fight themselves at a time when it
would appear to the world that the strike
va for an insignificant cause. can do no
lest,r now than to submit the reports of
Brothers Litchnan and Mcclure. These two
members were by me personally detailed to