Savannah morning news., 1886-05-11

men who own capital are not our enemies.
II that theory held good the workman OF To-
day would be the enemy OF his fellow toller
on the morrow, for after all IL is how TO acquire
capital and how Co use Il properly that We are
endeavOring to learn. No man Of capital IS
necessarily the enemy of laborers, On the
contrary they must be brought closer
together. | am well aware that some eX-
tremlsts viii say | am advocating weak
plan and VIII say that blOodshed and destruc-
tlon OF property alone Will solve the problem.
II man speaks such sentimeuts In an Assem-
bly,, read for him the charge which the Master
workman repeats to the newly initiated who
JON our"army OF peace" II he repeats hlsnon
sense put HIM out. "ln the hands Of men en-
urely great, the pen Is miRhtier than the
sword" To that add: In the hands OF men
entirely mouth the gun IA as harmless as
his sword. To our drinking members
extend the hand of Kindness. | hate the uses
TO which rum has been put, but 1t is my duty
to reach down and lift up man who has
fallen a victim TO the use OF liquor IL there
is such man within sound OF the secre-
tary's voice when this Is read l ask him
to stand erect on the fOor of his assembly,
raise his hand to heaven, and repeat
these words: 81 am Knight OF
Labor. | believe that every man should
be free from the curse of slavery, whether the
slavery appears in the shape of monopoly.
usurY or lntemperance. The hrmeSt INK In
the chain OF oppression ls the one forge when
drown maHhoOd and reason in drink. No
man can rob me of the brain my God has
given me unless I am party to the theft. II
| drink 60 drown grief ! bring Rrlet TO Wlie,
htldren and sOTrOwing friends. l ada not
one iOta of the sum of human hap
plneSs when invite oblivion over
the rim of the glass, IL one moments
forgetfulness or inattention to duty while
drunk brings defeat to the least of lab0rs
plans, lifetime Of attention TO duty can
repair the l0ss. promise never again TO put
myself in euch "A position" IL every member
OF the Knights OF Labor would only pass a
resolution To boycott strong drink so far as he
ia concerned for five years, and would pledge
his word to study the labor question from It's
different standpoints, we would then
on the side Of justice. We have, through
some unfortunate misunderstanding. incurred
the enmty OF several trades unions. While
| can find no excuse for the unmanly attack
made on us by some of these people at the
time when we stood face to face with most
perpleXtng question, neither can | see any
good reason why there should be any
cause for quarrel. we must nave
no clashing between the men OF
labOr's armies. II / am the cause Of
trouble am ready at a moments notice to
make way for any one OF my rivals whom the
General Assembly may select. When joined
the Knights OF Labor left the trades union.
| believe that the objects Of our order come
first. l believe in combining all the scattered
battallOns OF labOr's mighty host IN one grand
whole. Labor saving Inventions, steam. and
electricity have forever broken the power
of one trade or division of labor
to stand and legislate for itself alone, and
with the craft that selfshly eglslates for it
self alone, have no sympathy. Well may we
say of the men who are fghtingu us: "FOrgive
them, Father. for they know not what they
do" Break the power Of the Knights of La
Dor and you hand labor, bound hand and
foot, to its enemies. Years ago | extended an
invitation to men Of all trades to become part
and parcel OF the knights OF Labor. To day /
stand ready to make every honorable cOnces-
sion, and to do everything in honor
to bring about better feeling be-
tween the trades unions and the
knights of Labor. At the special session OF
the General Assembly the entire trouble can
and must be settled. II mistakes have been
made they must be rectfed, II wrongs have
been Inflicted they must be righted; but there
is one thing that will not be done while ]
stand at the head of this Organization-it win
not be used to further the schemes Of iBd-
viduals. cliques or parties. and 1t viii be su-
bordInate 10 no other organization or earth.
r, v. POwDRRLY, q. n. W.