The Northwestern standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1885-1886, 1886-03-06
I'M BEII:I[ A L OLE .BO OR.

LIN DIlIla4lIs AlfApAJLbs
What the Knights Of Labor Am
at-Edaoation, Honesty and
Justice.
The following is an extract from an
eloquent address delivered by Mr..
IIeyilick, Of Michigan, on labor and
its rights.
In this country we have a class for
tunata il some thingsand unfortunate
in others. Manufacturers are a bless
ing if honest and upright, but many
have attempted to bring up q genera
tion after them composed Of pants,
cheek, and shirt collar. Many of
these ask the question, .'What do the
Knights OF Labor intend to do?' They
do not mean TO burn property, nor to
disturb the harmony Of the govern
rnent. They intend to teach the nobility
OF labor and that the FIRST fruits belong
to them, and not to those who do not
work Cloud applausa.l
We find IN Great Britain that the
Government had to acknowledge that
the working people had rights and that
day gave such an increase in the power
of productive machinery that Gladstone
said the increase WAS equA to 300, 0O0,-
600 men three centuries ago. In Amer
lea the Knights of Labor are in the field.
] was q member when there were but
twelve under the flag, We are going
forward TO educate those who toll I'M
til We car control the legislatures and
congress, and we demand the right to
peacefully meet and discuss the aues-
ton Of human government without let
or hindrance Of any power on earth zap
plausel. DO you working people read
about and study the laws of production
and labor II you do not. intelligence
will put the saddle Of oppression on
your backs and ride you death
The knights Of Labor say the law OF
God. we say, let us bring our talents
peacefully to the common altar. AS
the water purihes III the earth, SO or
ganization serves as q scholar and
teacher III frightening up the cause
OF labor. Xou cannot rob labor with
out getting trouble, and the knights of
Labor are TO teach you, by the eter-
nal, you shan't (applause).
Look at Ireland. They export $4,000
tons Of food a month. and yet the peo-
PIE have to sell it because they are TOO
poor to eat it themselves. The Knights
of Labor say to Uncle Sam, whatever
you want Of the public lands for ARISEN
ais, public buildings, post roads, etc.,
you shall have, but you have no right to
sell or give away a single acre to specu-
lators or railroads, for it belongs to the
people" {applause}. We adrnit women
to the knights of Labor. by the bru-
tally of man woman have never had
their rights. To-day the young liber-
tine can do as lie chooses. but la.a poor
woman depart from rectitude and there
is no place for her to go. We say. when
ever a women is employed in mill or
shop, doing equal work with a man. in
regard to quality and quantity she shall
have equal pay for it tapplause). The
average paid for the work of women is
only Al pei. cent. OF what men receive.
Now that machinery has taken the
place OF manual labor the fingers of
women are adapted to do the work as
well rs man. Ii we do not demand
equal pay for women capital will bring
mans pay down to the scale now paid
to women. There are but two political
parties, theskins and the SINNERS, the
autocratie and the democratic. Not
the Democratic party do I mean, for i'll
you had gone to sleep before the last
election aud had just walked up you
would not know there had been any
change in the administration.
Then we say, no child should be en-
ployed in the mills or factories until
they are l5years Of age and have good
grammar education (applause) We
deny the authority to sell the labor Of
at fifty cents Gay and com |
pei honest labor to compete with it or
starve. New York has prohibited it |
and We propose TO make every state in |
the Union do 1t fapplause). We demand |
that whers corporate power exists III |
any state or nation no money shall be /
paid Tor wages except in lawful tender |
Of United States money. You have |
heard of the Molly Maguires, but We
want no Molly Maguires, what We re-
Iuire is justice to mankind Labor
statistics show that the average yearly
wages of mechanics and laborers in the
asst decade was 1857 and the United
states reports show the average Of fam
lies TO number i've. Fifty per cent Of
he people pay rent, and With all these
expenses OF rent, fuel and living, etc.
say the laboiers OF this country get
ess pay than 1t takes to feed the con
ricts IN tne penitentiary
Nov about strikes. What is q striker
! big railroad corporation reduces the
,ag Of employees month before notify
ng them. That is no strike; OH, no.
Int If the employees OF the railroad
trike for an increase Of pay the gov
Inor cries Militia, militia. militia.
We grant TIE right Of be who makes a
arriage, digs a tonof coal or weages q
ard Of cloth To put price ON their
abor. We Know there is a bitter feel {