The Portland daily press., 1886-02-04
THE KNIGHTS IN MAINE.
Growth of the Order-Mr- Pratt's
Boycott Difficulty.

A Boston Herald representative has been
interviewing Rodney F. Foss of Auburn,
secretary of the organization of the Knights
of Labor of Maine. Mr.. Foss said: THE
labor question is getting to be the all
absorbing one in the country. Here, in Au-
burn, everything is harmonious, and see
no signs of trouble Everybody seems to be
favorably impressed with the Knights, and
there is no opposition to them The best
men have become members. We number in
Auburn a membership of about 1900; in
Lewiston, about 1000. The order is growing
FAST and assemblies are being organized all
pally to Cumberland, Androscoggin, Ok
ford, Sagadahoc, Lincoln and Knox counties.
Thirty-five assemblies are in Congressman
Dingleys district. In Kennebec county
there are eleven assemblies. There are four
in Gardiner and four in Lewiston. The
staten ent that has been made in the news
papers that the order numbers 10000 mem
bers is erroneous. There are not over 1000
members in the State There are 67 assem-
blies. do not see why the membership
should not reach 10000, however, if the order
continues to grow as it has for the past two
months. There have been no demands
made on the shoe manufacturers here, who
seem to be favorably impressed with the
order. Workingmen are satisfied with the
wages they are getting, as well as the num-
Der of working hours. The 10-hour system
prevails. The Knights of Labor do not be-
lieve in b0ycotting, only as last resort. In
settling troubles we. prefer arbitration. In
Norway and Skowhegan, shortly after the
meeting of the district assembly January
9th, Spinney & Co. and Keene Bros. were
notified that boycott would be placed up
on them unless they came to terms before
January 18th They did not, and the boy
colt is now upon them"
Mr.. Foss was member OF the State CONF
mittee of the Greenback party before it died,
or was swallowed up by the Democratic
party. Col. Charles FL. Emerson and Ossian
r. Phillips, two other prominent Green
hackers, are leaders among the Knights OF
Labor in this State. One or two local cler-
gymen have espoused the rights of the
working classes, and in their pulpits are
counseling resistance to oppression of the
wage laborer if concessions are not made by
his employer.
The Herald man has conversed with
number of leading citizens of Lewiston
about the recent b0ycotting of Agent Pratt
of the Bates mill and it is regarded as UNI
just and discreditable to the Knights. The
charges were shown to have been unbound
ed, merely street reports. They were caught
up by the Knights without investigation,
and in the heat of excitement the boycott
was resorted to. Mr.. Pratt found himself
not only unable to purchase groceries, dry
goods or whatever else he wanted for his
family needs, and for which he stood ready
to pay cash down, but the blacksmiths re
fused to shoe his horse. the grain dealers de
clined to sell him feed for his animal, the
BARRIERS would not shave Mr.. Pratt or cut
his hair, and, more than that, the milkman
refused to sell him the tactical fluid for a sick
babe Even if the charges had been sus-
tanned, it is said they were not sufficient for
boycott. Mr.. Pratt was willing to do ev
erything fair, square and honorable. The
boycott was removed when the Knights dis
covered that they had acted hastily, and that
Mr. Pratt was not disposed to antagonize
the order.