Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-10-06

go with the congressional committee an
with that committee examine into the striI
and causes 80 that an early report might
made to the order by its own representative
| Ii the petition which took during the strik
4 was wrong then the entire order sustaine
me in it, for when / issued the appeal for al
to support those whom the companies refus
ed to treat with 1 was most generously sus
tanned, as reference to the report of tn
general secretary treasurer will show. TIL
documents and correspondence relating t
that strike are at your disposal.
He then speaks of the failure of the eigh
hour strike and denies that he opposed tn
| eight hour movement. He opposed tn
| strike on May l as inopportune, and for tn
same reason still opposes it. The very dis
cussion of the introduction of the eight hou
plan, he says, injured business so much Sc
| that in many places men were reduced te
| half time or thrown out of employment al
| together. Millions of dollars worth o.
work was left undone because of the uncer
tainty of taking contracts or in making en-
gagements to perform work. Never was il
more clearly demonstrated that IAN injury
to one is the concern of alp than in the
| movement I am speaking of. The
house builder, through uncertainty
| as to how many hours of labor his employees
would work for him, made no contracts to
erect buildings and the carpenter was thrown
out of employment; the man who made the
window glass, the man who made the nails
in fact every man or woman engaged in the
manufacture of articles which go to build OF
furnish house-sufered through the at
tempt to enforce the eight hour system on
May LIST. The move was in the right direc-
ton, but the time and circumstances were
not suitable He advises that the move
ment to establish the eight hour system be
gradual and such as to do no harm to bust
ness.
Speaking of the article in the declaration
of principles which demands the prohibition
by law of the employment of children under
fifteen years of age in workshops, mines and
factories, he emphasizes the need of educa-
ton and says it should begin with the child,
continuing: OF what avail is to say that we
are laboring to establish a system of CO.
operation when that which is most essential
to the success of cooperation is lacking. A
business training is necessary to successfully
carry on cooperative enterprise. If the
management of the large or small concerns
now in operation in this country were turned
over to us to-day we would run them in the
ground, for we lack business training neces-
sary to successfully operate them. Our vanity
may prevent us from acknowledging this to
be true, but we cannot deny it. It is through
no fault of ours that it is true, but if it con-
tinues it will be our fault. I ask that a
special committee on education be appointed
to prepare and recommend to this general as
sembly plan for the better education of the
American youth.
The trouble with trade unions, in which
certain of our members and assemblies have
been engaged, was generally magnifed and
distorted. The proceedings of the Cleveland
special session of the general assembly and
the report OF the general executive board sub
mitted to you to-day will be sufficient. need
not enter into detail further than to say
that there were mistakes made on both
sides. Some of our organizers have been so
Jealous in their way of orga nizing that they
have encroached upon the prerogatives of
other associations, and on several occasions
the rights of our members have been serious
ly interfert with by members of trade
unions. Since the special session OF the gen.
eral assembly over fifty cases of dispute be-
tween parts of our order and other societies
have been placed before us for adjustment
1t was not necessary to place these cases be-
fore the general executive board. A few lines
in each case were sufficient and the trouble
ended. To dig up past troubles is unnecessa-
ry, and in consultation with prominent men
of the trade unions Twas gratifed to learn that
they had no desire to revive the past. For
the future recommend that all matters like
ly to create a breach OF the peace between
our order and any other be at once submitted
to the executives of both organizations fa
trade union complains of any action on the
part of our order let the aggrieved party sub
NIT the matter to the president of his union,
he to investigate and, failing to effect rem
edy, to place the matter before the general
master workman and executive board. If
the aggrieved party is a member of al as
sembly of the Knights of Labor let the same
mode of procedure be gone through with
and, above all things, let speedy and i'm
partial investigation and an immediate set
Element be made. This plan has worked
well in every new case called to my attention
since the Cleveland session and it is worthy
of adoption. More trouble has been caused
by men who profess to be members of the
knights of Labor than by trades unions. I
respect the man who, being a member of
trade union, does everything honorable in
his power to defend and perpetuate his or
ganization, but for the Knight of Labor
who would even attempt to subor-
dinate our order for any other have
nothing but contempt. In my
estimation there is but one place for such
man, and that is on the outside of our order.
If the Representatives of the trades unions
and of our order come together and both are
sincere in their devotion to their respective
an honest and satisfactory So
luton of every difficulty can be arrived at.
No sacrifice of principle or regard for either
need attend such a meeting.
But the man who, through fear, policy, in
difference or desire to acquire popularity,
neglects the interests of the order he repre-
sents is not honest and should not be allowed
to act in any society of workingmen.
In conclusion Mr.. Powderly says: I will
now speak as l have never spoken to a SEES
sion of the general assembly before. Repre-
sentatives have been instructed to vote Tor
me for general master workman. feel
complimented, but release every member
from his obligation to vote for me. If you
act in accordance with my wishes you
will select another to fill my place. This L
leave in your hands. I am ready to serve
this order in any capacity either as general
master workman or private in the ranks. In
voting for general master workman do not be
guided by sentiment, but vote for the best
interests of Gods suffering poer and the
cause of united labor. 1t is because believe
it my duty that 1 talk thus and here, face to
face with labor's representative men and
women, is the place to say it. 1t has
been charged that between members of
the general board and myself seri-
GUS disturbances have taken place;
that ruptures have occurred of a serious
character. Others have charged that the
board constituted itself a ring to manage af-
fairs. These statements have damaging
effect when told to the unwary. The first
assertion is false, for between the board and
myself there has been no rupture even a
difference. Every attempt to divide has
been a failure. That we have constituted
ourselves a ring to manage is true; that is
what YOU elected us for. We are ring,
solid and unbroken, and I hope the next
board will be the same. For standing to-
gether we have no apology. For myself I
say may it never be otherwise.
T. v. PowDERLY.
General Master Workman.