San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-10-06
PoWoERLYs ADDRESS.

a very suggestive one. Some Of the ut
tprances on that occasion deserve more
than a mere passing office, AS Mr.. Pow
derly's words have always had great
weight with the order and will inllu-
ence to no incOnslderable extent the aC-
tiOns OF hundreds Of thousands OF labor
ers and skilled artisans all over this
country. Among the declarations
which he made concerning the purposes
and work of the order were the follow
ing:
1T is not, as many honestly believe
and many more dishonesty assert, II war
Of labor against capital. 1t ia n war in
which the manhood OF American labor
is lighting for recognition. In this war
II must be determined which rulr-mOn-
Opuly or the American people, gold or
manhood. Our battle is not fought for
the purpose of determining whether the
individual shall rule the state or empire,
hut to decide whether the people who
nre entitled to life. liberty and happi-
ness shall live in the full enjoyment OF
their rights and liberties as become
citizens Of u republic. November must
feel rs he turns away from the city OF
Richmond after our work here is done
that ne can COnscientiOusly thrust aside
the grave responsibilities and duties of
our American citizenship
Ifthis lannd ia worthy that brave men
should die for it, Ii Ia worthy that IN
selfish and thoughtful men should live
and work in grand devotion to the ideas
II real, true democracy.
Speaking Of the difficulties of the work
before them and the years that would
rIapse before it could be completed, he
laid most truthfulIy that the work was
40 child's play, that 1t required strong
hearts, active brains, that the work
would not nd in time for the youngest
ofthose then present to see it completed.
Comparing the slavery Of the coIored
race to the sk-mastcrship of monopoly,
he drew the conclusions in favor OF hu-
man slavery as the more humane and
less dangerous to the peace of society,
and charged monopoly with being the
creator of ignorance and the parent OF
anarchy. In this connection he denied
the assertion that anarchy was owing to
the importation OF foreigners, and
charged it upon the i'm Importation of for
eign manners and apings of arstOCracits
by the wealthy.
His remarks concerning the un-Ameri-
canism of the mill and shop education
are most pertinent and should be heard
in every legislative hall. OF the chill
t,tnrB ba
There. doing the work Of men, will he
find the future citizen OF the republic
breathing the atmosphere OF the dust OF
ignorance and vice. The history OF our
Ountry is not taught within these walls.
The struggle for Independence and
causes leading to that struggle are not
spoken of there. The name Of Washing
ton is unknown, and the words that
rang out trumpet-tongued from the lips
uf Patrick Henry are never mentioned.
Our country, her history, her laws and
institutions are unknown to these poor
children. How, then, can the child of
foreigner learn to appreciate freedom
that they have never been told about,
much less experienced!
Not less positive and unmistakable
was his denunOiatiOn of lawlessnes and
disorder, in which he said:
condemn and denOunOe the deeds of
vlOlenG" committed In the name OF labor
during the present year. | am proud to
say that the Knights OF Labor, as an or
ganiZation, are not in any way RESPONSE
bic for such conduct. He is true
Knight of Labor who, with one hand
clutches anarchy by the throat and with
the other strangles monopoly.
If this speech properly fOreshadOws
the spirit and temper of the convention,
its work will be projected on high"r
plane than heretofore reached, and the
knights of Labor will be, as an organi-
cation, better placed for effective work
in harmony with the true spirit OF
American Institutions than ever before.
The conventions have about all got in
their work. The candidates are before
the people and many Of them will, no
doubt, wish that they had been more
backwa in coming forward when the
agony is over. In this state there will
be many and divers changes in the
cratic makeup Of the state Legislature;
the majority on the state ticket will be
cut down fathOms below that 10000,
and in many counties it will disappear
altogether. In other states changes are
already in progress, which indicate a
great reduction in the democratic ma jOr-
ity in the house Of representatives, IL it
ia not wiped out all together. The
ablest democratic journals concede that
the forty majority OF last session will
fail below twenty this session, and even
express fears Of majority Of democratic
representatives being returned. In this
section of the political vineyard it has
been ordained by those who rule, but
not in wisdom be 1t said, that the repub-
licsn party should sit on the fence and
see the democrat ic procession go by.
PoLITICs makes strange companions In
the midnight hours, There is something
politically peculiar about the man who
is opeh-mouthed in condemning a
political ring yet chooses the leaders of
that ring for his confidential associates
in those cOnviyial hours when the secret
things OF mans nature come to the
surface and his true inwardn ess is given
a more manifest Openness. Men of such
cosmopolitan politics should be given a
wide berth.
The symptoms Of increased piety incl