Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-10-14
LABOR'S GREAT LEAGUE.
The Knights Assemble at Richmond,
Governor Fitzhugh Lee Giving
Them Welcome.
Mr.. PowderIy Advises the UprOOting
Of Anarchy and the Strangling
Of Monopoly.

Powderly's gaveI at 1918 this morning
gave the signal for the opening of the
first session of the tenth annual conven-
ton of the Knights of Labor in the ar
mOry of the First Virginia Regiment in
this city. He stood alone upon small
plain, pine platform, at the farther end of
the spacious room and looked upon the
faces of 900 delegates, assembled from
every part of this country, representatives
or 100000 men and women. White and
black faces, the faces of men and women
bound together by common object met
his view.
While the sound of the Master Work
mans gavel still re-echoed footsteps were
heard approaching the entrance door. A
moment later General FitzhUgh Lee, the
Governor of Virginia, entered. AS he
walked up the central aisle leading to the
platform, escorted by William H. Mullen,
the Master Workman of the Richmond
district, and Tom O'Reilly, of the Tele-
graphers Assembly of New York City, he
was greeted with enthusiastic cheers,
which redOubIed as he stood upon the
platform, bowling in response to this
greeting. When the applause had sub-
sided, and Mr.. Mullen had presented
Governor Lee to Mr.. Powderly, the latter
the members, announcing that Governor
Lee was to deliver to them an address of
welcome.
The governor then spoke, and the large
audience listened with close attention,
and the frequent applause marked their
approval of the principal points made.
When the governor had taken his seat on
the platform, Frank j. Farrell, the color
ed member of the delegation of District
40, whose associates refused to take up
their quarters in the hotel i'll which he
was refused admission ON an equal foot
ing, assembled the platform, and, taking
his stand beside the presiding officers
table, said:
HIS E9eceLJencytbe Governor Of Virginia and
Gentlemen Of the Convention:
1t is with much pleasure and gratifca-
ton that I introduce to you Mr.. T. V
Powderly, of the state of Pennsylvania,
who will reply to the address of welcome
of Governor Lee, of this state, which is
one of the oldest states in the arena of
political influence in our country.
THE GRAND MASTERS ADDRESSES.
When Mr.. Powderly stepped forward he
was received with loud applause. The
Grand Master Nottingham expressed his
qualification at the welcome which had
been given the knights by the people of
Virginia, and more especially the people
of Richmond. Mr.. POwderly, continuing,
said:
"The men who owe allegiance to the
knights of Labor are engaged in a con-
met, put 1t IS IN a war or CruUn against
error. 1t is not, as many honestly be-
Heve and many more dishonesty assert,
war of labor against capital. It is war
in which the manhood of the American
loborer Is fighting for recognition. In
this war it must be determined which
shall rule-monopoly or the American
people; gold or manhood. Our battles
are not fought for the purpose of de-
termining whether an individual shall
rule a State or an empire, but to decide
whether a people who are entitled to
life, liberty, and happiness shall live in
the full enjoyment of their rights and
liberties and become citizens of a repub-
lie. No member must feel as he turns
away from the city of Richmond after
our work here is done, that he can safely
or conscientiously thrust aside the grave
responsibilities and duties of our Ameri
can citizenship. Popular disregard of
political duty and tolerated, continued
political corruption will weaken our
government and destroy our liberties,
for the worm can eat its way through the
oak which the storm or tempest could
not bend, and political dishonesty will
strike where the lightnings could never
reach. If this land was worthy that
brave men should die for it it is at least
worthy that unselfsh, thoughtful men
should live and work in a grand devotion
to the ideals of real, true, Democracy.
We come not here alone to settle the
question of dispute in regard to wages
or hours of labor; we come here partly to
study and learn some lessons of the head
andheart in practical citizenship. We are
engaged in a work which, to the thought
full observer, means more than childs
play, more than the recognition of trades
matters; and the work will not end to-
day, nor will the youngest among US live
TO see it complete.
TO REMEDY THE EVILS
we complain of a difficult and dangerous
undertaking. The need OF strong hearts
and active brains was never so great as
at the present time. The lash was strick-
en- from the hands OF, the slave-owner 25
years ago, and it must be taken from the
hands of the new Shareholder as well.
The monopolist of to-day is more dan
gerous than the slaye-Owper of the past.
Monopoly taxes the land from the people
in million acre plats; it sends its agents
abroad and brings hordes OF uneducated
desperate men in this country; it imports
ignorance and scatters it broadcast
throughout the land: it, and it alone is
responsible for every manifestation of
anarchy that our country has witnessed.
All men may not be willing to admit
that this statement is true, but when
monopoly dies no more anarchists will
DE born into this country, for anarchy is
the legitimate child of monopoly.
While | condemn and denounce
the deeds of violence committed in
the name of labor during the present
year, am proud to say that the knights
of Labor, as an organization, is not in
any way responsible for such conduct.
He Is the true knight who with one hand
clutches anarchy by the throat and with
the other strangles monopoly We are
told that it is because of the importation
of SO many ignorant foreigners that an
archy has shown its head in this country.
Rather is it true that because of the i'm
portation of foreign airs, manners and