The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-20
PowDERLY AND THE UNIONS.
A Big Fight for Control Within the Ranks of
the Labor Organizations.
New York Special.

New York Special.
great fight for control has begun within the
ranks of the labor organizations Grand Master
Powderly. of the Knights of Labor, has pre-
cipitated it by coming to New York with his
scheme of amalgamating all the trades-unions.
He is violently opposed by the leaders of the
unions, and especially by two or three leaders
of the leaders, who see ACKNOWLEDGEMENT for
him and belittement for them in the success of
his comprehensive plan. At the head of this
counter-movement is likely to be John Swim
ton, the socalstc labor agitator; but ar
rayed with him hundreds of officers of
the unions. P.J. Mcguire. general secretary
of the Carpenters Union is one OF those who
view with alarm the growth of the Knights
among workingmen of the country. Mcguire,
by the way is not carpenter. do is'a very
clever man, full of energy. and gifted with the
faculty of leadership. He came into notice first
showing some vitality in this city. He was one
of the leaders in the agitation and excitement
that resulted in the row in ThompklnsS square,
to which radical orators are 80 constantly re-
ferring The carpenters became interested In
him, and he soon rose to be their executive head,
and has great influence with the trade to-day. 1t
is said that his salary for attending conventions
and "bossing things generally" is 81. 200 a year.
He is quite averse to seeing the union. whose
head he is merged into the Knights of Labor.
On behalf of Powderly the situation is epit-
omzed by member Of his committee as fol
lows:
Several important strikes conducted by the
Knights during the last six months have failed,
and yet the organization was never stronger
than it is to-day In the United States there
are upwards 1900. 900 members, and in Canada
nearly 100, 900. The time seems to be approach
ing rapidly when the Knights will dominate the
laboring people of the entire continent. Mr..
Powderly's great scheme for the amaigamation
of the interests of all ahorers is imperfectly IN
derstood except by the few who are intimately
associated with him in the leadership of the
order. The fundamental object of the organiza-
ton is a wide-reaching. economic education. and
bership only when they comprehend
this great feature of its work. An
immense number of unions are anxious to be-
come absorbed in the Knights and there is
hardly trade organization in the land that is
not in sympathy with the Knights looking upon
the latter as it's big brother 1t is true that there
are individuals here and there whose opposition
to Mr. Powderly and his ideas will have to be
met and overcome eventually, and, as these in
dividuals are generally of considerable local in
fluence, the obstacle thus arising may prove a
serious one It is the paid officers of the unions
who find little use for the Knights With the
merging of union into the Knights of Labor
their vocation is gone. The reason of the opposi-
ton from this quarter is therefore clear. Trades
unionists essentially selfish and it is usually
hard for workingman to consider a movement
distinct from Its direct bearing upon his own
labor. He is impatient for results and not
gifted with the faculty Tor gonerAllZlng. Such
men as Powderly and Howard know this. and
are patiently working to draw mems thoughts
from out the narrow limits of their peculiar
trade. Tt is slow process, and they realize it
fully and therefore endeavor not to permit the
Knights to become burdened with too great
mass of men who look too eagerly for immediate
prosperity. At the same time the leaders are at
work disseminating the principles upon which
they aim to build a mighty order of intelligent.
philosophical laborers, thus preparing men
everywhere to become useful members of the
organization"
The opposition is set forth in the following
frcm John Swinton "The feeling OF thousands
of trades -unionists was expressed in the last
meeting of the Central Labor salon. when the
proposition to go into politics as body was dis
cussed. How else than at the polls, it is asked,
can the power of the workingmen be utilized?
LPowderly is against such move think that
vast majority of workers are for 1t. The
effort is bound to be made, and. doubtless, sue
cessfully. There will be-indeed there is-a di-
vision in the ranks. Powderly seeks to bring all
the wage workers into the Knights. That scheme
is not favored by the Central Labor Union,
which is the stronger body of the two, so far as
New York is concerned. 1t will be big fight"
Others openly accuse Powderly of coalition with
capital, and the belief prevails to astonishing
extent-however unjust and ridiculous he and
his adherents may regard it-that in disfavoring
strikes and boycotts he is an emissary of capital
and monono1y