Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-05-11
THE LABOR TROUBLES
GRAND MASTER powDERLrs TALK TO
THE KNIGHTS.
He Counsels Moderation and Condemns
boyeotting- No Gush or Windy Reso-
lntions, but Work, Wanted.

~ NhSuldIs WuCus ~ cey ~ us oeou
received by the Knights Of Labor Of
Chicago and will be read in the various
assemblies during the coming week:
TIE NOBLE ORDER OF KNIGHTS OF LABOR
ofAxERICA.
PHILADELPHIA. May 8, 1886.
20 The Order Ereru,ohere- Greeting:
The response TO the secret circular issued
MaIch 18th has been SO generous and the
endorsement OF the sentiments contained
In IL has been so unanimous that feel en-
coursged and strengthened In the work.
Nearly four thousand assemblies have
peuged themselves TO act ON the advice
coniained In The circular ofthe 18th uitimo-
feel that IL only requires the coming 10 the
'front.' OF the real men Of our order TO set us
ris mt before the world. We have been losing
ground so far as public opinion Is concerned
Tor some time. One OF the causes Is that We
have allowed things 10 be done under the
name OF the knights OF labor for which
the organization was In no way respons,-
Die. ask OF our members TO keep jealous
eye upon the doipgs OF the labor-men who
never labor. and when they charge any
thing 10 our order In your locality set the
seal OF your condemnation upon IL at once
by denying II. IL q paper crlticlses the
knights OF Labor or Its officers do not boy
cou u, and II you have any such boyeotts
on remove them. A journal not long since
made some unc0mplimentary illusions
10 The General Master Workman OF the
Knights OF Labor, and at the next meeting
10 boycott the paper; not that alone, but
every person who advertised In the col
umns OF the paper. j wrote TO the assem-
bly, asking that they remove the boycott;
~and 10 was done. We must bear In mind
fhst the General Master Workman is only
a man, and In not above criticism. We de-
mand for ourselves the right Of free speech,
and we cannot consistently deny 1t TO
others. We must tolerate fair. open criti-
cism. III reply Is necessary, make IL In
gentlemanly. dignified manner. II we are
criticised or abused by q BLACKBOARD sheet
treat IL as you would blackguard him
sef-in silence. That our aims ana OBJ
lects are good Is no reason why our mem
bers should be regarded as beings OF su.
perior build or material. We are no
more the salt Of the earth than millions
Of unknown toilers who do the work OF the
world. In our dealings with laborers and
capitalists we must deal Justly and fairly by
them. IL we would have IL equally Gone TO
us. we In turn must do IL equally to others
This Is the aim OF the Knights OF Labor, and
must not be lost sight OF In the future. Let
me direct your attention TO Few little
abuses: / Ind that wherever strike oc-
ours appeals for aid are scattered broadcast
among the assemblies. DO not pay one
cent for such purposes In the future unless
the appeal comes from your own District
Assembly or General Assembly. IL boy
colt notices are sent TO you burn them.
have In my possession four hundred boycott
notices. which were sent to asse mblies with
the request that they be acted upon. Let
me mention some OF them: A MEM
q rival and proceeds to get into
an alteration with him, boyeotts
him. and then asks the order to carry IL
out. A certain paper is influential In one
or the other OF the political parties; the
members OF the opposing party conceive
the Idea OF getting rid OF the paper: and
they invoke tue aid OF the knights OF La
Dor, first taking the precaution 10 have the
paper In question say something uncom-
pkmentary OF the Knights OF Labor. In
fact, our order has been used as the tall for
a hundred different kites, and In the future
IL must soar aloft free from all of them
hate the word boycott" l was boycOtted
ten years ago, and could not get work at
my trade for months. IL Is bad practice;
II has been handed to US by capitalists.
have no use for it-only when everything
else falls. Appeals for aid. circulars, petit
lions, advertisements OF every Kind, are
scattered everywhere through the order.
copy letter which comes 10 me on the
subject: "A large part OF our time has
been spent In reading boycott notices and
appeals for aid, keeping US until IL o'clock.
We were led to believe the Knights or Labor
TO be an educational institution, but this
kind OF education IL not productive OF good.
We have no time for instruction. what do
you advise us to do?"
| advise them TO either burn or table
these matters. and now ask the secretary OF
each assembly To do the same. II your jour
nal were not boycotted by our members IL
could be made q medium OF communication
between the general officers and the order;
but the journal is not read In one quarter OF
the assemblies. Some assemblies send out
documents In envelopes addressed TO the
Secretary OF Assembly No. =" In many
places the secretaries have been discharged
because OF this practice. No member has
the right to address another In that way,
and II IL is ever praeticed again the offender
will be punished In the future. The General
. Executive Board must not be lnterfered
with ia the performance OF its duty. Ifyou
have confidence in them sustain them and
obey the m; IL not, ask for their designations.
While the Board was endeavoring TO set
tie the southwestern trouble assemblies In
some places, with the best OF Intentions no
doubt were passing and publishing resolu-
lions condemning Jay Gould. These things
did no good. On the contrary. they were
Injurious In the settlement OF the troubles.
IL becomes the duty OF the Executive Board
TO meet everybody and go everywhere.
While they are doing this they must not be
hampered by the action OF those VINO do
not Know what their task Is. Keep quiet;
LEI your officers do their best, and II you
cannot find way do not retard their pro-
RIess.
What we want from our members is not
gush OF windy resolutions about our rights.
We know we have rights without passing
resolutions. Men who think, study, and
act are required.
The General Assembly will meet in special
session on May 18th In the city OF CleVe-
land. From the receipt OF this letter you
must not address any communications To
me, nor need you expect an answer II you
do. ] have Thousands OF letters piled up
around me DOW, and they can never be read,
much less answered. By one man. During
and since my Illness the mall delivered at
my house mas exceeded four hundred letters
day. They come from everybody aud
everywhere. ! must play the part OF
the whee-horse instead OF the leader
OF great movement. and our own
members are responsible for IL. | ask
Though this journal that no one send
letters 10 me. | am told by some 10 get
help. II had NIFTY assistants 1t would do
10 good, for II takes my whole time TO read
one half OF the letters, and in the middle OF
my work I am waited on By some commit
tee who generally misrepresent me after
they leave me for every member OF the
committee Will tell different story
from now until the General Asse mby
meets. 1 will receive no committees,
answer no Letters. ! must formulate
plan for the future. and will not
he interfered with. Let me repeat, | VIII
receive no committees, receive no letters.
nor will 20 anywhere at the request OF
members Of assemblies. This Is Imperative.
/ must have chance TO do something for
the benefit OF the order and | cannot do IL
II am TO sit for eighteen hours day read
ing letters which have been answered and
reaDswered in the Journal and c0nstltu
ton. What will say 10 the General AS
sembly will be said to the entire order and
you must give me time TO prepare II.
We have had some trouble from drinking
members and from men who talk about
buying guns and dynamite. II the men
who LOSSES money enough TO buy guns and
dynamite would invest IL In the purchase
OF some well-selected work on labor they
would put the money TO good use. They
Will never need guos or dynamite in this
country. IL is my opinion that q man who
does not study the politics OF the nation aud
the wants OF the people would make but
little use OF the rifle. The man who cannot
vote intellgently and who Will not watch
the man he votes for after he Is elected can
dynamite. II the head and brain OF man
cannot work out the problem now con-
fronting US, his hand alone will never
solve II. II / kill my enemy
silence him, IL Is true, but | do not con-
vince him. | would make convert rather
than q corpse OF my enemy. Men who own
capital are not our enemies. II that theory
held good the workman OF to-day would be
the enemy OF his fellowtoller on the NOR
row, for after all 10 Is how TO acquire capital
and how To use II properly that we are Gu
deavoring 10 learn. No! the man OF capital
Is not necessarily the enemy OF laborers.
closer together. lam well aware that some
extremists will say am advocating weak
plan, and will say that bloodshed and the
destruction OF property alone Will solve the
problem. III a man speaks such Sentl ments
In an assembly read for him the charge
which the master workman repeats 10 the
wly-initiated who join our "army OF