Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-25
The knights Of Labor.
, he Editor Of ne DiSpdlch :


The Dispatch is disposed TO be fair to-
wards all, and has allowed both sides TO be
heard whenever the question was really
two.sided.
There are persons who seem ready to be-
licye that the knights Of Labor are respon.
sible for all the conflict between wage.
eaTncrs and wage-paycrS.
There seem TO be many persons con-
nCctcd with the secular press who take spe.
cial pleasure in publishing the mereSt ru-
nor 70 the injury OF the order. willis. they
are bind, deaf, or silent as to the mort 20.
tent facts in favor OF the order.
The public has been misled into the be-
lief that the order is the parent OF strike,
and the demon OF evil wherever it goes.
The fact is the order everywhere antl@o-
niZcs strikes. In the constitution OF the
order strikes are cOuDtenanccd only when
every other known means for obtaining
Justice has been exhausted, and strikes are
declared to be an evil even when adopted
as q lat resort.
The order favors and advocates arbitrl-
ton for the settlement Of all questions OF
dispute between employer and cmplOyG.
and will give aid TO no member who goes
upon strike without first seeking a settle
mcnt by arbitration. IL is not asserted that
no persons who are knights Of Labor have
gone on a strike without first asking for
arbitration. But it is positively affirmed
that no person a Knights Of Labor has the
consent Of the order 10 strike without first
seeking settlement by arbitration. 1t is
contrary TO the rules Of the order; and it
would be difficult to cite a single
instance where the law Of the order
has been violated Gy an assembly voting re-
lief for brother who bad left his place
without first seeking a settlement by arb-
tration. The grelt effort Of the order is to
educate the members OF tie order out OF
radical violent measures into conservative
and peaceful measures for redress Of all
GRIEVANCES. To this end every assembly
sets apart q portion OF the time Of each
meeting for discussion Of questions OF poll
nc,l economy. No discussion OF partisan
politics j. permitted in an assembly.
The labor papers ere IN perfect harmony
with the teachings Of the order on this sub.
icct. and heartily support the chief officers
and lecturers Of the order in their effort TO
| cducate the working people up 10 the point
oi submitting all their grievances TO arbi-
| tratiOu.
| Hundreds cf strikes have been prevented
hy the timely advice Of officers Of the
Knights Of Labor, and several in this city.
| II + true that IN few instances, when all
/ efforts 10 secure settlement by arbitration
| hld failed, the order direct I'd strikes, which
strikes have almost universally ended in a
! decided victory for the Knights.
In some instances, when the order was
| largely made up OF new recruits not vet
drilled in the principles aud work Of the
order, strikes have been entered upon con-
trary to the constitution and laws OF the
order; and these strikes have most usually
! ended diSaslrOusly TO the knights who or
dercd and supported them, and have iniu
riously affected the order at large. But The
order, having no compulsory powers oVel
Its members, cannot justly be held respon
sible for what Is done contrary TO Its laws
Another grave error into which the pub
| lie has fallen III respect to the order Is II
>upposing that il Sympalhizes with th,
! radical and violent measures advocated and
! praciiced by Anarchists and some sO'cllleC
Socialists.
It's not denied that some Anarchists ant
Socialists are members OF the order. I'm
dels and criminals are members OF I'M
| Masonic fraternity and Knights Iempal
| organizatlons-aye, even IN the Church ol
God these are found but no decent per
son is 20 unjust as to hold these bodies re
sponsible for the acts Of such members auC
charge the Church and these orders Will
being the parent Of the crimes that are ~
horred and condemned By their very con
stitution aud laws.
Members Of the order have done wrong
but where is the instance where the wron'
originated or was ordered by the assem5l
or was abettcd aud excused by it IL is
fact that PinkcrtOn's lieSSians fired int
striking, riotous Knights" killing Scyc
raj persons, but examination showed tina
they were not members of the order
schoOl-bOy, a woman or two, some po0l
harmless but honest people, who IN
Knocked at the hiIehngs who had come
. keep order when the good order had nc
been disturbed except to the extent thS
ireemen in name had asked 10 he treated .
frcemcu In fact See the accounts OF til
! | East 81. Louis ''riOts."
Sensible people have not forgotten III
Pennsylvania riots OF few years ago. Tt
strikers were not Knights Of Labor. TIL
OTder was then hardly born. These Penn
/, syIyania strikers were not tenth in nun
, bors of those engaged in the recent strike
in the South ana West: but these unOi
ganized strikers DESTROYED more property
suppose, than all the Knights in Americ
have destroyed since the first organization
Of the order.
: Every true knight OF Labor /, careful {
| respect the property and personal rights o
, | Others. and as careful 10 maintain his ow
right TO the wealth created by his own in
dusfry. aud bis liberty to work or play a
he may elect aud his circumstances Justify
He holds that he is free. and has right 1
dictate the terms at which he will sell tn
use OF his mind and muscle, and the nun
Der Of hours he will labor in day, ant
that be is opposed to all laws that gly
the rich the power 10 compel the poor l.
sell their labor at any price dictated b
the rich or sTARyE, n the penalty for no
submitting. He believes II Is no less
crime 10 sTARyE the poor than 10 ROB 10
rich. lie therefore holds that, an in
| Jury 10 one l. the concern OF ALL" w.
RICHMOND. December %, 1886.
trhe author of the foregoing conmuni
cation is a member Of an honored proies
sion.l