The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-05

room, and looked out upon the faces of thou
sand delegates, assembled from every part of
this country. representatives of million men
and women. White and black faces, the faces
Of men and women bound together by a common
object met his view. The session was to be an
open one, and in addition to the large body Of
delegates were as many others not of the order
es could find seats or shared what little stand
ing room there was with It's members. The
large room looked like an immense banqueting
hall, with tables formed of plain pine boards
near the length of the room, in rows. as close
together as the possibility Of moving between
them would permit On either side OF these
tables were seated the delegates. Neither flag
nor streamer broke the severe simplicity OF the
white brick walls and the unbroken white paint
of the arched ceiling The only things that
even limited at decorative purpose were litho-
graph portraits of General Master Workman
Powderly and General Secretary Turner, that
hung on either side of the room, and large
gilt frame inclosing photographs of members Of
the Joel Packer Association, that hung behind
the little platform The latter is the property
of the regiment In whose quarters the conven-
tion met and was simply permitted to remain.
While the sound of the master worizman's
gavel still re-echoed. footsteps were heard ap-
preaching the entrance door. A moment later
General Fitzhugh Lee, the Governor of Vir-
ginia. entered. AS he walked up the central
aisle, leading to the platform. escorted by VIM.
II. Mullen, the master workman of the Richmond
district and Mr.. O'Reilly, OF the TelegraDhers
Assembly, of New York city, he was greeted
with enthusiastic cheers, which redoubled as he
stood on the platform bowling in response to this
greeting. When the applause had subsidized and
Mr. Mullen had presented Governor Lee to Mr..
Powderly. the latter stepped forward and intro
duced him to the members. announcing that
Governor Lee was to deliver to them address
of welcome and through them to those they rep
resented throughout the entire country. When
the applause that again broke forth at the men
ton of his name permitted him to do SO, Gov
ernor Lee said:
"One of Virginia's greatest statesmen has said,
1t is proper you should understand what deem
the essential principles Of government What
were the principles Of government laid down by
this wise mani Equal and exact justice to all
men, of whatever persuasion, religious or polti-
CAL Fly from the autterlng folds Of your flag
that sentence, and the ground which you
march will always be strong and firm. We are
told, gentlemen, the organization you represent
Is formed to elevate .,.. and protect u the
who are interfering with your rights, and
who tramples upon your privileges as American
cltizensa Organized capital, do I heart Against
that Is war declared. Will it be war 20 the
knife and the knife to the hiit. will there be
peaceful issue to the conflict What, in your
opinion, is necessary to promote the interests of
both? The helm of the ship of this Republic
was constructed by men of different and APP
parsntly irreconcilable views and the Constitu-
ton was only framed by compromise Of all
conflicting opinions. Compromise then, gives
US our Constitution, and compromise will solve
the difficult problem of the hour which you have
assembled here to grapple with. The battle, we
are told, is one of labor against capital But
what class of capital is depressing you, and
whose course is injurious to the lines marked
out by the founders of the Republicf ] divide
capital into two kinds and will 60 with you and
give the command forward and fight by your
side against one of those classes. Make
against incorporated rascaity and we will help
you to ride 1t down. Combat great moneyed
corporations that seek to control your legisla-
lures, federal and State, by bribery and cor
ruption, in order that they may get votes in the
federal halls of legislation to perfect and fasten
upon the whole country legislation for their ben
eft, and not for the benefit of the
. 1sops ss sbonSer With w in sSs
Draw the fangs from the money kings who seek
TO take possession Of the great telegraph lines of
the country and defect them from their legiti-
mate purpose by controlling them to defeat the
viii of free people In an attempt to defraud the
whole country of their constitutional right to
elect rulers, and we will rally to your support.
horse, foot and dragons, in that Organize
against capitalists who furnish money to carry
elections, and then claim as their reward the
lection of the men upon whose shoulders shall be
thrown the purple robe OF the judiciary, and we
are with you in that
''But al capital, my friends, is not used in
this way, nor for such vicious purposes. Let US
make no war upon those who use their good fort
une to alleviate the sufferings OF mankind, and
whose eulogies are written in the hearts of
thousands on account of their generous dona-
tions and noble deeds. and whose money is en-
ploye0 to whlten the ocean with sails and cause
the wharves to be laden with commerce. EN-
ployers, as has been we'll said, have 20 right to
lock out whole shopfull Of hands to bring
few unwilling ones to terms, nor have they, in
my opinion, the right to engage with other en-
ployers TO fix a rate for them to pay or compel
all to remain idle; but they have q right to exer
else their just judgment as to what fair dealing
and justice demand, and what they would be
willing to give for the work they
loss, to say they would not be
able to give so much You can have hell in
your factory says Washington GLADDEN., 'or
you can have heaven there, just you wish. If
it is hell you want build your business on the
law of hell which is simply Every man for him
self and the devil take the hindmost." Out of
that you will get fighting perennial and unre-
lenting. II it is Heaven you want, then build
your business on the law of the king lom of
heaven. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy
self" That will lead you IN the path of peace.
Nor can it DO admitted on your side that you
have right, by combination or otherwise, to
prevent others working upon the terms and con-
ditons you have rejected. if they desire to DO
so. The people of this country can never be
satisfied until liberty of action ia conceded to ALL
Samson overthrow the temple of the Phllistines,
but 1t is instructive, says wise writer to re-
of the gulotine persisted by its blade The
French revolutionists who worked it most freely
on Others finally paid tribute to it with their
heads. The law will protect both capital and
labor. and behind the statute laws ia
great body of law which has existed
all through civilized life, and which
is known as common law. Each State in the