The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-05-14

received by the knights of Labor of Chi
cago, and win be read in the various as
semblies during the coming week:
NOBLE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF LA-1
BOR OF AMERICA.
E To THE ORDER, EVERYWHERE, GREETING:
The response to the secret circular issued
on March 13, has been so generous and the
it has been so unanimous, that 1 feel en-
cOuraged and strengthened in the W Ork.
Nearly four Thousand assemblies have
pledged themselves to act on the advice
contained in the circular of the 18th ult.
feel that it only requires the coming to the
front OF the real men of our order
to set us right before the world.
We have been losing ground so far as pub
lie opinion is concerned for some time. One
of the causes is that we have allowed things
Labor for which the organization was in no
way responsible. I ask of our members to
keep Jealous eye upon the doings of the
labor men who never labor, and when they
cality, set the seal of your condemnation
upon it at once by denying it.
If paper criticlses the Knights of Labor
or its officers do not boycott it, and If you
have any such bOycotts on remove them.
journal not long since made some uncom-
plimentary illusions to the General. Master
Workman of the Knights of Labor and at the
next meeting of the nearest assembly mo-
tiOn was cast 10 boycott the paper; not thaE
alone, but every person who advertised IN
the columns of the paper. 1 wrote to the
assembly asking that they remove the boy
colt and it was done we bear in mind
that our General Master Workman is only
man and is not above criticism. We demand
foFourselvestke right of free speech. Wescan
not consistently deny 1t 20 others. We must
tolerate fair, open criticism. If a reply IS
ned manner II we are criticised or aoused
by blackguard sheet. treat it as you would
the blackguard himseIf-in silence.
That our aims and objects are good Is no
reason why our members should be re-
garded ns being of superior build or ma
terial. We are no more the salt OF the earth
than the millions of unknown toilers who
do the work of the world. In our dealings
with laborers and capitalists we must deaf
Justly and fairly by them. If we would have
equity done to us we in turn must do
equity to Others. That is the aim of the
knights of Labor and must not be lost
sgnt of in future.
Let me direct your attention to a few lit
tie abuses; l find that wherever strike
occurs appeals for aid are scattered broad :
cast among the assemblies. 30 not pay one
cent for such purposes in future unless the
appeal comes from your own o istrI-t assem-
bly, or the General Assembly.
If boycott notices are sent to you burn
them. ] have in in my possession over four
hundred boycott notices which wei sent to
assemblies with request that they be acted
on. Let me mention some of them. a mem
beris editing Il paper lie fears a rival, and
proceeds to get into an alteration with him.
bOycott him. then asks the order to carry it
out. A certain paper is influential in one or
the other political parties. Members OF the
opposing party conceive the idea OF getting
rid of the paper. and they invoke the aid OF
the knights of Labor, first taking the pre-
caution to have the paper in question say
something uHcOmDtfm Qry OF the knlEntS
of Labor In fact, our order mas been used
as a tail for hundred different kites, and in
future 1t must soar alOft from all of them.
| hate the word boycott l was Doycotted
ten years ago and could not get work at my
trade for months. lt is q bad practice; 1t has
been handed to us by the capitalists. I have
no for it only when everything else
fails
Appeals for aid, circulars, petitions, ad-
yertisements of every kind are scattered
everywhere Throughout the order, copy q
letter which comes to me on the subject: IA
been SDent
reading boycott notices and appeals for aid,
keeping us until twelve O'Clock. We were
led to believe the knights of Labor to be an
educational institution, but this kind OF ed
ucation Is not productive OF good. we have
no time for Instruction. What do you adj
wise ms to do?
l advised them TO either burn or table
these matters, and now ask Of the secretary OF
each assembly to do the same II your jour
mai were not boycotted by our members 1t
could be made the medium of conmunlca-
ton between the general officers and the or
der. but the journal Is not read by onc-quar-
ter OF the assemblies. Some assemblies send
ont documents in envelopes addressed to
secretary OF Assembly No. -" In many
places tnC secretaries nave been dlschar4Cd
because of this practice No member has
the right to address another in that way, and
if it Is ever pructiccd again the offender viii
In future the general executive board
must not be interfered with in the perform
auce Of its duty. Hyou have confidence in
them, sustain and obey them; IL not, ask for
their designations. While the board was en-
deaYoring to settle the Southwest trouble
intentions, no doubt were passing and pup
fishing resolutions cOndemnatOry of Jay
Gould. These things did no good; on the
contrary they were injurious. In the settle
ment of troubles it becomes the duty OF the
executive board to meet everybody and go
everywhere. W hile they are dong this
they must not be hampered by the ac
tions of those who do not know what their
Keep quiet; let your officers do their best,
and If you can not find a way to aid them, do
not retard their progress. Resolutions do
stealing. stock watering
gambling In the necessaries of life. If had
my mind made up to rob bank at midnight
string of resolutions as long as the moral
law protesting against my contemplated ac-
tion would not influence me particle, but II
some Interested party W Ouid take the trouble
to study up tile questions and would inform
himself as to my right to rob the bank, and
would stand guard at the door OF the vault,
would not rob it at midnight If he did his
duty. What we want from every member is
not gush or 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 the 25th of May, in the city of
Cleveland From the receipt of this letter
you must not address any communication
70 me, nor need you eXpect an answer II you
do. l have thousands of letters piled mp
around me now, and they never can be
read, much less answered, by one man.
During and since my Illness the mail de-
lvered at my house has exceeded four hum
dred letters a day. They come from every
body and everywhere. must play the part
of wheel horse instead of leader of great
movement, and our members are re
nal that no one send letters to me. / am
told by some to get help. II l had fifty as
sistanfs it would do no good, for it
takes my whole time to read one half
of the letters and In the middle of my work
l am waited on by some committee,
who generally misrepTesent me after they
Ieave-for every member of the committee
will tell different story. From now until
the General Assembly meets / will receive
no committees, answer no letters. / must
formulate n plan for the iuture ana VIII
NOT DE lnIeFleEeu WITH. LtL lllC 1PS"ys
VIII receive no commitbees, %lSWef no let-
ters. nor Will 90 anywhere AZ the request
of members of assemblies. Thys IS tmDera- r.
tiye must h'tVe chance 20 DO something
of benefit fOrthe order, and can not do IT II
am to sit for eighteen hours day reading
letters which have been answered and rean-
swered in the journal and constitution.
What Will say to the General Assembly will
be said TO the entire order and You must
give me time TO prepare IL.
We have bad some trouble from drink Ing
members and from men who talk about buy
ing guns and dynamite. III the men W no
possess 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 VIII
never need the gun or dynamite in this
country. 1t is my opinion tnat the man who
does not study the politics of the Nation and
the wants OF our people would make Dut
little use OF a rife The man who can not
vote inteliigently and who VIII not watch
the man he votes for after he is elected, can
dynamite IL the head, the brain of man can
not work out the problem now confronting
u.s. his hand alone will never solve i. II
kill my enemy / silence him, It is true,
but do not convince him, ] would make
a convert rather than corpse Of my enc
my. Men who own capital are not our
enemies. II that theory hold good. the
workmen OF to-day would be the enemy OF
his fellow toiler OF the morrow. for after
all il Is how 10 acquire capital and how to
use IL properly that we are endeayoring
to learn No. the man OF capital IS not nee
essariiy the enemy OF the lab lrer: the
contrary, they must be brought closer to-
gether.
say am advocating q weak plan, and will
say THAT plOodshea and destruction of prom
erfy alone wiH solve the problem. TO our
drinking members I extend the hand of
kindness hate tna uses to which rum = as
been put, but it Il NV duty 10 rrach down
and llie up the man who bas fallen 8 victim