The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-05-14
POWDERLY PROTESTS.
A Powerfully Written Circular
to the Various Assemblies
of the Knights of
Labor.

hQSlIuLa, NAY D., lSSO.-1 10 Jlc OIubI livery
where. Greeting: The response to the secret
circular issued on March ID has been so gener-
Gus, and the endorsement of the sent1-
imous, that 1 feel encouraged and
strengthened in tho work. Nearly 4, 600 assem-
blies have pledged themselves to act on the adj
vice contained in the circular Of the 18th utt.
feel that it only requires the coming to the
front of real men of our order TO set NJ right be-
fore the world. We have been losing ground so
far as public opinion Is concerned for some time.
One of the causes is that we have allowed things
to be done under the name OF the knights
of Labor for which the organization was in no
way responsible. I ask of our members to
keep a je lous eye upon the labOring men who
never labor. and when they charge anything to
our order in your locality, set the seal Of your
condemnation upon 1t at once by denying It..
If O paper critictses the Knights of Labor or its
officers do not boycott ii, and If you
have auy such boycOtts on, remove them. A
journal not long since made some uncompliment-
airy illusions to the general master workman
of the knights OF Labor, and at the next meet
ing Of the nearest assembly a motion was cast
to boycott the paper, not that alone, bot every
person who advertised in the columns OF the
paper. ! wrote to the assembly asking that they
remove the boycott. and it was done. We
MUST BEAR IN MIND
that our general master workman is only a man,
and is not above criticism. We demand for our
selves the right Of free speech. We cannot con-
s~istently deny 1t to others. We must tolerate
fair, open criticism. 1t a reply is necessary,
make it in a gentlemanly, digniied manner.
If we are criticised or abused by a b ack-
Nolu ohCCSs SANoS IL 90 JOu "buAu tDC
blackguard himself-in silence. That our
aims and objects are good Is no reason why our
members should be regarded as being of a supo-
rior build or material. We are no more the salt
of the earth than the millions Of unknown toll
ers who do the work of the world. In our deal
ings with laborers and capitalists we must deal
justly and fairly by them If we would have
equity done to us, we In turn must do
equity to others. This is the aim OF
the knights of Labor, ard must not be
lost sight Of in the future. Let me direct your
attention to a few little abuses. l find that
whenever a strike occurs 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 the general assembly. If boycott
notices are sent to you burn them. /
have in my possession over four hundred
boycott notices which were sent to assemblies
with a request that they be acted on, Let me
mention some Of them: A member is editing a
an alteration with him, boycotts him, and then
asks the order 20 carry it out. A certain paper
is influential in one or the other of the political
parties. Members Of the opposing party con-
ceive the idea of getting rid of the paper. and
they invoke the aid Of the knights
OF Labor, first taking the precaution
something uncomplimentary of the Knights OF
Labor. In fact, our order has been used as a
tail for a hundred different kites. and in future
IT must soar aloft, free from all OF them. hate
the word boycott. / was boycotted ten years
ago and could not get work at my trade for
months. IL is a bad practice--it has beau
nA4ANN 1" No Da ANC NdHASAsgN6Ss 4
have 40 use for it only when every
thing else fails. Appeals for aid, circulars,
petitions Advertisements Of every kind are
scattered everywhere through the order. Icopy
n letter which comes to me on the subject: "A
large part OF our time has been spent in reading
boycott orders and appeals for aid, keeping US
Knights Of Labor to be an educational instiuu-
tinn. but this kind OF education is not pro-
dactiEe Of good We have no time for ~instruc-
Tlen- Wh&s do you advise Us 20 do?- I
advised them 10 either burn or table
these matters and now ask of the secre-
tzEy q each assembly 70 do the samA
IL y0ur journal were not bOycOtted by our mem
bsrs II could be made the medium Of communi-
cStlol between the general officers and the
order, bur the journal il not read In one-quarter
q the assemblies Some send ont
documents n ENVELOPES addressed to Secretary
CT Assembly o. IL many places the
secretaries have been DISCHARGED because Of
B6dreEs another in that war. and
Iii 10 ever p~rzcticed again, the offender
WILL BE PUNISHED.
IA future. the general executive board must not
be fnte1@red with in the performance Of its duty.
II ron have confidence in them sustain them and
obey them If noA, ask for their resignation
Southwestern trouble. assemblies in some
places, with the best Of intentions, no donbt,
wsrs r1ssI1z and Publishing resolutions con-
deMzing Jay Gould These things did no good,
On the contrary they were injurious. In the set
tfsEaent OF troubles il becomes the duty of the
executive board 70 meet everybody and
y ~ WG~ANs "a NA[e ~ AOllG iii bnC1
musS not be hampered by the actions
0-ose who do not know what their task Is.
Resolutions do not prevent land stealing, stock
watering or gambling in the necessaries OF life.
What ne want from our members is aot gush
or windy resolutions about our rights. We
know we have rights without passing resolu-
t10ns. Men who thinE- study and act are re-
qufred The general assembly will meet in spe-
cial session on the 25th OF Nav. In the city of
Cleveland. From the receipt Of. this letter you
must not address any communication TO me. nor
need you expect an answer IL you do. From now
until the general assembly meets / will
receive no committees, answer no letters.
must formulate a plan for the future, and Will
not be interfered with. What I will say to the
General assembly will be said to the
snIise order, and W. you must give me
from drinking members and from men. who talk
about buying guns and dynamite. II the men
who possess money enough to buy guns and
OF some well selected work on labor they
would put the money TO good use.
dynamite in thisscounssy It is nv opinion that
the man who does not study the politics Of the
nation and the wants OF our people, wonld mako
n oot Vote vote ui iese 81 2 rlne- and nhe M Ian w w1II c nnt
watch the man he votes for after he Is elected
cannot be depended upon to use either gun or
not work out the problem now confronting
us his hand alone never solve 1t.
III XIII my enemy l silence him. 1t Is true.
/ would make q convert rather than
corpse OF my enemy. Men who
own capital are not our enemies. IL that
theory held good the workman OF to-day
would be the enemy Of his fellow-tviler on the
morrow, for. after all. it Is how to acquire cap
ftal and how to use IL properly that we
are endeavoring TO learn. The man OF capita Ia
not necessarily the enemy Of the laborez: on the
contrary, they must be brought closer together.
I am well aware that some extremists
will say i advocate . weak plan. and will say that
bloodshed and destruction OF property alone Will
extend the hand OF kindness. / hate the uses
to which rum has been put, but it is my
duty to reach down aid lift up the man
who has fallen 4 victim to the use Of
liquor. III there is such a man within the
sound Of the secretary's voice when this is read,
! ask him to stand erect on the floor Of his as
eambiy. raise his hand TO heaven and re-