Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-04-01
E CHIEFS WISE WORDS
4f&n TEXT OF MIR. PowDERLY,s
DIRCULAR (9l t
zHbace and Arbitration Instead Of
&xaakes and Boycotts--rhe Time
4 Mss< ssfpe for the hsight-hour uovc-
xs44,sas-Avefd Political Traps. W

#&xR7xes and BOFcOats-Hme hlhhe
#sss ssape for the Hsight-hour Move
SzsNns-Aveid Pciiiicai Traps.
Nhe following is the full text of Chief
Hpwderlg's circular;
[secret circular.l
Noble Order. of he Knights Of Labor Of
a Hfef4c f4cu--pHItADELPHIA, Pa, March IL,
+ xBH6. The recording secretary will, on
= receipt OF this circular, place II In the hands
0f the master workman, whose duty II shall
be TO Issue a red-letter call for full meet
& fng, either regular or special, have full
attendance, and read 1t.
4. Its extreme length must be excused, for l
5 cannot go TO each assembly to speak OF the
present crisis, and take this method OF
Eeaching them. An order was recently Is
y sued to suspend organization OF new assem-
4 blies for 40 days. Il did not go out until a
careful review OF the field had been taken.
Had not been convinced that II was abso-
iutely necessary for the salvation OF the
order, my vote would not be cast In favor
OF a cessation OF the work. One OF the
gravest emergencies that ever faced u
human being Is squarely before the head OF
$ this order to-day II is not coming-it is
Ee--and Il must be firmly dealt with.
sssZtaking another step in any direction,
~ Want to go before the great mass OF our
membership, through the medium OF this
circular, ask OF them to speak TO me as
frankly as now talk to them,
and tell me what is best to be
done. II the order is to perform its mis-
sion, as intended by Its founders and those
who have worked with 1t from the begin
ming, q radical change must be effected. A
stop must be called and the ship brought
back TO her moorings. It has always been
and Is at the present time, my policy to
advocate conciliation and arbitration In
the settlement OF disputes between en-
ployes and employers. The law Of knight
hood demands at the hands Of our mem
bers an adherence to that policy. Thousands
Of men, with the runious policy of the
strike as the only remedy for the Ills we
complain of, were drawn to us because we
had proclaimed to mankind that we had
discarded the strike until all else had
failed. The men and women who flock
to our standard have knowledge of
their wrongs. They have endured these
wrongs for years, and In reason are in duty
bound to learn how TO right these wrongs
by the least expensive and most satiSfae-
tory, as well as lasting remedy. Six months
wiz not teach our principles and proper
methods, yet men are impressed with the
idea that they can learn them In six weeks
or six days; and before the groundwork for
q proper education is laid we find our
assemblies on strike or lockout, and In too
many cases the provocation comes from
their own hasty and inconsiderate action.
No matter what advantage we gain by the
strike, 1t Is only medicating the symptoms;
1t does not penetrate the system, and,
therefore, falls In effecting cure. The only
natural sequence is q relapse, and n relapse
always means more medicine and II weaker
patient than before. You must bear with
me aud read this letter to the end, for 1t
may be the last one / will ever writet TO you.
My duties to the oriler and humanity
must not be measured by the standard OF
dollars and cents. My policy must no
IL. fi.a
chosen mouth piece of the order, am pro-
claiming to the world thut the knights of
Labor do not advocate or countenance
strikes until every other means have failed
the wires from thousand cities and towns
are bearing the news OF as many strikes by
Knights oi Labor In which arbitration and
Cancellation were never limited at. Not that
alone, but they were In many cases scorned
and rejected by our own members. In some
eases these strikes were entered upon
against the advice OF the general executive
board. It is claimed by our members that
arbitration Is one-sided. That may be true
OF tie past, but the voluntary concessions
made to us within the Inst three months
prove mosteoncluslvely that the Just claims
OF labor will DE listened to II we go forward
in the way we started. IL is claimed that
this is ay- Jar for concession and advances.
Be that as 1t may, we cannot force them by
| am aware that the machinery Of our
orderis not capable OF performing the work
required by the large gains In membership,
and this fact must have restraining In
huenee on our members until the next
general assembly meets. Five hundred
assemblies were added to the roll In Feb
ruary, as many as were organized In the
first eight years OF the orders existence. 1t
Is not within the bounds OF human possi-
bility to expect that all tfsse new recruits
can be properly trained before the as
semblies are founded. The organizers
seldom visit them for instruction but once;
and this Is not enough. They must devote
their spare moments to educating those al
ready organized before adding any more
new assemblies to the order. To attempt
to win concessions or gains with our
present raw, undisciplined membership
would be like hurling an unorganized mob
against well-drilled regular army. Again,
1t is not fair to the older assemblies to bring
In new members, pick up their quarrels as
soon as organized, and have them
expect pecuniary aid from those who
helped build the order for noble purpose
IT, Is not wise to give men and women a pre-
MUM for Joining us. 1t is wrong to en-
courage them In the idea that they have
nothing to do themselves; that they are to
lean upon others. They must depend upon
themselves, and In any case cannot receive
assistance inside OF six months, and / will
hold out no Inducements that will eneour-
assistance, even then.
We have built up q moral force that will
command a hearing for us before any tri-
bunal in the country. We must not fritter
away our strength and miss the golden
opportunity to crown every effort with sue.
cess by rushing into useless strikes. To the
cardinal principles OF the order we must
add anotler-"patience. You have had
patience for years, aud had not the knights
OF Labor appeared upon the scene you
would still be waiting. Your scales OF
prices must stand as they are for the present
ii you cannot raise them by any other pro-
cess than strike. You must submit to In
Justice at the hands Of the employer In
patience for while longer. Bide well your
time. Make no display OF organization OF
strength until you have every man and
woman In your department OF industry
organized and then do not strike, but
study not only your own condition, but
that of your employer. Find out how
much you are justly entitled to, and
then the tribunal of arbitration will settle
the rest Organizers who publish an ac-
count of their work to the world assemblies
that publish an account of their strength to
the world, and members, whether public oil
private, who speak b0astingly OF "oui
strength, are very indiscreet. Mind youi
own business. Keep your own counsel. II
the world wishes to learn anything concern
ing us, let it ask for information. II 1t Ii
proper W Blfo bho iiiioiilheioht wv ih'sl Wy
It, Where we win a victory, let us be mag
unanimous, and not boast of 1t or speak
slightingiy of The vanqulshed. He whC
does so is aeoward. Each district assembly
each local assembly must appoint com
potent committee to teach our members
what the order was intended for. have
no advice as to how much they should bt
taught. Let them learn all they can.
The Knights OF Labor are not opposed tc
the employer OF labor, but 1t was not In
tended that the order should harbor unjus
employers. In many assemblies the em
ployers ami manufacturers have a control
Ing influence. The men who work for then
will express themselves us they feel, and II
my opinion II would be best to treat with N
employer as he Is rather than as a brothe
knight. We can deal just as fairly by hin
beyond the veil as Within the sanctuary
Taxa In as few employers as possible.
The name of this order and Its principle
are published everywhere, and men VIII
stood openly arrayed against US two year
ago are now our friends. Beware Of then
Take them In il you will, but watch then
The politician Is planning night and da
how to catch the Knights OF Labor for th
advantages of himself or party, and res
assured he has his emissaries in our ranks
we must expect this, and we must STAN
out every effort of the party man-it ma
t,rs not OF which party--who attempts
use US for political purposes.
10 those assemblies which drag the nam
OF the order into the political action of an
marty say: f'We are greater than any part
o American soil to-day, and we must r.
main So" Every reform that could possibl
come through the organization OF ne
d. party can be obtained without one, "
4..4s. FaAl