The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-09-23


Mr.. PoWdsrly's Idea of Certain lntriguers'
In another column we reproduce the es-
sant!al parts Of secret circular issued q
< few II olIha pince by Grand Aester Work
+ man Powcerly, Of the Knights Of Labor
Mr.. Powdeily fslt the criticisms uroa his
order, end iIs!sal Of resenlng them he
urged the members Of his ORDER to remove
the Causes OF criticism. His long and III
innate connection with Organized labor
had taught him that charlatRns and non.
d, Cripts Of every variety were ready 10
stened themselves upon the working.
MN and ule him for their selfish endP,
an that they were too often auccessiul.
He knew that while workingmen are
e,raine their bread thetchemers are plot
t as TO use them for their own profit, to the
disadvantage Of wage.earners and the pref
udics Of tbs organizations TO which they
belong and which, with proper manage
ment, arc capable Of being Of great service
TO the wage -earners Of the country.
Against these plOtters, without conscience
and therefore without shame, Mr.. Pow
DERBY raised his voice; and nothing he
ever ea!d or did accomplished more iOr
his order in the public estimation.
Mr.. Powderly exhorted The members Of
his order to remember that there iaauCh
thing as the right Of free speech-tbat
they must accord TO others what they de.
mand for themselves. This applies as
well to the right Of free action, and 1t has
it's bearing on v hat recently happened in
the Wheeling newspaper offices.
The printe.n demanded an advance in
wsges, as they had = rjghtto do, however
unwIse or unJus! the demand. The pro-
pylelors refused to acceds 10 the demand,
as they had right 10 DO, however unwise
or unjust tho refusal. The men refused
10 continue vt their work, again exerciE-
ing their rilhh The pioprIotors secured
men who were willing 10 do their work.
The Iiebt Il thepIopiietorD to offer, and
Of other mtn 10 accept, the employment,
IL as clear and indptGasible as the right Of
the late employees TO walk out. II any
body holds this TO be unpound doctrine
the 1STELLlaEScEG will be glad to print
what he has to say on the subject.
When Mr.. Powdefly comes to discuss
the boycott-and he discusses it with the
force Of Intelligent indignation speaks
as though he foresaw what was going to
happen in Wheeling. Here the intrig-
usrs, incorporating as tho champions Of
labor, man@uvrsd to bring about situa-
ton in which they thought they saw
profit for themselves, They urged the
printers on to make demands which they
knew were unjust, and which some Of the
printers themselves admitted to BIO I'm.
Just and inexpedisnt.
The same plotters encouraged the pro-
prietors to refuse the demand. Then they
had what they wanted. They persuaded
some and inundated others to lay on the
boycott, and while they were boycotting
the established newspapers, to become
Canyasscrs for the Evening Grievance.
which they expect 10 establish on the
ruins Of the newspapers which have given
to labor steady employment at good
wages, Mr.. Powderly bCgs labor not to
permit ltseito be used as y tail to this kind
Of kite. He Is tho more urgent because
he knows something about these kites.
1tispleasant to know that the plotters
in Wheeling are not shrswd enough to
miSlead the whole body Of workiDgmOn,
who have an idea Of the rights Of other
men, Of dtcency and fair play. They do
mislead come good men who have not yet
seen that they were being used 10 pull
chestnuts out Of the fire, but they cannot
hold this grip forever. Meantime the
printers who went cut arc gaining moth.
ing by their course.