The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-29
GEN. ". c. WHITrHORNE.
WHO NEVER WORE ANY MANS
C0L9RS,
Makes a Speech to the Knights Of
Labor at COlumbia-His Plat
form of Principles.

NASHVILLE, lENN', E6pIemDer 20
The Union pu fishes as special from
Co umbia the following:
The HIN. w. G. Whitthorne aG.
dressed large crowd, composed pr.n.
cipaIly OF the Knights of Labor, at the
Cour;house tonight The spesch wss
an acceptance of an invitation on the
part of the Knights organization, and
was sn able effort, purely non political,
clea y explanatory Of his POSITION on
The question OF lab aud capital.
Gen. WhuthoIne WAS iulr duced by
w. j. Andrews, the chief off Ter If the
order. He sid:
GRNTLt MEN OF THE ORDER OF X NIGHTS
OF LABOR AND Fellow CITIzENs-Th L
order did me The tonor to iDvite me
10 addr IS you, aud submits d ques.
tions for my reply, which / freely ac-
cept. No coined words can aft CO my
record as a public servant in the past
on both State aud national affairs.
That cord is before you" He tn n
referred 10 a speech made in the
Hou 9 OF Representatives in May,
1878, which the official reporter called
"Labor We. Capital" After reading a
few extrscs from this speech which
we've applicable to the present
time, and the reasoD, he took up the
following points;
Labor, its dignity, et'., the conflict
that had been cause OF complaint he
tween labor and cap tai bath in Eu.
pc and America Tor Yeas, dwelling
upon the complaint; the seizure and
control of currency by capital; the
control of tsxation and lar Fl by CAPT.
tai; coauol of indeb edness by capt.
tai; convert ng the currency into
bonds that demand the payment of
principal and j terest in coin the de-
mone,izat ON tf silver; the growth OF
monopoleE- coal, iron, coal o !, ocean
transportation; The power OF land
grants to lailrosds; capital controlling
municipal, State and Federal legislt-
ton lie comp,rtd the price OF labor
in America win that in Europe, and
by Ii king the lost time in consequence
OF lockouts, by pooling the interest of
monopoists tie lsborer of America
received no more than the European
lab, rer. The advantage of the TO mer
was the cheap lands, enabling him to
procure home, which YVES impossible
for the Iaborer of Europe, viii h was
the principal intucement to emigra-
tion. The squaBdered public domain
was larger than the countries of
France, Germany and England COM
bined, orsufic eDt tn sustain 45, 100000
of people. He rsfsrred to the
STRIKES AND RIOTS
at Pittsburg, st. Louis and Chicago.
He ieplied: Were the laborels mad
at ST. L uis? Did no cause or reason
pres ent itself as an excuse for the dis
turbanco2 / am lot here to speak in
d tense of lawltssness, but am here
to answer what has produced this
st4te of things. legislature after Leg
is AZURE, city after C ty, had been de-
bauch by capital, and the rights Of
labor ushrped. subsidy was fully ex-
planned by request OF some one in tho
audience. Capital invaded the ma
tionsl CAPT oil IN 1873 and demanded
that gresnbacks should disappear, Bill
yer coin be demonetized, all interest
bearing b nds be paid in gold. This
intert st is a mortgage on the muscle
of The laboring man. Pile up the it,
deb,edDess Of the world and the pile
is upon the producer. / am some
times allied Bourbon. He is o Bour-
bon who wears
THE COLLAR OF A MASTER.
1 never wore one. [Applause.] lam
disciple of Jefferson, and show me
man who deserves his name written
higher than Thomas Jefferson"
Ia explaining capital aud labor and
their connections he said the former
was the accumulation OF the latter.
Capital honorably used is entitled to
the highest regard. Debt ia draft of
the present upon the future. There is
equal psrinenhip between labor and
capital. He compared the price of la.
Dor at the time the public debt was
made aud the pre:ent. Ninety days
of labor at that time would pay the
same amount of Tx that go deys
would now. Knights of Labor, when
you come to me and ask if the sub
servient bodies have not been the
caufe of this, l answer yes. You may
combine in open council against it; it
is not necessary for secret organization.
| SIN glad 10 sac You IT, king such an
interest in public affairs. The ballot
is yours. Here is your recourse.
In referring to postal savings banks
he did not advise such cou 81. |
While he was in favor OF the govern
nanf taking oh arUa nf fha folanranb |
system, be was opposed to its con-
rolling the railroads. He who con-
trolls TIE railroads of Europe controls
,he destinies CT Europe. Capital has
,e z9d upon the vitals OF our govern
nent, therefore beware bsfore you en-
rust to it the control Of onr railroads
GAS to convict labor, / am not in
avor Of it in any way coming ia
conflict with honest labor. The con-
,ict labor Of the s ale can be utilizsd
IN the public roads. The United
State S government should use her con-
7ict labor in recovering the swamp
ands of the Mississippi river and iTri-
,ating the dry plains of the West,
making homes for the poor. In the
Instant future it may be necessary to
olonize the convict labor. This is the
'nly solut on know of at present of
he question"
Ali questions were discussed at
eneth and at the cloee Gen. Whit
horne WIS warmly congratulated on
lis mastery speech. The Knights of
.abor here ask that the Nashville
uiphia To invita- Gan Wbiftborna N |