The Irish standard., 1886-05-22
History Of the Knights Of Labor.

Atlanta Constitution.
History Of the Knights Of Labor. :.
About eight months after the close
Of the wal the garment cutters Of Phil
adelphia organized as the Garment
Cutter Society of Philadelphia. The
intention was to pay to sick members a
weekly allowance and to bury the dead.
In fact, TT was benevolent organiZa-
tion. They continued to hold meetings
for four years. At the end OF that
time, one night in October, 1859. they
were discussing some measure: when a
member said: *We have been coming
here now four or five years; we have
our constitut tion, our laws, oar officers,
;and so far as that is concerned, that is
all right. IT am taken sick will re-
.ceive a weekly allowance, and il | die
Il will be cared for by our brothers. But
the conditions surrounding me i'll the
workshop have not grown better, but
worse 1t seems to me that an Organl-
zation that will go into the workshop
and endeavor to effect reform there is
what is needed. in addition to the as
>sociation we now haye.' That line OF
argument was taken up and continued
some weeks. Finally a motion was
made that that society be disbanded,
and it was disbanded. The founder OF
the Knights of Labor was member Of
it. He was Urial S. Stephens. AS the
anen We're leaving the room that night
Joe asked those present to remain and
hear what he had to say. He said that
If they would form such an association
as had been suggested, one that would
endeavor to effect reform in the man
agement Of workshops, mines and
foundries. they would endeavor to per-
feet it, Six of the men remained,
talked the matter over with him and
agreed to meet again. These seven
men and two others met to perfect the
organization on Thanksgiving evening
in 1869, and the nine men drafted the
first crude form Of d constitution and a
manual for the government Of the as
ssociatlon of The Knights of Labor. No
man was to know anything about it. 1t
was to be secret in all its workings.
The man who joined it was not per
mitted to mention the name Of the as
siociation outside OF the meeting room,
nor was it spoken inside. When writ
ten about it was to be referred by stars.
The idea was to bring into the associa-
tion every department Of productive
industry. The intention was that no
statutes of the organization towards
the bettering or change oi The condi-
tions surrounding the employer and
employe would be made until every
thing connected with the condition Of
things had been discussed and thor
-roughly understood. The reason for
that was that 81 strike of miners affect
led not only the miners themselves, but
affected the machinists, the engineers,
the merchants. the clerks, and every
body connected with industry in that
region. In 1874 | was asked one even
ing it l would not become a member Of
a club OF association, the name OF
which was not mentioned. [ went,
and was initiated into the order of the
Knights OF Labor. Up to that time l
knew nothing of it; but when 1 saw in
that meeting room a locomotive en-
gineer, a stationary engineer, a miner.
a laborer, a truckmen, members Of my
own craft and others, made up my
mind that that was an ASSOCIATION
which, of all others, was calculated TO
do good to the laboring man. This
man Stephens, who formed the first
local assembly, was afterwards elected
master workman, and at Reading
elected to the position Of first grand
master workman of the Knights of
of Labor. The organization continued
under him for one year and nine months,
when his health failed, and when the
convention met at Chicago he sent a
letter Of declination, declining to be
again elected, and suggested two names
from which his successor should be
chosen. was elected and from that
time to the present I have been the
chief officer Of the knights of Labor.
The organization was intended to take
in not only the,m who worked at the
bench or in the mine, but every man
who toiled, by hand or brain, in any
honest occupation. We left out one or
two honest occupations lawyers and
bankers because we felt they were
fully capable of taking care of them
selves. Il !. ". Powderly, G.. M W., be-
ti'' fore the be Strikers Inyestig eating Com
rmcittee. .i53......55