San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1886-04-08


this is year for concessions and ad
vances Be that as it may, we can
not force them by striking.
I am aware that the machinery o
our order is not capable of perform
ing the work required by tho larg'
gains in membership, and this fac
must have restraining influence OF
our members until the next Genera
Assembly meets. Five hundred as
semblies were added to theroll in Feb
ruary-as many as were organized in
the first eight years of the orders ex'
istence. II is not within the bounds
of human possibility to expect that
all of these new recruits can be prop
erly trained before the assemblies are
founded. The organizers seldom
visit them for instructions but once,
and this is not enough. They must
devote their spare moments to edu-
eating those already organized, be-
fore adding any more new assemblies
to the order. To attempt to win
concessions or gains with our pres
ent raw, undisciplined membership,
would be like hurting an unorganized
mob against a well-drilled regular ar
my. Again, it is not fair to the older
assemblies to bring in new members,
pick up their quarrels as soon as or
ganized, and have them expect pc
cuniary aid from those who helped
build the order up for a noble pur-
pose. 1t is not wise to give men and
women premium for joining us. 1t
is wrong to encourage them in the
idea that they have nothing to do
themselves-that they are to lean up
on others they must depend upon
themselves, and in any case cannot
receive assistance inside of six
months, and 1 will hold out no in
ducements that will encourage them
in the belief that they will receive as
sistance even then.
WE MUST HAVE PATIENCE.
We have built up O moral force
that will command a hearing for us
before any tribunal in the country.
Wemust not fritter away our strength
and miss the golden opportunity to
crown every effort with success, by
rushing into useless strikes. To the
cardinal principles of the order we
must add another-patience. You
have had patience for years; and 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, if
you cannot raise them by any other
process than strike You must sub
NIT to injuitice at the hands of the
employer in patience for O while
longer. Bide well your time. Make
no display of organization or strength
until you have every man and woman
in your department. of industry or
ganized 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 the tribunal of arbitration will
settle the rest. Organizers who pub.
lish an account of their work to the
world, assemblies that publish an &C
count of their strength to the world,
and members, whether public or pri-
vate, who speak boastingly Of our
strength to the world, are very indis-
Greet. Mind your own business. Keep
your own counsel. If the world
wishes to learn anything concerning
us, let it ask for information. If it is
proper to give the information, we
may do it. Where we win a victory
let us be magnanimous, and not boast
of it or speak slightingly of the van
quished. He who does so is cow
ard. Each District Assembly, each
Local Assembly, must appoints a COM
petent committee on instructions, to
teach our members what the order
was intended for. I have no advice
as to how mnch they should be
taught. Let them learn all they can.
The Knights of Labor are not OPP
posed to the employer of labor, but
it was not intended that the order
should harbor unjust employers. In
many assemblies the employer and
manufacturer have controlling in
fuence. The men who work for
them will express themselves as they
feel, and, in my opinion, it would be
best to treat with an employer as he
is, rather than as a brother Knight.
We can deal Just as fairly by him be-
yond the walls as within the sanctu-
ary. Take in as few employers as
possible.
BEWARE THE POLITICIAN.
The name of this order and its
principles are published everywhere,
and men who stood openly arrayed
against us two years ago are now our
friends. Beware of them. Take
them in if you will. but watch them
The politician is planning night and
day how to catch the knights Of La
Dor for the advantages of himself or
PARTY, and, rest assured, he has bis
emissaries in our ranks. We must
expect this, and we must stamp out
every effort Of the party man-it mat
tiers not Of which party - who at
tempts TO use us for political pur-
poses. To those assemblies which
dray the mana Of .be order into the |
political action Of any party, 1 say:
We are greater than any party on
Ar,er5oar, poiI to-dav and vre rnrigt