The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-10-09
KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
Tenth Annual COMMUNICATIONS
of Welcome by Gov. Lee.

The tenth annual Convention of the Ma
! tional Assembly of the Knights of Labor
opened on Monday in Richmond, Va. The
Convention was called to order by General
Master Workman I. V. Powderly. Governor
Lee, of Virginia, made an address of welcome,
to which Mr.. Powderly responded: Mr..
Powderly was introduced by Frank j. Farrell,
colored member of the delegation of District
4 Assembly 40, whose associates refused to take
up their quarters in the hotel in which he was
refused admission on an equal footing. Mr..
Powderly, in concluding his address, said
that some of the members of the visiting del
egations who were of darker hue than their
brothers could not find place in some OF the
hotels This was in accordance with what
had long been the custom here, and old Gus
toms and prejudices do not readily vanish.
| There had been particular mention made OF
! one instance where a delegation numbering
sixty members had only one colored member
among them He was refused admission to
the hotel where they intended to go, and the
delegation, standing by the principles of the
order, which recognizes no distinctions of
creed, nationality or color, went with their
colored brother. That was why be made the
selection of that brother to introduce him to
them, so that it might go forth that they Prac-
ticed what they preached" After Mr.. Pow
secret session. The only business done was
the appointment of Committee on Creden-
tails The Convention then adjourned until
Tuesday morning.
GOV. FITZHUGH LEES WELCOME.
Fellow-c citizens / am here to-day, in re-
spouse to an invitation of committee of the
| Knights of Labor of Richmond, for the pur-
pose of uniting with them in meeting and
greeting citizens from other States who come
within the gates of this Commonwealth to
confer with a portion of her people-a con-
ference which we earnestly hope will be pro-
ductive of the greatest benefit to all concerned.
We are always glad to welcome strangers
within our walls, glad to extend to them the
| hospitality for which Virginia's capital has
besslss widely known in the past, glad that
an Opportunity Is Afforded nnr
citizens face to face and to see this beautiful
city and test our genial climate.
/ The Governor then proceeded to discuss
the aims which their convention will strive to
attain, and said: And now what part are the
| representatives of the Knights to take in
| bringing prosperity and peace to the Repub
| lie? What object have they in view and what
| plans do they propose to unfold to the future
The million of men who are IN the knights
of Labor, says Mr.. Powderly, are studying
the science Of government. Surely we are all
statesmen has said: SIT is proper you should
understand what deem the essential princi-
Piles of government"
DISCUSSING PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT.
What were the principles of government
laid down by this wise man? Equal and
exact justice to all men, of whatever persua-
sion, religious or political" Fly from the
futtering folds of your flag that sentence and
the ground on which you march will always
be strong and firm. We are told the organi-
cation which you represent is formed to elevate
the rights and protect the working classes.
Why who are interfering with your rights, and
who trample upon your privileges as Ameri-
can citizens? Organized capital do l hear?
Against that is war declared? Will it be a
war to the knife, and the knife to the hilt, or
will there be peaceful issue to the conflict,
which, in your opinion, is necessary to pro-
mote the interests of both? Compromise
gave US our constitution, and compromise will
solve the difficult problem of the hour, which
you have assembled here to grapple with.
The Knights of Labor say the head of that
organization will never be a political party,
but its members may one day cooperate with
other thinking men in forming party that
will keep the country straight in the lines
marked out for it by the founders of the re-
public. There has always been and there will
always be two great political parties in the
United States, and room has never been found
for third. Whenever the formation of the
third party has been attempted it has failed,
called by whatever name it may have been.
And you well say, Mr.. Powderly, ''the regu-
lation of prices of labor and commodities does
not come within the province of political par
ties" But the battle we are told is one of
labor against capital and capital against la
Dor. Why, some capitalists are Democrats
and some Republicans, and Knights of Labor
belong to both of the great political parties of
the day. VIII the Democratic Knights fight
Republican capitalists and the Republican
Knights fight Democratic capitalists? What
a mixed combat that would be! Let us fol-
low your chiefs advice and keep politics out,
and let the contest be as it was originally
stated, between capitalists of either party on
the one side, and the Knights of Labor, Re-
publican or Democrat, on the other.
pENoUNcING CORPORATE WRONGS.
But what capitalists are opposing you and
whose course isinjurious to the ''lines marked
out by the founders of the RepubfcY' |
divide capitalists into two kinds, and will go
with you and give the command, forward,
and fight by your side against one of these
classes. Make war against incorporated ras-
cality, and we will help you to ride it down.
Combat great moneyed corporations that seek
to control your Legislature, Federal and State,
by bribery and corruption, in order that they
may get votes in the Federal halls of legisla-
ton to perfect and fasten upon the whole
country legislation for their benefit, and not
for the benefit of the people at large. We
will march shoulder to shoulder with you in
that. Draw the fangs from the great money
kings who seek to take possession of the tele-
graph lines of the country and defect them
from their legitimate purpose by controlling
them to defeat the will of the people in an at
tempt to defraud the whole country of their
constitutional right to elect rulers, and we
will order to your support "horse, foot and
dragons in that. Organize against capital
lists who furnish money to carry elections, and
then claim as their reward the selection of the
men upon whose shoulders shall be thrown
the purple robe of the Judiciary, and we are
with you in that \ GU will feel the touch of
our elbows, too, in assisting to keep down any
men or set of men who seek to depart from
the ''lines marked OUT by our forefathers,
and set up in this country strong central
government to control the people, when the
fathers formed government to be controlled
by the people.
CAPITALISTS WHO DO THEIR DUTY.
But all capital is not used in this way nor
for such vicious purposes. Let us make no
war upon those who use their good fortunes
to alleviate the suffering of mankind, and
whose eulogies are written in the hearts of
thousands on account of their generous dona-
tons and noble deeds, and whose money is
employed to whiten the ocean with sails and
cause the wharyes to be laden with commerce;
not against q class of our citizens of whom it
was SO eloquently said that philanthropy will
sing in ringing chimes of their public chart
ties, that sorrow would find solace in their
deeds, that pain would be lifted up into hope
by their voice; that there would be churches
whose heaven kissing spires would chronicle
their donations; that schools would claim them
as patrons and hospitals as benefactors; that
science wnnld oven Ices. -. si.~...r -i.iie theis
s--SFS'I swePs ,lnriry, aye the very foorsreps of
progress would be sanaAlled BY their silver"
You have no fight against benevolence and
charity. The rights of all men are going to be
protected in this country. Employers, as has
been we'll said, have no right to lock out a
whole shop full of men to bring few unwil-
ling ones to terms, nor have they, in my opin-
ion, the right to engage with other employers
to fix rate for them to pay or compel ali to
remain idle, but they have a right to exercise !
their judgment as to what fair dealing and |
justice demand and what they would be viii.
ling to give for the work they want, and after
wards if sustaining a loss Ia saw rhev would |