The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-30
LABOR MATTERS.
A Letter from Powderly in Which the Social.
lists Are Fiercely Denounced.

A Letter from Powderiy in Which the Social
lists Are Fiercely Denounced.
NEW YORK, Dec. 29-The trouble between
district assembly No. 40 and the Socialists,
which has resulted in the withdrawal of nearly
all the local assemblies of that district from the
Central Labor Union of this city. has led to the
production of a letter written some time ago by
General Master Workman Powderly to a promi-
nent knight of Labor in this city, in which he
gives his opinion Of Socialists in plain language.
This will not tend to decrease the bitter feeling
which now exists between the bodies. The let
ter, although written some time before the An
srchist outbreak in Chicago, and the subsequent
circular to the Chicago district assemblies. is in
the same spirit. Portions of the letter are as
follows:
"The curse of the Knights of Labor has come
from the promptness with which acknowledged
leaders of the socialistic element have put
themselves forward at meetings, and, while
speaking, plainly limited at the musket and Cat
ling guns as the remedy for labor's grievances.
Many of the men who advocate these principles
do not understand them, nor do they care to un-
derstand them. They set forth the idea and
convey the impression that the only weapons by
which labor can hope to secure the desired re-
forms are the knife and bludgeon. They may
entertain such ideas as they please; advocate
them if they please, but they should not seek,
unoer the CLOAK or the knights or La
Dor, to promulgate such doctrines
and make the order responsible for
them. l claim the right to differ as to the
means best calculated to bring about reforms.
and am willing to respect the opinions of others,
but until the Knights of Labor adopt the shot
gun as their chief weapon, / will vigorously OBJ
ject to allowing advocates to slip to the front at
meetings gotten MP in the interests of labor.
They must not be permitted to advocate blood
and fire and yet proclaim themselves to be the
mouth pieces of the labor cause. The conduct
and language of these men have caused the
%elereymen to regard us with an eve of suspicion,
and it will require strenuous efforts on our part
to remove the erroneous impression concerning
as. / have no respect for the man or men who
will fiaunt that accursed red flag and advocate
the use of the dirk and bullet for three hundred
and sixty-iv days in the year, and who, on the
three hundred and sixty-ffth day. deliberately
walk up to the polls and vote for the %centinu-
ance of the system which they denounce. | am
sorry that the order ever found a foothold In
New York, for no good has ever come from large
cities. which are prolific of whisky and crime. y
Bah on the creatures who stand up as
champions of labor in the presence of thousands
of minimizing men and advocate the knife and
bullet! Bah on the men vino faunt the red flag!
They are too vile to respect and to cowardly to
uphold the American flag. sanctifed by the
blood of patriots. They disgrace it every time
they go to the polls and vote for monopoly and
usury. They are not to be trusted"