Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-11-22
POWDERLYS REPORT.
He Invites an Investigation of His
Management.


We make the following excerpts from the
report Of General Master Workman II. v
| Powderly TO the knights of Labor:
To the officers and members of the gener-
al assembly For 10 years the order of the
/ Knights of Labor has maintained an exist
ence in the face of circumstances the most
discouraging and dsheartening; struggling
! forward in its infancy beneath a veil of Sc
/ crecy, IL met with opposition from those in
Whose behalf IT contended. Later on IL
faced the world as the advocate of justice
Tor the poor, and found all who were enc
mics Of the oppressed arrayed against it,
In all Of these years it has h TO brave the
taunts and insults Of enemies whose in cr-
ests il served.
Since the adoption Of the declaration Of
principles 10 years ago, this order has n I'd
the opposition of all who despised those
principles, but the year whose ending we
witness at this session has been the most
! trying and discouraging 10 those whose
wish was TO see the harmonious blending of
all classes of workers beneath the shield of
knighthood Many causes combined TO re-
duce the number Of those who swore ailegi-
ance 10 the principles of the knights of
! Labor Their circulation of false state
= mCnts concerning the strength of the ordes
drove away thousands who regarded guam
tity as being sup rior TO quality in the
makeup of the membership OF a labor or
ganiZation.
When the rumor went forth from the
enemies quarters that the numbers were
dropping down, those members who looked
TO others for what they should do them
selves dropped out also. When the diver
gence of opinion between the general
officers became heraded broadcast by those
who always magnihed, then the members
who looked for unity among the officers
instead of doing their duty by waiting until
they could replace these officers with others,
withdrew from the order temporarily. The
story, so often circulated and so wonder
fully magnitied, Of the extravaganza of the
general officers frightened others, and they,
too stood stu until this session would as
sembIe.
In ihe ranks were men whose love Of self
predominated, whose selfish desires could
not be suppressed for the common veal,
and on no occasion would they consent 10
sin. self for the good of all. The oft told
story OF I cir grievances sickened and
drove maIy from the order. With an ex-
ecutiye Loard whose members were not in
harmony with each other, who Travelled
from place 10 place denoUncing their fellow
officers and condemning actions that they
were not responsible for ID could not DO
wondered at that we have .ost in numbers.
/ The unwise strikes which we q entered up
on against the laws and phi, ciples of the
/ knights of Labor swept thl us4uds of our
! members into poverty and forced them
I from the order.
Add 10 all of those causes the campoign
walc.i uas just closed in the United States,
in wu.cl members and assemblies were
! pttcd against each other on question
! which never WAS made part Of the GCcla-
ration OF principles, and or which they
could very well afford 10 differ without
differing as 10 any point in the laws or
rules Of the order, aud we wonder not that
there has been falling of, but that We
have passed through the crucial test with
the ranks unbroken as we find them to-day.
He states that these trials have resu. d,
in Ia he al nd IN Il
Ike official dishonesty, inviting Thorough
! examination OF all books and accounts.
( Many changes are desired in the constitu-
/ ton, 50 as to avoid the frequent changes
which are recommended at each session.
He recommends the total abolition of sec.
tons which provide for the appointment
and government of examining organizers.
The law as at present framed is a dead let
ter. An examination Of sections - and -
viii show that in addition 10 his other duties
the general master workman Is required
10 examine the statement of expenses as
reported by the general secretary. At pres
ent he thinks the financial affairs are in
trusted in too many hands One RESI- onsi-
ole person should BE- ntrusted with the
management of the finances. He then con
q NnUCd:
We have been treated to many q dis
course during the past year on the sub Get
Of one II. n power. The chief trouble with
cur ORDER Is because OF the lack OF one
man power. Our power has been divided
in the past. and il has worked injury to US
The will OF this order crSs;allizcd into law
and imprinted upon the pages Of our cousti-
tuition by the representatives here assem-
bled should be carried out 10 the letter
To do this the duty IS assigned to one rlau
to execute these laws. Where the many
execute the laws themselves they a - vs.
fai: where each man iuterprets law ior
himself there is sure TO be f.2bel of sound
and confusion. Vest in one man the power
TO execute the laws which the many favor
and pass upon; allow no interference with
that man in the performance Of his duty,
and you may expect results.
Allow every SELF seeker, every knayc
every disturOcr and fault finder to inter
pref the laws and we have anarchy pure
and simple A pandering TO ignorance BY
some has given rise to the impression that
the man who rallied against one man power
was u friend TO the masses. No greater
mistake was ever made. The man who
tells the people that they can all act indie.
pendent Of each other on every issue that
arises, and do it intelligently is a dema-
cogue No matter how intelligent people
NAV be they must meet to determine. not
what one wants, but what is best for all
men.
one man power is an absolute necessity
iu order to insure success, but those who
confer that power should first know what
mower 10 give and when the end of that
know whether he has welded his power in
such q way as best 10 serve hscoustituents.
If he has, accord TO him the merit of having
, done so; il not, then censure him, but do
not censure him for not accomplishing re-
suits when the authority 10 do so was not
placed in his hands, and when the power to
thwart his every noe was delegated to
others who were supposed TO act IN unison
with him.
Men have been placed in Office with me
with whom ] would not Tor a moment as
sociate in private business enterprise
with any hope of success, yet for the sake
of the good that might follow silence, for
boarance under such circumstances has
been observed by me. Fancy the condition
, the united colonies would have found
themselves in had the hrst ten years Of the
, government of the United States been dele
gated to such men as describe, and the in
terest of tho 100000 Of that day were no
greater than those which were placed in the
keeping of the general executive board of
, a., fcbt If 4 ahOr