The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-11-21


eral Master Workman T.. V. Powderly,
which, In brief, was as follows:
TO the off GERS and members of the General AS
sombfy:
For nineteen years the order OF the knights OF
Labor has maintained an existence in the faco
of circumstances the most discourag ng ana dis
heartening. Struggling forward in It's infancy
beneath veil of secrecy IL met with opposition
from those in whose behalf IL contended. Later
on it faced the world Us the advocate of justice
for the poor and found all who were enemies OF
the oppressed Hrrayed against il. In ali OF these
years IL has had To brave the taunts and insults
OF many whose interests IL served Since the
adoption OF tho declara ion o. principles, ten
years ago, this order has had the opposition of
all who despised their principles. but the year
whose ending we witness at this season has been
the most trying and discoHraeiog t. those whose
wish TO SEQ tie harmonious blending Of all
classes OF workers beneath tho shield OF knight
hood. Many causes combined to reduce the
number of those who swore allegiance to the
principles of the Knights of Labor. Their cir
culation OF false statements concerning the
strength of & @ order drove away thousands who
regarded quantity as being superior To quality
in the max up of the membership OF labor
o, ganization. When the rumor went forth from
the enemies quarters TINT tho numbers re
dropping down, those members, who looked TO
others tor what they should Go them selves,
dropped out also. When the divergence OF opin-
ion between the general officers became her
eldod oGdcast by those who always magnihed,
those members VINO Cooked for unity among the
officers instead of doing their duty by waiting I'M
til they could replace those officers with Others
withdrew from the order temporarily. The
story, 80 often circulated and SO wonderfully
magnified, OF the extravaganza of the general
officers frightened others, and they. too, stood
still until his session would assemble. In the
ranks we're men whose love OF self predominant
Ell, whose selfish desires could not be suppress
ed for the common veal, and on no occasion
would they consent TO sink self for the good of
all The oft-told story of their grievances
sickened and drove many from the order. With
an exc utive board whose members were not in
harmony with each other, who travelled from
place to place denouncing their fellow
officers and condemning actions that they
were not responsible for, IL could not be
wondered. ut that we have lost in numbers.
The unwse strikes which were entered upon
against the laws aud principles of tho Knights
OF Labor swept thousands OF our members into
poverty and forced them from the order Add
TO all OF those causes the campaign which has
just closed in the Unitel States. In which mem-
bers and assemblies were pitted against each
other on n question which never was made a
part of Tho declaration principles. and on
VIII en- Troy could very well afford To diffor with
out dividing on any point in the laws or rules OF
the order, and we wonder not that there has
been falling OF, but that We have passed
through the crucial test with the ranks unbro-
ken as we find them TO-DAY.
lie states that these trials have resulted in
good tor the order and denies anything like OFF,
cial dishonesty, inviting a thorough examina-
ticn OF all booAs and accounts. Many changes
nre desired in the constitution, 80 as TO avoid
the frequent changes VIII ch are recommended at
each session He recommends the total abolt-
ton of sections which provide for the appoint
lnent and governing of examining organizers.
The law at present framed IL n dead letter.
An examination OF sec ions 2 and % will show
that in addition TO lis other duties the General
Master Workman is required 10 examine tho
statement OF expenses as reported by the Gen
eral Secret ry. The treasury department
should be held responsible for ali money passing
through it's channels and the General Treasurer
should be vest d wuh the veto power so far as
delaying pawn mt bills, of which he Is in
doubt is concerned. At present he thinks the
financial affairs are intrusted in too many hands.
v should
the management of the finances.
After speaking OF the high estimation in which
the order 10 held by many outside OF IL, and
sho wing the multiplicity OF details he must look
after, he continues: we have been treate to
many discours, during the past year on the
sublsct of one-man power. The chief trouble
with our order is because Of the lack of oue-mnn
power. Our power has been divided in the past,
and It has worked injury 10 us. The will OF this
order cry stGllized into law. and imprinted upon
the pages OF our constitution by the representa-
tive 8 here assembled sh uld be carried out TO
the le5er- To do this the duty is assigned to
one man O execute these laws Where the many
execute the laws themselves they always fail !;
VIII re each man interprets tho law for himself
theirs is sure be babel of sound and confusion
Vest in one man the power 20 execute the laws
which the many favor ma rass upon allow no
interference with that nun in the performance
OF his du. les, and you may expe results. Al
low every self@seeher, every knave, every dis
turber ami fguit-fiu or TO interpret theaaws, and
we have anarchy pure and simple. pandering
TO ignorance by some has given rise TO the i'm
preston that the man who rallied against the
one-man power friend to the masses. No
greater mistake was ever made. The man who
tells the people that they can oil act indie
pendent OF each other every issue that
arises, and do 1T intelligently, is n demagogue.
No mGtter how Intelligent n people may be,
they must meet to determine not what one
man wants, but what is best for all men.
Whrn they moot many Cherished theories must
give way TO practical ideas. and when these are
enacted into law and intrusted to the hands OF
one man for enforcement, every hand should be
stretched forth 60 aid that one man 10 carry out
the will of all men rather than to have as have
had many hands stretc ed fOrCh 10 stay the
work that your predecessors assigned TO me-
One man power il I'm absolu o necessity IN order
to insure success, but those who confer that
powor should first know what power to give and
when the end of that mans term OF ofhce
rives they Lhouid know whether he has welded
serve his constituents. II 10 has, accord
TO him the merit OF having done SO; IL
not, then censure him, but do not censure
him for not accom- lishing results when
the authority TO do was not placed in his
hands, and when the power to thwart his every
move was delegated 10 others, who were sup
posed TO act in unison with him. Men have
been ID aced IN office with me with whom
would not Tor Il moment associate in a private
business enterprise with any hope OF success.
yet for the sake Of the good that might follow
silence, forbeafHnce under such circumstances
has been observed by me. Fancy the condition
which the united colonies would have found
Themselves I'm had the first ten years OF the
government of the Uni ed States been delegated
10 such men as 1 have described; and the
interest of the 100000 of that day were
no greater than thCss which placed
in the keeping Of the General Executive Board
of tho knights OF abor. Your General Master
Workman realized full we'll his own incapacity
90 deal with the greatquestions which faced him,
but IL was not necessary TO retard the progress
OF the order by placing On equal power in the
bands OF each member of the General Executive
Board. and then expect the General Master
Workman TO achieve the success 30 much de-
sired by al true knights"
After remarking the influence OF the order ON
public opinion, he takes mp pending questions,
saying:
THE most important questions that cen come
hafrlrn thia body for con aidernfinn are those OF