Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-03-10
xxronrs suoUrD STAND nacK.
sacA d Lae td~ics Gircs Teess ~ Masss
Workman Posrdeslu

saeA Is fae fdescs Girca Taens On Master
Workman Fosrdesiy.
Philadelphia dispatch: A letter from
General Master Workman Powderly was
given to the Associated Press at Scran.
ton this evening, in which he says: ]
have been asked what my opinion is
concerning the strike of engineers on
the Burlington system. Expression of
opinion is requested as to whether
favor the Knights of Labor taking the
places of the brotherhood men / do
not know the particulars of the strike in
question, but if true M. ~~e making an
effort to do away with "a European
custom of grading up and down, regard
less of merit, they are right for making
the fight for equality. My opinion of
man who takes the place of another
struggling for his rights is that he de-
serves the contempt and scorn of every
man who loves justice. 1t is true men,
bers of the brotherhood have, on re-
peated occasions, taken the places of
members of the knights of Labor, but
the merits of the various cases have
nothing to do with the principle of
honor involved in all of them. 1t is to
the entire shame of the brotherhood
that they stopped to such acts of mean
ness and treacherous, humanity con-
duct. The man who takes the
place of another, when that other
engages in struggle with a corpora
ton, Is scab, whether he be member
of the Knights of Labor or Brotherhood
of Engineers. When Charles Wilson
ordered the members of the brotherhood
to take the places of the Maehinist and
Blacksmiths union in 1872 and 1873 he
did an unmanly, cowardly act When
Arthur allowed the members of the
brotherhood, over which he exercises
such severe discipline, to tamper with
the rights of the employees of the Mis-
souri, Pacific and Wabash systems two
years ago, he, too, violated that princi-
pie of honor which should restrain men
when about to do wrong. The taking of
these mems places was mean and das-
tardly. Ii these actions were taken with
the sanction of the chief of the brother
hood, he, too, is mean and dastardly,
but two wrongs never make right,
and what is mean and dastardly in mem
beers of the brotherhood cannot become
grand and noble in the members of the
knights of Labor. No knight should
belittle his manhood by stopping to such
dirty work. If it is the habit of brother
hood men to do such work as taking
strikers places, in heavens name let
them have monopoly of it. knights
of Labor, if You take my advice, Won
will stand back and allow this struggle
to go on. Let the brotherhood demon
strate its power to stand alone without
'entangling alliances with other trades.
Let the past be forgotten, no matter
how bitter you may feel towards these
men. Remember, they have not stepped
out of the rut of seltishness vet,
and it is best to teach them what
manhood means by keeping hands off
the Burlington strike. The spec
tacle presented by men of labor who be-
long to different organizations rushing
at each others throat whenever a strike
takes place, must be a gratifying thing
for the employers of labor to look at.
1t must indeed give satisfaction to the
corporations to know that neither the
Knights of Labor nor the brotherhood
can ask for better treatment with any
assurance of receiving it. Labor will for
ever be bound hand and foot at the feet
of capital as long as workingmen can be
pltted against each other. No strike
should be entered into until the last
effort consistent with manhood has been
made. Then if it was determined that
the last thing possible had been done to
avert trouble, every detachment of
labor's army should be wheeled in line
in defending the rights of man in the
breach. | have never seen such strike
and never expect to, until the narrow
of the past are buried and the
principles of knighthood properly
understood. Then we will have no
strikes. Knights of Labor from Maine |
to California stand back. Keep your
hands off; let the law of retaliation be
and let the men of the |
Burlington railroad win this strike if |
they can.