St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-21
powDERLY's POWER.

Mr.. PowDERLY has again succeeded
in maintaining his supremacy over the
Knights of Labor, in spite of the fiercest
opposition; and yet 1t is question
whether Mr.. PowDERLY'S success will
prove benefit or an injury to the labor
cause. There has been much i'll Mr..
PowDERLY' s past administration OF the
organization to commend. He has
proved himself to be man possessed of
wonderful executive force and eminent
conservatism. He has unquestionably
steered the organization clear of many
breakers that threatened its destruction.
There nuvG !,ae;;.. instances when, if his
advice had been followed, hist sed of be-
ing disregarded by local assemblies,
much trouble would have been avoided.
And yet in the face of all the distin-
guished services he has rendered in the
past, there arises question as to the
wisdom Of perpetuating his supremacy
over the organization.
In the first place, it is q reflection
upon the organization itself to assume
that there is but one man within its
ranks of sufficient administrative ability
to shape its policy. An organization
that is wholly dependent upon the
power and ability of one man to create
for 1t field of usefulness must, of ne
cessity, be short-lived. In the next
place, the organization is beset with the
danger of dictatorship by reason Of the
methods which MI. POWpERLY is
compelled to resort to in order to main
tain his supremacy. This is visible in
the repeated efforts made, from year to
year, by PoWDERLY'S friends. to con-
centrate additional power in the execu-
tive head of the organization. 1t has
now reached that point that the au-
thority of the master workman over the
Knights of Labor is as supreme
and dictatorial in character as
that exercised by the car over his Rus
sian subjects. 1t is for the members of
the organization themselves to decide
whether or not this is healthy cOndi-
ton, SO far as their interests and the in
tereStS of labor are concerned. The very
fact that membership is rapidly decreas-
ing under the growth of autocratic sway
seems TO indicate that at least a large
body Of the workingmen are unwilling
to submit to imperial domination. There
is one feature. however, of this tend
ency of the PoWDERLY regime toward
imperialism that is legitimate subject
for criticism among all classes of
our citizens, without regard to
whether they are interested in
the labor movement OF not. 1t
is the danger to republican institu-
tons which is likely to arise by the es-
tablishment of one-man power. How
ever safe man Mr.. PoWDERLY him
self may be to be entrusted with the
extraordinary power he asks at the
hands of the labor organization, still it
is based upon principle which is re-
pugnant to the genius of American in
stituuions. The PowDERLY idea is bet
ter suited to country where the mon
archical forms Of government are pre-
served than it is here, where the plant
of personal liberty is so deeply rooted.
The Knights of Labor has been use
full organization, and has done much
to elevate and dignity labor. 1t would
bea great calamity to have it wrecked
upon the rock of autocracy when 1t was
organized for the purpose of protecting
the Iaboring classes from the opprcs-
Sims Of fbp favored few