The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1888-04-05
PoWOERLY TO THE KNIGHTS,
Rorclblo and Earnest Arguments Against Going
..'.. ...... on btFlkes.

Sorcsbto anc EGfnest Arguments Against Going
...'.. .... on btFskes.
General Master Workman Powderly, In
the Journal of United Labor, issues a
special call to the members of the knights,
asking several questions of importance and
reiterating his forcible opinions regarding
strikes, condemning them as harmful to the
vital interests of the order and occasions to
beindulged in only as a resort when all other
means have failed. Regarding the seces-
sions from the Knightly ranks, Mr.. Pow
derly says: 'It cannot be wondered at that
when they discovered that the order could
not support every scheme they had in view
they dropped out, disheartened and dis
gusted. They were not schooled in the
principles Of the order and blame the organ
lzation, In their despair for their present
Ills. Their departure did not weaken the
order as much as their admission"
NOT A SUCCESS AT STRIKES
Continuing, Mr.. Powderly says: "It has
been said that the order of the knights of
Labor Is not success at managing strikes
will admit that is true, and will prove
from the record that the order was not
founded to aid, encourage or engage in
strikes. An examination of the twenty-five
sections of the preamble will fail to show
wherein the word strike finds favorable
mention. After considering the matter,
your Master Workman asks of the assem-
blics to give an expression of their views to
him. He requires assistance and now goes
direct to the highest tribunal of Knighthood
the order at large-to ask what he shall
DO lie does not ask the views of assemblies,
districts, factions, but of the rank and file.
FROM the 9th of September | have written,
Naked against and opposed strikes. l be-
Stteve they were ruinous under the old sys-
tenn; they arc doubly SO today. Years ago
when strike took place on a railroad or in
FOf,tN tod E,t,
the men and employer. Today when a
strike takes place the manufacturer may
belong to q trust and may actually realize
'proht, while those engaged in the strike are
starving Pools, combinations and trusts
are the union of capital against which
unions OF labor are pittied. The one with
millions at his back can and does lie idle
until starvation does its work and compcls
the men to go back"
FIGHTING AGAINST COMBINATIONS.
In forcible paragraph on the conse-
quences of strikes he says: "What combi-
nation of hungry men could fight battle
against combination Of dollars? When
workman ceases to earn, his stomach feels
II and unless charity Is given he starvcs.
Lay gold dollar on shelf and at the end
OF decade it is as bright and useful us ever;
II has lost nothing from idleness; the dollar
Is ssupreme. We must control the dollar.
),
or they will extort the Last cent from labor
anu XII thie people. A solemn duty rests
with our order for fulfllment. Let our enc
mics say what they may, the Knights of
Labor stands today among laboring men
the greatest combination for good in
America.
1--WE must have legislation which will
compel individuals and corporations TO
transact business on n basis Of real property,
dollars and cents, instead Of what the world
callspaper credits, or fictitious values How
can this be done? By whom will il be done?
Not by strikes, by wasting our cncrgics'on
the line Of abuse of each other 1t cannot be
done by men who have no higher conccp-
tlon OF knighthood and citizenship than TO |
expose themselves and families to the pangs |
OF hunger In suicidal strike. Let the ones
VINO have felt the pangs of hunger testify,
and not those who, standing fur from the
field of conflict, say strikes do good. Unfor-
tunately for labor, men in position are prone
TO yield too easily to clamor. The vocal |
bully may succeed for a time in creating a |
sentiment against the man who refuses to |
yield, but when men find their promises are
not kept they have a greater cause for
anger than If they were told what to expect
in the beginning.
SUFFERING FAMILIES.
'I Inever will hold out q hope of assistnn, G
when am not in possession of money to
carry on a Strlkc, when the men and women
upon whom we must rely are as poor as
those engaged in the trouble The General
Master Workman has received his share of
censure for not encouraging certain strikes
l never did encourage strike and never
will do so, nor will ever vote to order
strike until every known remedy short Of a
surrender of manhood Of the men engaged
has been tried. l have waited two wears for
an opportunity to advise the order on this
question: but never found the labor world
free from strike long enough odo so with
out leaving myself open to the suspicion
that was opposing the interests of some
one who was on strike. Today | am oppos-
ing no strikes in particular. This is written
because l believe that strikes are weaken.
ing the labor movement in America Cap
ital has discarded its old methods; labor
still clings to her"
Concluding, Mr. Powderly advocates the
establishment of an educational branch of
the order, and in a lengthy treatise calls at
tention to its manifold advantages
A. G. Belrs Graphophone.
One CT the reporters of the House Of
Representatives has been experimenting
for two days past with A. G. Bells graphic.