The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-02-02

back-l.abOr party Of the state, hut declined
the nomination His record aS an official
WINS an enyiablc one, and is still referred 10
with pride 10y his friends in Scranton.
But it is rs a member Of the Knights Of
...n,,.7 ,...,. g.: may J,..a ;ae rullns spur
or that great order OF winch lie i now the
chief that Mr. powdcrly Is best known ana
will bc longest remembered lie joined the
organization in 1876, formally, although nc
had been sworn IN ~ one Of lts first members
in lS1I and wa, for many years the Jealous
and intelligent advocate OF system that
would unite all branches of labor into one
compact body lie had realized 10y personal
experience that trade organizations were IN
eiIectua for the great work Of bcnrllilng the
condition of tuiling humanity The clannish-
ness of each special craft was but natural,
aud while there might be in IA general way
sympathy among carpenters with railroad
men or shormakers 1t lacked that degree OF
effectiveness, that would prevail If carpenters,
railroad men. shoemaSrrs aud Others made
common cause for their common welfare
Thi, was the great principle underlying the
! Knights of Labor, that men OF all trades
might unite for the general veal, taking for
their motto the comprehensive and expressive
maxim.
An injury 10 one is the concern Of all
Mr. Powdery was among the first and
most fcrvcnt advocates of this principle, and
in broader sense than any other Of the
founders of the order since he came TO 1t,
with riginal aims and purposes of his own
that were calculated 10 make IL holder and
more liberal, and consequently more potent
for good than the organization first planned
by Uriah Stevens and his associates aud pro
iccted rs "A secret, oath bound institution. Mr.,
POwdcrly's policy from the start was 10 keep
the organization rs much as possible in har-
mony with public opinion on abstract ques-
tons of RIGHT Whenever public opinion
differed with the organization he believed IN
bringing public opinion 10 its side If this
could bc done without a sacrifice OF principle.
When il could not be done he adhered TO the
principle and courageoualy proclaimed his
views for the consideration of thinking men
in and out of the order.
In the month of February, 1877, District
Assembly No. . was organized in Scranton,
and Mr.. POwdcrly was elected its correspond
ing secretary, position which he held until
his duties as general master workman took
him away from home so much that no could
not attend 10 the local Office.
In tho year 1873 all the branches Of tho
Knights of Labor were called together i'll
general assembly at Reading, Pa, and AS
sembly No. ;, Of Scranton, formed another
Assembly No , there from another part Of
the country, and, surrendering its right TO
that number, it took No. 10, by which it has
been known since
In January, 1879, at the general assembly
Of the order, which met in st. Louis Mr..
Powderly was elected general worthy fore
man, and in September Of that year he was
elected general master workman, the high
est position in the organization, which ho
still fills with conspicuous ability and honor.
The term of Office was for ono year until
lSoG, when it was changed to two years. At
every subsequent meeting of the general as
sembly Mr.. Powderly has been elected gen
cral master workman by an overwhelming
vote, despite the predictions always made for
months III advance that he would be defeat
cd Nine times he has been chosen to the
leadership of the powerful organization of
which ho is tho master mind u demonstration
Of confidence unparalleled in the history of
the labor movements of the world. His
salary for the first four years was SiO0a year,
out of which moager sum he paid all his
expenses as general master workmen, devot-
Ing what was left to the building up of the
order. In 1888 his salary as general master
workman was increased to $500, in 1884 to
81 800, and in 1856 TO 5000 per annum. At
the last session Of the general assembly tho
salary was again fixed at $1,000, but Mr.
Powderly Informed the convention that he
would draw but s., 900 for tho year, and if ut
the next session the members considered that
he had earned the other 81 900 they could dis
pose of 1t there,