Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-06-21
KNIGHTS AND FEDS.
The Two Great Labor Unions
Not Harmonious.
PowDERLY MEN AT COOPER UNION.

A Great Crowd which Expected Some
pers Declines To BE Present on Pow
derly's Terms-The Master Workman
Fires Hot Shot into the Federation
Ranks-Attempt Mt Stampede That
Didn't Work.
NEW YORK. June Wednesday Ter
ence V. Powderly wrote to Samuel Com
pers that a meeting of the Knights of
Labor would be held in Cooper Union Fri
day night at which Gompers was invited
TO be present, and hear what the knights
had to say in refutation OF the charges
the Federation of Labor has been making
against the knights. Gompers replied
saying that he would accept the @chal-
lenge.h Powderly wrote again saying
that there was no challenge, but that
Gompers would be permitted TO reply to
any statements which might be made to
which he took exception. The letters were
published and the prospect of hearing an
exchange of civilities between Powderly
and Gompers attracted a large crowd to
Cooper Union last nightmare people
in fact that could get in.
Some Preliminary Remarks
The executive board of the h OF l. APP
peared on the platform at S O'Clock. Pow
DERBY introduced George Warner, OF Dis
trict assembly 253, as chairman. Alex
ander Wright, OF the executive board. was
the first speaker After briefly explain
ing the object of the meeting, namely, TO
dicuss the false accusations made against
the knights by the Federation of labor,
he introduced Powderly, who was greeted
with loud applause. Powderly said he
regretted the necessity OF this meeting.
After reading Gompers' letter he invited
Warner to take the platform. Warner
said that the board, after considering the
letter, had decided that as this was reg
ular meeting called for a specific purpose,
it would not be proper to adopt Gompers'
suggestion to give that gentleman half
the time OF the meeting for purpose not
contemplated in the call.
Attempt to Stampede the Meeting.
At this point body of about 200 men
rose as il by Encouragement and left the
hall. Powderly said: "All who desire TO
leave Will please do so now, as there are
hundreds outside who cannot get in"
This pertinent and palpably true state
ment was received with great cheering.
and the effort of the seceders to break up
the meeting fell fiat. In a moment the
hall was packed as full as before When
quiet was restored Powderly addressed the
meeting He referred to certain insinua-
lions made against the management of
the knights. He denied that he was in
1856 opposed to the eight hour principle.
He was opposed, however, to certain meth
obs OF conducting an eight-hour move
ment He believed in practical measures
"A hiss.
The Retort Inyidious.
Geese and serpents hiss; we are fight
ing them right along" said the speaker.
"a voice: Were working people here. 7
Here, too rejoined Powderly at Is a
principle of our order that the man works
with his brain or his jaw is iaborer a.
we'll as he who works with his hands
Applause Powderly then read docu-
ments showing that the knights were the
first TO suggest the eight hour principle
At the ST. Louis convention they fixed
May !, lss.l, as the date for it, This be-
ing SO, how could thirty eight men speak
for the whole crowd,7 asked Powderiy
There was deafening applause at this ref
tTeHCe 10 Tue IelcfdtlOH
The Question of Membership.
Powderly. referring to the future policy
of the knights, said they won Id continue
in the eight hour movement to help
those who are willing to help themselves.
He then went into an analysis of the state
ment of membership OF the federal ion
and asserted that the large apparent
membership was made up by claiming
IL I IL a.
ration. He denied that the bottle blowers
400 mem belonged to the federation.
They were knights. The carpenters and
joiners were on the list as 2.O10 members
He did not know how the fact was. "A
voice-~They don't belong to them
Powderly-A voice says they don't
belong to the federation The Brother
hood Of Carpenters are claimed by them
as IS, 2i0. They do not number more than
81 200 and they belong to US.
Gives the Federation the Lie.
After going through the list in this way.
Powderly concluded: Il have taken 100
600 from their claim OF 400 600. including
the p, 900 locomotive engineers which they
claimed If l were to send out such
lying statement about our membership
what would our critics say" The speaker
then spoke of Differences of method be-
tween the two organizations He said the
first trouble between them occurred when
the knights succeeded In having the wages
of cigarmskers increased. Powde rly de
clared that ali workingmeu should stand
together.
Can Follow Well a. Lead.
He was ready to resign in favor of Com
pers If the workingmen of the country
would unite under him as leader. Il
know as well how to follow as to lead. y
tApplause.l The knights have long
borne insult and Misrepresentation in 81
lence. Hereafter, as part of their duty to
labor, they viii resent insult and strike
back when attacked" lGreat spplausel
While the big meeting was in progress
there was an overflow meeting outside the
hall. which was addressed by l. b. Nc
Quire, I. P. Quinn and j. F. Quinn.
Gompers Charges Insincerity.
Gompers. after receiving Powderlys let
ter, replied to the effect that he believed
Powderly never eXpe>ted his (Powderly's)
challenge TO be accepted; or, if accepted
the idea was to entrap HIN (Gompers) into
a packed meeting. II Gompers had not
construed the letter as a challenge. and
had not accepted it, the knights would
have claimed that il was challenge. and
that it had not been met He accused
Powderly of being a pettifogger and
double dealer. Gompers added that he
was ready at the meeting or anywhere else
to repeat and prove all that he had ever
said abont The knights, and he would at
tent the meeting under the conditions
named in his letter OF Thursday, if mott
fed of their acceptance Gompers was
not at the meeting.
An Illinois Girls sad Fate.
NEW HAVEN. Conn, June 21.-aiiss Ida