The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-19

MIR. PCwDERLYpS FOLLY.
His Attack on Labor-Saving Machinery
Was Worthy OF a Chinaman.


Was Worthy OF a Chinaman.
Chicago Tribune.
1t used to be the belief that Mr.. Pow
derly. the head OF the Knights OF Labor,
was a man of considerable intelligence.
but few will be found to think so after
reading the remarks made by him TO the
members of the Farmers Alliance during
its session at 0cala. The report of the adj
dress says:
lie made fiery attack upon the EMPLOYMENT
OF laboT-saving machinery, as defrauding work
men OF the right TO work. He was especially
bitter against all electric devices, declaring that
capitalists in their greed had. even eornered
Ged's wrath and compelled it to DO their bid
ding.
Imagine man talking thus to an audi
ence made up chiefly of Southern planters
who but for the cotton gin, instead of pro-
ducing yearly 100000 bales of cotton
would not grow half million. II is owing
TO iabor-saving inventions that the cotton
seed. which the planters used TO throw
away or burn up, has been converted into
a commercial product which yields the
South over S20,000,0o yearly Hydraulic
cotton compressers, by reducing the bulk
of the bale of cotton, whether shipped by
sea or land have lowered the expenses of
transportation so much as to make saw
ing OF from to cents pound.
Imagine the feelings with which the
Western Alliance farmers from Kansas.
Nebraska and the Dakotas must have lis
tened to the Chinese notwithstanding har-
angue OF the head of the Knights of Labor
These men know that the farms would. be
valueless to them were it not for steel
prairie plows, for twine-binding reapers.
mowers, power thrashers and cleaners, and
scores of other implements, and-most inn
portant of all labor-saving devices--a we'll
equipped railway to carry the products of
their farms to q distant market.
1t is knavish of Powderly TO talk as he
does when he knows that the iabor-saving
devices of the last half-csntury, by increas-
ing the productive power of the working
men, have added 30 per cent. or more to
wages in this country and England, and
nearly as much in Germany and France.
They have increased the purchasing power
of wages so per cent. because of the greater
cheapness of commodities caused by them.
Therefore they have doubled fully the
rewards oflabor while lessening.the amount
of toll required of the individual.
These labor-saving machines which Mr..
I Powderly attacks have increased vastly
the opportunities for labor. While agri-
cultural implements have lessened the
number of persons required to raise each
thousand bushels of grain, thus enabling
the farmer to grow his crops more cheaply,
other labor-saYing devices, by creating EN-
plovment for hundreds of thousands of
workmen, have swelled the population of
cities and towns, and more than doubled
the number of the consumers of the farm
ers' products.
The farmers and the planters owe every
thing to labor-saving machinery. 1t raises
their crops and transports them TO mar
ket. 1t furnishes them cheap goods
cheap clothing, hardware, tools and gro
ceries. But for labor-saving machinery
the farmers wife would be toiling Still at
the spinning-wheel and the loom. Such
being the obligations of the tiliers of the
soil to machinery, how can they fuse
with Powderly and his bogus Knights,
| who, by striking ut machinery,
wish to make everything the far
mer buys dearer. at the same
time lessening the market for his pro-
duets? If they had their way the farmer
would have to throw away his reapers and
mowers and be forced to go back to the
scythe and the sickle, employing ten men
where he now does one, and producing
with the ten hundredth part of what he
does with the one-and his machinery.
| There should be nothing in the Knights
| with their policy of fomenting strikes and
shortening the hours and efficiency of la
Dor TO attract the farmers or make them
anxious to sleep under the same political
| blanket with them.