St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-12
DISCUSS THE TARIFF.
General Master Workman
Powderly Gives Knights
Of Labor Good Advice.
They Should Get at the Basic
Principles Of This Vital
Question.
If Men Are to Gain Anything
They Must Be Organ
lied.
Prepare to Make Strikes Sue
eessful Whether They
Occur or Not.

eSateS to the general assembly of the
Knights of Labor were called to order
IN the L. .. s. Of l.. hall to-day by Grand
Master Workman 7. V. Powderly, who
after few remarks read his annual adj
dress. AT the conclusion of the address
the assembly adjourned till tomorrow
morning for the purpose of giving the
committee on credentials time to pre-
pare their report. So far there are but
two contests reported, one from the
state assembly Of Massachusetts, and
the other from the state assembly of
Florida. In his report, after reminding
the delegates of the fact on the 2Sth day
OF next month the order would enter
upon It's majority as an association, and
dwelling upon the growth of the organ
lzatlon during these twenty-one years
and the good accomplished. he said:
For years the most important of series Of
questions that has agitated the people of all
nations is that of tariff and free trade We
nave not as an order, adopted a tariff. or
antl-tarlH clause in our preamble and do
not advise such thing now. We should,
semblies for the discussion of this great
problem. so that Our members may become
educated in the basic principles of protee.
tion and free trade. While we do not allow
the question inside of our Sarcluaries our
members are asked every two years in the
United States, and every five years or ofteper
IN Canada, to register their votes either in
favor 81 or against protection. My recon-
mendation is that on and after the first (iay
OF January. 1891, it shall be possible for
local assemblies to discuss the question of
nigh tariff and free trade, by putting the
question IN this shape,-which will bring
the greatest good to the greatest ppmbey-
nigh tariff or free trade. We do not com.
init the order 10 either school, and yet ALLOW
our members TO take up for discussion and
agitation that vital question
Upon the question of maintaining
!eglSlative committees, he thought that
II the assembly decided to maintain
them, 1t should also decide what meas
ureS such committees shall advocate.
how far they may go, and with whom
tney may cooperate, so that they nav
not go uninstructed and thereby be con
Sldered the legitimate prey of eYery
factlon and political party having
claim against the government or a
scheme to pass while they are to be con
tent with anything thrown to them.
He opposed making any change in the
constitution except such as will recon.
ellie conflicting clauses and make plain
obscure passages. Upon the recent
New 1ork Central strike, he saws:
must not be passed over by your general
master workman, ana although it does not
Delong TO this years report, | feel that II
snonld be placed before the general assembly
now. SO that many who have formed i'm
press1ons from what appeared in the public
press may have their minds disabusei of er-
Ioneous ideas. In the early part of the wear.
information came 10 me that members of the
oraer employed by the New York Central,
and under the jurisdiction of District Assem-
Dfy No. 240. were growing restive under the
treatment received at the hands of The of.
hclals of that company. Individual
the conditions that were not easy Of
when the aid Of men Of influence nee
was invoked it usually turned out to be the
same: Pubic ofticials were appealed to here
and there to approach the officials of The
New York Central and intercede for the
workmen that they might receive better
treatment in the matter of wages and regu-
Iauons, but nothing ever came of it. The
public press, from Buffalo to New York, was.
with but few honorable exceptions under
the influence of the Vanderbilt system.
whenever an editor decided to travel east or
west he applied to the president of the com.
pany and was granted pass for himself and
trends. Whenever the interests of the com
pany required it, these papers would ALWAYS
respond and publish whatever was pre-
sented to them. With the chosen servants of
the people travelling on passes of the
company, with the editors of the papers
along the road subsidized in the same man
ner, 1t became impossible for the workmeu
10 get the pubic ear or place their grievances
before the officials of the company without
subJectlng themselves to dismissal When
the district was organized the men deter
mined to make use of il in order to improve
thelr condluon and committees were selected
to wait on the officers OF the company. At
first their visits were tolerated. but they be-
came tireSome to men who would ra lher
dream OF ball at Newport than think over
the eondItion of those who work for
wages. The idea OF meeting on a level
purpose of discussing terms of agree e
ment. was repugnant to men whose aris-
tocratic tendencies were given birth
beneath the shadow of the house of Wander
Dllt, and the means to put stop TO these
opportunities were sought for. The old plan
OF picking OH the spokesman in order 10 ter
Thy tne others was resorted TO. and one man
after another was discharged i'll the hope.
that the lesson would be of practical value TO 4
the company in teTOriZing the rank aud file. 4
That men and spokesman may have made |
mistakes Is not improbable; in fact, lit would 1
be unreasonable to expect that men unacclIs-
TONED TO discussing affairs with those out /
SIDE OF their own circle would not tall into 1
errors. No allowance was made for the diff /
the naughty blood Of the nobility scorned 4
TO meet with the plebian on any- /
thing. approaching an equality. That is !
the plain way of putting it, no matter what /
CIlllCicllS lldy bG pdSSSu upon the words |
use. The men struck work. Their report as I
to its inception Is here and open for the in i
spection of the general assembly. 1t is with
my connection with the affair as general /
master workman that have TO deal The 1
other general officers were not concerned in
il until after the close of the fiscal wear: but
my connection with il began during the
month of February. when l learned of the
likelihood Of trouble along that line of rail-
road.
Mr.. Powderly then gives all the cor
respondence that passed between him
self and Edward j. Lee.
Overlooking the good points if there are
any. in my letter of Aug. 6, many malicious
persons and papers have presumed to inter.
pret my language as being in favor of a con
spiTacy to get up strike either during the
presidential year or when the worlds fair
will be in progress. Those who can impair
TALLY read the English language win see that
no such Interpretation can be placed ON NV
words. In writing that letter / did not tell
Brother Lee that my informant of April is
told me that the question of breaking the
power of the Knights of Labor before 1895
had been discussed by officials of the New
York Central railroad What l said was
that IL the organization could be kent up
until the worlds fair the New York Central
wouldn't be able 10 refuse any iu1
concession. Those who saw conspiracy in
that sentence would, If they were lust. say
that no just concession should be refused in
any year. l am opposed to strikes; my views
on that subject are we'll known; but. il men
are TO gain anything, they must be organ
lied; they must be prepared to strike, even
though they never do it. If we mus. have
strikes, then We should prepare for them and