Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1890-12-25
BEAUM0NT'S POWERFUL SPEECH,
Continuation Of the ADDRESS Delivered BY
Ralph Beaumont at Canton, octo-
Der is, 1890.
4 Detailed Explanation Of Some of the
Principles Of the knights Of Labor
Organization.

Principles Of the Knights OF Labor
Organization.
a3s 5. NUMBER vi. Il
Article TX, is as follows:
..The abolition Of the contract system
on national, state and municipal work. !"
B We simply mean by this, that il the
government has a post Office to build in
this city, that it shall 60 ahead and build
it, and not let the job out to contractor
for say 800, 900, and he steal $4,000 Of
that sum, and then ask for an appropria-
ton to make the same good before the
building can be completed.
Article x. reads as 1Dllows:
ssThe enactment Of laws providing for
arbitration between employers and en-
ployed, and to enforce the decision Of the
arbitrators?"
This plank we believe arises from the
present method we have adopted Of carry
ing on our enterprises. Associated capi-
tai has by the aid of acts of legislation
been given advantages over the rest Of
society. We realize that between the
cost of raw material and the manufac-
tured article there is a certain increase of
value. Capital, by law and association,
has been enabled to reap the largest share
Of this increased value, and through this
fact, labor has been compelled to concen-
trate it's forces into organized bodies in.
order to secure an equal division of the
increase. Andin the. struggle Of these
two organized forces a conflict takes
places. Sometimes it is a strike on the
part Of the help, and at other times a
lockout on the part Of capital, and in
both cases heavy losses result to both the
contestants. Now, in order to avoid
these losses and their accompanying mis-
| cry, we desire. that whenever there is a
difference Of this character, that either
side, as matter Of illustration, shall ap-
peal to the judge Of the county wherein
such exists for the appointment of two
8arbitrators, and these two shall appoint a
third one, who shall examine into the
merits Of the case and render their de-
cision; and we, the members Of the or
;lganizations, agree to abide BY the decis.
ion Of the arbitrators. am often asked,
How are you going to compel the par.
/ ties to abide by the decision of the arbi
trators?" Thos who make this inquiry
forget that this board of arbitration il
appointed by the decree Of court, and az
such has the power Of such court and il
case Of failure Of either side to the con
troversey to abide by the decision of tn,
tribunal, it would make them guilty o.
contempt of court.
XXI. The prohibition by law of thu
employment Of children under flfteel
years Of age in workshops, mines ant
I, factories
That which I have just read is Articl
XI, and we mean by it that when maj
or women becomes grown the state exact
of them that they shall abide by and liv
up to the law. Now, we hold that if th
state exacts this of the citizens it is tn
duty of the state to see that the child i
/: possessed of sufficient education so tha
when it grows to manhood or woman
hood it will understand the law, and no
willfully violate the same.
The twelfth plank is as follows:
'To prohibit the hiring out Of convic
labor" }
i can best illustrate the evils Of thi!
system by alluding to a few facts. From
1876 until 1881 worked at the sho
trade in the state of New York, and ever,
year during that time there were employ
ed at the trade in the penal institutions O
that state an average Of 1900 criminals
whose average term of sentence was two
years, so that there were crowded into
the shoe trade of that state about 2, 600 o1
the dregs of society And then people
wondered why shoe-makers were such
mean chaps. Now, have no objections
to taking my share of the criminals in
my trade, providing they will give law,
yers, doctors and ministers their share.
And I am Of the opinion that, if the
logical student served his apprenticeship
hammering religion into criminals, he
would be able to discount Sam Jones on a
good revival when he came to do job
outside. Besides all this, the examina-
tion of the contract system in that state
by legislative committee during those
years reached the fact that some of the
contractors in five years made as high as
$3.50, 600 in profits on capital of one-fifth
of that sum invested, besides being able
to undersell other manufacturers engaged
in the same business.
':XIV. That the importation of fore
ign labor under contract be prohibited. y
We believe in this plank for the reason
that in numberless instances, whenever a
dispute has arisen between employer and
employed, the employers have sent their
agents over to foreign countries and hired
help in those countries, and brought them