The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-11-12
KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
Grand Master Workman Pow.
derby Addresses Them.
THE NEW YORK CENTRAL STRIKE
helerred TO and Dwell UpOn-Free Trade and
Protection to be Discussed in th
Local Assemblies.

DENVER, Nov. The general assembly
of the Knights of Laber convened tho
morning with about two hundred delegates
present. General Master Workman
PoWderly read his annual address. after
which the assembly adjourned until to-
morrow A public reception was rendered
the delegates this afternoon at which
several thousand people assembled.
foWderly, IN his annual address. touch-
ing on the economy policy of the govern
ment, said in part; 1--WE have not. as an
order, adopted a tariff or anti-tariff cIanss
IN our preamble, and L do not advise
such a thing now. We should
however, throw open the doors Of
our assemblies for the discussion of this
great problem, so that members NAV he
couIe educated IN the basic principles of
protection and free trade, and il is recono
mended that on and after the 1st of Isnr-
airy next 1T shall DE permissible for local as
SemDnes to discuss the question. (which
WIZ BRING the Greatest Good to the Great
est Number, High Tariff or Free Trade
| mus we do not commit the order to either
scno5l, and yet allow our members to take
question: '1''A
lGQIS-
latlve committees, PowderIy thought IL tha
assembly decided to maintain them ia
should also decide what measures thew
Snail advocate, how far they may 90 and
Win whom they may co-operate. so
they may not be considered the legitimate
prey OF every faction and politi cal party.
Mr.. PoWderly dwell at length upon the
view YORK Central STRIFE. He said, in
part: individual effort in the direction
Oh amellorating conditions that were NOT,
easy Oh endurance, had proved abort1ve.
Ruollc otnclals were appealed to here and
there, but nothing ever came of ii. The
pubic press, from Buffalo to New York.
was, with put few exceptions, under the
lnnuence OF the Vanderbilt system. With
tne CHOSEN servants of the public travelling
on passes, with editors of papers along the
road subsidized in the same manner If ha>Y
came impossible for workmen to get the
pubic ear, or place their grievances be-
Iofe the officials OF the company without
su6lectlng themselves to dismissal. 8,
i, Re1errlng to the visits of committees Of
1ne men TO the railway officials, Powderly
SAD; Inc idea OF meeting On level of
equanty with the employees, for the pur-
pose of discussing the terms of arreement
was repugDant to the men whose aristocra
uc tendencies were given birth beneath the
snacoW OF the house of Vanderbilt. and the
means TO put stop to these importunities
were sought for. The plan of picking Off
spoKesmen IN order to terrify these was re-
sorted to and one after another was dis
charged In the hope that the lesson would
DC OF prsctlcal value TO the company liz ter
rorlzlng the rank an6 file"
Referring to his correspoudence with
Master Workmen Lee, Powderly said.
MANY malicious persons, and papers.
presumed 10 interpret my language as be-
Ing IN favor of a conspiracy to get mn
strlKe either during the presidential wear
or when the Worlds fair is in progress.
nat SAID was that if the organization
could be kept up until the Worlds fair. ths
New York Central would not be able to re-
Iuse any Just concession. Those who saw
a conspiracy in that sense would. if thev
were Just, say that no lust concession
should be refused in any year. | am on
posed to strikes. My views on the subject
are well known but if men are to gain anv-
thing they must be organized, thew
must be prepared to strike even
we must have strikes, then wa
should prepare for them and not allow
every subordinate to rush the order into
them at moments notice without prepara-
ton. II 1898 should be the best wear to pain
what is just and right and proper for labor.
ana nat refusal should be given. that
would be the best year to strike and not at
- been
made During the New York Central
strike, we had an opportunity TO learn who
our friends were among the newspers, and
found they were exceedingly few We
were given quantities of counsel, warning
and censure. Many papers friendly To us
1ld not seem to understand the Situation
Dr. the necessity of the men who worked
Tor low wages. Since the Central
strike had ended there were rumors Of
Hipin
began to show there was no necessity for
strike On that road, for the managers and
Norkmen working in harmony. There
VIII always be harmony between EMPLOYER
and employee when the fOrmey has il in MS
power to dictate what the employee shall
eat drink and wear. When the emplover
has monopoly OF the market, he has also
l monopoly OF the harmony that our papers
)rate about so much. We see the editor Of
New 7 ork paper and the president of the
New York Central railroad operating the
raising of fund to feed men and women
n ireland who have been robbed through
exactly the same diabolical system that
s now beginning to rob the work
men left IN America. That which ia
ound worthy OF practice in an Irish work
nan VINO strikes against Injustice. ia
Tanned in his brother in America. when
le asks for enough to keep his children
)ut OF the poor house. In order to prevent
strikes we must make every preparation
10 make them successful, when entered
lpon, and legislation ia that direction must
)e enacted at this session or your incoming
general officers must be given to under
stand that under no circumstances must
hey take partin strikes of any kind.n
MIR. Powderly advocated equal rights
or both sexes and the accen-
ance of an invitation to the
lext Farmers alliance convention of the
% operation of the Knights of Labor with
-arious railroad organizations in the work
f federation.