Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-11-14
WILL DISCUSS THE TARIFF.
PoWderly Urges the Necessity of In.
derStanding the Fundamental
ldea of Taxation.
The Economic Problem. However, Is
TO Be Kept Out of Labor
Politics.
Strikes Should Not Be Inau@urated
Unless the LaborerS Are Fully
Prepared For Them.

DENVER. Col. Nov. 1.-THE general
assembly of the knights of labor convened
this morning with about 200 delegates
present. General Master Workman Pow
derby read mis- annual addeSs after which
the assembly adjourned until tomorrow. A
public reception was rendered the delegates
this afternoon, ut which several thousand
people assembled. Powderly, in his an
nual report touching on the economic pol
Icy of the government. said, in part: We
have not is an order, alopteu a tariff
or an antI-tariH cladse in cur preamble
and | do not advise such a thing
now. We should. however. throw open
the doors Of our assemblies for the discus
sion of this great problem 50 members
may become educated in the basic princi-
pies of protection and free trade. re-
commend that on and after the first of
January next it shall he permissible for
local assemblies to discuss the question,
which will bring the greatest good to the
greatest number-high tariff or free trade
nus we do not commit the order to either
school and yet allow our members 10
take up for discussion and agitation
that vital question. Upon the question
of maintaining legislative committees,
PowderIy thought if the assembly decided
to maintain them it should also decide
what measures they shall advocate; how
far they may go and with whom they may
cooperate; 50 they may not be considered
the legitimate prey of every faction and
political party. Mr.. POwdcrly dwelt at
length upon the New York Central strike
He said, in part: "lndividual
effort in the direction of ameliorating the
conditions that were not easy of
endurance had proved abortivc. Public
officials were appealed to here and there,
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.
With the chosen servants of the public
travelling on passes with editors Cf papers
along the road subsidized in the same
manner, it became ! possible for work
men to get the public ear or place their
grievances before the officials of the COM
pany without subjecting themselves to dis
mlsSal.
Referring to the visits If committees of
men to railway officials, Pewderly said:
The idea of meeting on a level of equality
with the employees tor the purpose of dis
cussing terms of agreement was repugnant
to men whose aSistocratic tendencies were
given birth beneath the shadow of the
house of Vanderbilt, The plan of
picking off spokesman in order
to terrify others was resorted to
and one after another was discharged in
the hope that the lesson would be OF prac-
teal value to the company in terrOrizing
the rank and file. If We must have strikes,
then we should prepare for them ami not
allow every subordinate to rush the order
into them at a moments notice without
preparation. If 1898 should be the best
year to gain. what Is just and right and
proper for labor and fiat refusal should
be given, that would be the
best year to strike and not at the
time when no preparation has been made.
During the New York Central strike we
had an opportunity to learn who our
friends We're among the newspapers and
found that they were exceedingly few. We
were given quantities of counsel, warning
and censure. Many papers friendly TO us
did not seem TO understand the situation
or necessities of the men who worked
for low waseg. Since the CTental
strike ended there were TumOrs Of another
on the Erie, and the papers began to show
that there was no necessity for a strike on
that road, for the managers and wOrkmen
were working Iii harmony. lHere Will
always be harmony between the employer
and empIoye when the former has it in
his power to dictate what the employe
shall eat, drink and Weir. When the
employer has the monopoly of the market
he has also a monopoly Of the harmony
that our papers prlte about so much.
We see the editor of a New York paper
and the president of the New York Cen
traI railroad operating the raising of a fund
to feed men and women in Ireland who
have been robbed through exactly the
same diabolical system that is
now beginning to rob the workmen
of America That which is found
worthy of praise, in an Irish workman
who strikes against injustice is damned in
his brother in America when he asks for
enough to keep his children out of the
poor house In order to prevent strikes
we must make every preparation to
make them successful when entered
upon, and legislation in that
direction must be given to un
derstand that under no circumstances
must they take part IN strikes of any kind.
Mr. Powderly advocates equal rights for
both sexes; the acceptance of an invitation
to send delegates to the next farmers al
lance convention and the cooperation Of
the Knights of Labor with the various
railroad organizations in the work of
fo1arattOu