The morning call., 1890-11-12
KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
Address Of General Workman POVdarly
at The Assembly in Denver.

DENVER, Nov. 1.-THE General Assem-
bly, of Knights Of Labor convened this
morning, with about 200 delegates present.
General Master Workman Powderly read his
annual address, after which the assembly
adjourned until tomorrow. public recep-
tion was rendered the delegates this after
noon. at which several thousand people as
sembled. Powderly, in his annual report,
touching on the economic policy of the Gov
ernnment. said, in part:
TARIFF OR FREE TRADE.
"We have nor, as an order, adopted the
tariff or anli-tariff clause in our preamble,
and do not advise such thing now. We
should, however, throw open the doors of
our assemblies for the discussion of this
great problem, so that the members may be-
come educated in the basis of the principles
of protection and free trade. l recommend
that on and after the 1st Of January
next it shall be permissible for local
assemblies to discuss the question which
will bring the greatest good to the greatest
number, tariff or free trade. Thus we do
not commit the order to either school, and
yet allow our members to take up for dis
cuSSion and agitation that vital question"
Upon the question of maintaining legislative
committees, Powderly thought if the assem-
bly, decided to maintain them it should also
OCSluC Nudo HIcdoufCo tuSy budll dufOCdlc,
how far they may go and with whom they
may co-operate; SO they may not be consid-
cred legitimate prey OF every faction and
political party.
THE RECENT STRIKE.
Mr.. POwderly dwelt at length upon the
New York Central strike. He said in part:
" Individual effort in the direction of amel-
iorating conditions that were not easy Of
endurance had proved abortive. Public
officials tp6 IN haro nd fhoro but
nothing ever came of it: The public press
from Buffalo to New York was, with but
few honorable exceptions. under the influ-
ence Of the Vanderbilt system. With chosen
servants of the public travelling on passes,
with editors OF papers along the road subsi-
died in the. same manner, it became i'm
possible for the workmen to get the public
ear or place their grievances before The
officials of the company without sub
jecting themselves to dismissal. Re-
the men TO the railway officials Powderly
said: 'The idea of meeting on level Of
equality with employees for the purpose of
discussing the terms OF agreement was re-
pugnant to men whose arlstOgratic tenden-
cies were given birth beneath the shadow of
the house of Vanderbilt, and means to put
O stop to these opportunities were sought.
The plan of picking off the spokesman in or
der to terrifv the others was resorted to, and
one after another was discharged in the
hope that the lesson would be of practical
value to the company in terrorizing the rank
and file.".
CORRESPONDENTS WITH LEE.
Referring,to his correspondence withlMas-
ter Workman Lee, Powderly says: Many
malicious persons and papers presumed to
interpret my language as being in favor Of
conspiracy to get up strike either during
the Presidential year or when the Worlds
Fair was in progress What l said was,
that if the organization could be kept up
until the Worlds Fair, the New York Cen
trail would not be able to refuse any just
in that sentence would, if they were just,
say that no just concession should be re-
fused in any year. / am opposed to strikes;
nv views on the subject are well known:
but if men are to gain anything they must
be organized; they must be prepared to
strike, even though we never do it. If we
must have strikes, then we should prepare
for them and not allow every subordinate
to rush the order into them at moments
notice without preparation. Ii 1880 should be
the best year 10 gain what is just and right and
proper Tor labor and fiat refusal should be
given, that would be the best year to strike
and not at a time when no preparation had
been made. During the New York Central
strike we had an opportunity to learn who
our friends. were among the newspapers,
and found they were exceedingly few. We
were given quantities of counsel, war ming
and censure. Many papers friendly to us
did not seem TO understand the situation or
necessities of the men who worked for low
wages. Since the general strike ended there
were rumorS of another on the Erie, and the
papers began to show there was no necessity
for strike on that road, for the managers
and WOrkmen were working in harmony.
There will always be harmony between EN-
plOyer and emDloye when the former has it
in his power to dictate what the employe
shall eat, drink and wear; when the en-
ployer has a monopoly of the market he has
also monopoly of the harmony that our
papers prate about so much.
THE MOVEMENT IN AID OF IRELAND.
1--WE see the editor of New York paper
and the President of the New York Central
Railroad operating for the raising of fund
to feed men and women in Ireland who have
been robbed through exactly the same
diabolical system that is beginning to rob
the workingmen of America. That which
is found worthy Of praise in the Irish work.
man who strikes against injustice is
damned in his brother in America when
he asks for enough to keep his
children out of the poorhouse. In
order to prevent strikes we must make
every preparation to make them successful
when entered upon, and legislation in that
direction must be enacted at this session or
your incoming general officers must be given
to understand that under no circumstances
must they take part in strike of any kind"
Mr.. Powderly advocated equal rights for
both sexes, the acceptance to send delegates
to the next Farmers Alliance convention
and the cooperation of Knights of Labor
with various railroad organizations in the