The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-09-04
pCwDeRLY'S BOOK.
sketch .r Labor Movements-Origina and
Growth vf the X. Of l..


Mr.. Powderly's Thirty Years Of Labor"
! volume of about 700 pages, gives a history
of Labor movements IN the United States
| fror, 1859 10 1889. II is rather an interest
ing volume, but j. sadly perpleNing and in
accessible because of its hodge-podge OIL
"contents.- the incOnsequential and lrrele-
want headlines in the text and the absence
of an index. We do not propose tn review
the book. but simply to give an outline OF
lis material points with the recorded dates
| Of certain events.
There had beeh isolated trade and labor or
cani9aiions before 1850. tailors' trade union
In 1895, printers union In 1871. ana a strike
for wages by sailors in 1906. In leJj Narl-
Gus trade unions Of blacksmlths ana ma
chnists met in Philadelphia, March 81, ana
ORGANIZED a National MON. The mrs Of
these societies was organized IN the spring
Of 1853. The declaration Of this National
Union proclaimed an identity Of Interests
between employer and employe.
| In 1859. a "NatiOnal Founders League
was about 10 be formed, when the branches
OF the Moulders' Mon stepped IN and or
gani2ed the "Moulders' International mon
of North America Iheig preamble was
adOpted in 1869 by the Association Of Lrie
Railway Employees, and later by the AssO-
citation of Iron and steel workers ol the
United states. Up to this time the wage
question alone had been discussed. I'm 1850
| Mr.. Cassin. first president Of the Grand
Union of Blacksmiths and Machinisis. called
| attention 10 the eight-hOur question and
suggested an appeal 10 Congress for gen
| eral law,
President Van Buren,, in $50, established
the eight.hOnr system i'm the nayy-yards'
and President Johnson signed the first Cow
eminent eight-hOur law IN lSio.
In 1861, February I'D, N0rkingmeh :
| National Convention was held ~ fhiiadel-
phia. At this convention. [ riah :. stevens,
Afterwards organizer and first Master
| Workman of the knights OF LapOr, became
prominent.
In 1853 the Machinists and Blacksmiths
| National Mon took measures 10 form q
"National Trades Assembly which laiiih-
Of accomplishment i'm 1861, received new
IMPULSE in 1860 by the conference OF twelve
earnest men. and on August -, 1866, the
various organizations met at Baltimore
and organized tine "National Labor mon.
I'm 1861 this Union met i'm Cincinnati
and foInd that no progress had
been made in organizing subordinate
unions. I'm 1868 this lnion met in
| New York and was agitatod by the gue--
! ton of political action, II adopted q plat
| form long and Weighty, and elected W m.
II. Sykis president and organizer. The
| Union met al Cincinnati in 1850. The meet
| ing Was small. as was the meeting in II.
| Louis in 1870, and there the Naional La
| Dor Union died. It's platform opposed tne
| payment Of bOndhOdcrs IN gold. favored an
| equally adjusted taxation. reforms IN thl
tariff, the sale OF public lands 10 actual sci.
| tiers only. the establishment OF Federal
Department of Labor, opposed the import ,.
ton Of Cinnamon, besought "a anon oil an
| Working-peOple, ETC.. etc.
In 1872. November 10. a National Indus
| trial Congress was called 90 Ineet at Glove
land (called by the Machinists' and Black.
smiths Union and the CoOpers' lniernd-
tional Union. CleYclandj. This convention
met July II. 1873, drew up plan of action
for the year. adjourned t0 Rochester, April
IT, 1874. and there organized the "lndu~'
| trial Brotherhood" which received ii-
death blow from indifference al the meetln-
in lS1j at indianapolis. At Rochester vi
Powdcrly was appointed deputy of thl-
Brotherhood for W estcrn Pennsylvania. III,
was then "a machinst ON the OIL Creek and
Allegheny. Railroad company, al oil City
Pa.
Now to return. I'm Philadelphia, there
was organized i'm 1S02 q "Garment Cutters
Associations" which in few years was re
solved into "a mere beneficial association
In 1863. two members. stephens and SlncNnl
were wont 10 talk matters over ana piai
for a stronger and more aggressive orsahI q
ton. After conference with others, meet
inc was held December -. 1869, and there
the name OF "kuights Of Labor was adop
ted: and on January Is, $50, ran :. Sit
phens was elected first Master Workman
some changes OF plan were made. and a
Mr.. POWderlv SAYS. the real history Of tn
| l. ..n.. Il
1870. the "basic idea" being "the rignt of al
10 have a say i'm the affairs OF one Jan
nary 70, 1871, Mr.. stephens made an annua
address which is a sort of platform OF in'
order.
In December, 1873. the first District A.
semby was organized. This j. obviously
misprint. since other Assemblies bear dat,
as follows: NO. >, July l.. lS12: No. 3. - s
cember. 81, 1872; no. .. March -. 1873. 3D.
| ~eptemhe. q. 1876. IoWderly wa- aumittei
10 No. s.. lie had been initiated in 1874 lt
Philadelphia. but could not find the order D.
scranton where he then lived. ON account OIL
its secrecy. presumably. When NO. 3D.
was organized. he was made Master Work
man. I'm $50, an effort was made 4
remove in some degree the evil of ST.
crecy. and in 1876. July 3. del zat
meeting Of assemblies was held in Phia
delphia 10 form a central or national or
ganiZatiOn. II adopted a constitution for
National Labor League Of North America.
May a, 1877. conference was held o.
pittsburg Of delegates from Eastern an'
Western Pennsylvania, between whicl
sections there existed Jealousy and differ
cncc of opinion a. % secrecy, and 3D. i'
priority in leadership. January ], l~.~.
delegate convention met 40 Reading. and i
was voted 10 call the body General ~
sembly of the Knights of Labor Of Mott
America" the subordinate organizations O
De known a. Local Assembly NO. - Tho
| preamble" adopted January ., 1876, ls th'
| present charter Of the body. its motto being
when bad men combine the good must 49,
sociate else they will fall. one by one, an
unpiticd sacrifice in contemplate -iru4
Gle" The preamble has an introduction
and fifteen clauses, and is the well-knoWl
declaration OF principles of tho order. Mr
stephens was elected Grand Master Work
man. salary 500. 4 special meeting wa
! called i'm Philadelphia June q, l,l>, % CON
slider the eXpediency Of making public the
names Of the order for the purpose OF de-
Tending il from the assaults of pres, anC
| pulpit. Al Detroit, 1881, the name OiHhl
order was made known.
In 1875 state labor bureaus were estab
lished. first in New Jersey. and in 1919 IL
Illinois. in lSSS m New \ 0rk and California
and then in other states.
In 1881 the National Labor Bureau wa'
created by Congress. The bin was sien'C
bv Mr.. Arthur June -21,b. and "a commits
si0ncr-C Carroll -. Wright was appointed
| POwdcrly and jarrett were unsuccessful
candidates. ON June 5O, 1855. the bill O.
establish Department Of Labor was signcl
bv Mr.. Cleveland.
At great length MIR. POwdcrly recltcs th'
action Of the order on the questions Of th,
public lands. Of transportation. the Gel"
graph, the currency. the introduction ID
foreign labor. cooperation, the cight-h'u'
problem, anarchy and the knights. tenn
perance, social equality, etc.
In lSS.,. trouble in the camp at Baliimou
led to the organization OF the "lmpro'ei
order Of Advanced Knights of Labor
which lasted long enough to formulate
ritual soon after a split at Binghamtol
resulted in another order. called "Indeper
dent Knights of Labor" which died in tn
spring Of lSSi I'm 1887 a "Proyisi0naf
Order was instigatcd by designing members
OF the International WOrkingmen's As,oci
alton. and this was followed by the broth
erhOOd of United Labor" the Thomas H.
Barry movement" Women were admit