Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-11-15
POWDERLY'S ADDRESS
To the General Assembly Of the
knights of Labor.
he Advises n Discussion OF the Tariff Qucs~
tlon in tho Local Assemblies and Crit
icisoa tho Press for Not Espous-
ing tho Cause of tho New
York Central StriiEors.

DENVER, Col, Nov. 12.-The General
Assembly of the Knights of Labor con-
vened in annual session Tuesday, Grand
Master Workman Powderly presiding.
Over two hundred delegates were pres
ent Mr.. Powderly read his address, at
the conclusion of which the assembly
adjourned until this morning to give
the committee on creder tials time to
prepare their report But two contests
were reported.
In his address Mr. Powderly reminded tho
delegates that on the 2Sth of December the Or
ganization will have been in existence twenty
one years. For years, during this time Mr.
Powderly sad 'the most important OF aeries
of questions that have agitated the people ot all
nations have been that of tarfn and froe trane.
We have not as an order adopted D tarin or
advise such u thing now. We should, however,
throw open the doors OF our assemblies Tor tho
oy U fs ees' e9neSted in the prn
ciples of protection and free trade While we
do not allow the question inside OF our sanctu-
aries, our members are asked every four years
in the United States, and every five years or
oftener in Canada to register their votes either
In favor or against protection MY recommen-
dation is that after January L. 1891, 1t should be
permissible for local assemblies to discuss the
| question of high tariff and free trade. BY put.
! ting the question in this shape-which Will
bring the greatest good to the greatest number
high tarff or free trade?-we do not commit the
order to either school and yet allow our mem
bers to take up for discussion and agitation
| that vital question"
'.in the early part OF the year" Mr.. Powderly
! continued ''information came to me that mem
/ bers OF the order employed by the New York
Central railroad and under the jurisdiction OF
District Assembly 2i6 were growing restiVe un-
der the treatment received at the hands OF the
offlcials of the company. Individual direction
, of n majority, under conditions that were not
easy of endurance, proved abortive, ana whcn
the aid of men of influence was invoked 1t
ne turned the Public OfIlc1alS
were appealed to to approach the olhclais oi
| the New York Central and intercede Tor the
! worlSmen, that they might receive better treat
ment in the matter of wages and regulations,
but nothing ever came of it. The public press
from Buffalo 10 New York was, with put rev
the Vanderbilt system. Whenever an editor de-
cided to travel east or west he applied TO the
president OF the company and was granted
pass for himself and friends Whenever the
interests of the company required, these pT pers
would always, respond and publish wnatever
ants OF the people travelling on passes and with
the editors of papers along the road subsidized
in the same manner It became impossloie ,or ior
their grievances before the officials without
subjecting themselves to dismissals."
The Grand Master then went into lengthy
review OF the Central strike giving all the cor.
rcspondence that passed be ween himself ano
Master Workman Lee, of Albany, and STATING
his reasons for recommending tnat lhe strlke
be inaugurated.
Continuing he said: During the Central
strike we had an opportunity to learn who oul
friends were among the newspapers and found
that they were exceedingly few. We were giver
quantities of counsel, warnings and censure
Many of the papers that were friendly to us die
not seem to understand the situation or the ne
' cossities OF those who work for low wages"
In conclusion Mr. PoSderly strongly advo
Y Gated the passing Of law securing to oott
sexes equal rights He favored the acceptance
OF the invitation from the Farmers Alliance u
4 send delegates to their next convention and th'
| cc.operation of the X. OF L. with the various
railway organizations in the work of federation