The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-09-08
THE KNIGHTS CELEBRATION
They Spent the Holiday in Listening to
Speeches and Witnessing Sports.
Addresses by Senators Turpis and PETER, the
Latter Introducing His Justly Celebrated
Red Dragon-The Bicycle Races.

The Knights of Labor celebrated the hol-
iday et the State fair grounds. The at
tendance was creditable, though not by
any means as large as had been expected.
The exercises did not begin until go
! o'clock. at which time the opinion appeared
to prevail that Senator PETER, of Kansas,
who was the big card, had escaped in some
way. and the speaking was to be left out of
the programme. At that hour. however. a
person with whiskers as long as flour bar
rel was seen to enter the grounds
and word went around that the
performance would really begin.
The speaking had been arranged
TO take place in the grand-stand, fronting
the raee-track, and that structure was
fairly well filed when Chairman Rihl. with
small voice and heavy cane. called the
audience to order and introduced Senator
Turpie as the first speaker. The audience
was not such as any one DESTROYS OF an
array Of attentive listeners would have
chosen, being largely made up of boys and
girls more interested in the games that
were to take place in the ring than in any
oratorical isIulence. Senator Turpie spoke
as follows:
selves upcn the large observance of thisday.
aday devoted TO labor, one OF the SabDatns
OF the ear. made so by the law OF the peo-
pie. the law Of the land: q Sabbath to be
respected as other Sabbaths are to be re-
spected: . law to be obeyed as all other
statutes OF the State are obeyed; day
dedicated TO rest and recreation In honor
of labor. the source and the origin OF all
wealth, happiness and liberty. l recollect
very well. forty years ago. when first
undertook to discharge the duties OF law
maker in Indiana. there was but one pro-
vision W hich related to labor. 1t was the
provision concerning mechanics liens ana
the collection of wages by virtue OF such
liens. 1t was the only section IN the
statutes relating to that subject. I'm
mediately after that was passed
and put INTO operation tn the .h labor OF
well as to skilled labor q lien for unpaid
labor upon structures. such as embank-
ments. etcs. upon which 1t might be en-
ployed. We next made the farmers lien;
introduced the bill myself. conducted the
debate In relation to 10, and watched every
stage of its progress through the Senate of
the State. IL Is @ law which has been on
our statute-books for thirty years II IS
one which has saved litigation and which
has caused many lawsuits to be decided In
the right way. Then we took hold of the
mechanics lien, giving that lien PLAIN.
fair cash value. After that We passed q
law for the compulsory payment OF labor
every two weeks. Then we repealed the
intimidation act, for we say the right to
quit is as solemn and sacred right as any
in this Republic. Only very lately we
added q very important act. We prohibited
the employment of what are called Pinker-
ton detectives in Indiana. We made it n
penitentiary oifense TO import that force
into the State. and this militia OF monopoly
can no longer load, fire or maneuyer in ln-
diana.
lit occurs TO me there is an additional
step we mIgnt take In the interest of labor.
You are well aware what an immense
amount of lost wages there are, wages that
are not paid. Whenever you find q case of
failure or bankruptcy you ind q loss OF
wages. If we could have any thing to lessen
this loss it ought TO be looked upon as
public advantage and benefit. Sometimes
labor claim comes into the courts; suit Is
brought the same as any other suit tried
aud determined. L should 10 in favor.
when these suits for wages are brought. of
of giving them the preference in order
OF trial. i know In my own experience OF
many men who have been OBLIGED To sue
for wages and, not being able to wait the
result of litigation, have taken 30. 40 OF 30
per cent Of their claim rather than wait
for the time at which judgment could
be rendered. Although the rights
aud interests of labor have made
great advancement within the past
forty years they have not made corre-
ment of machinery. The principle of me
chanical and material improvement has
been to save time. Formerly We had to
wait four five or six weeks before we knew
who was elected President of the United
States, now 1t comes In as many seconds. lt
used to take SIX weeks to make the trip
from the West to the sea- board. and now We
so. was about TO say. IN nearly as many
hours. Formerly it took the whole neigh
borhood several days to make harvest of
the wheat; now It Is done in twelve hours
by the aid of machinery. We have made O
great saving of time by the use of machin-
cry. What shall We do with the time SO
saved? One portion of this time has al
ready been donated, and my heart APP
proves and sanctions that gift. / remenl ber
when the school year In Indiana averaged
only seventy days; now 10 is twice that
time. aud in many places much more. This
We have given to the boys and girls OF this
generation. Another portion should be
gwen TO the men and women who work day
BY day. For that reason / have always
spoken for eight hours 8 days labor. The
time saved by machinery ought to 20 TO
the men and women who ere engaged IN
labor. We might mud . lesson of polite al
economy In the national history of this
time of 1881. When God Almighty desires
to bless a people lie doesn't so to- the
merchant and increase his profits, or to the
banker ana increase bis line of discounts.
or to the manufacturer to increase his
profits. but TO the farmer. and ills his
barns ana granarIes. and the benefaction
ia so abundant that il is poured out over all
classes of society Applause.
senator Peters, Great Effort,
Senator PETER was then introduced He
mounted a table which had been brought
:or that purpose TO the front of the grand
stand. and spoke with labored elaboration.
as follows:
Lam glad men and women of Indiana.
that IN the Fathers own good time our Leg
islatOrs have learned TO respect working
men and TO set apart one day in the States
calendar for their special enjoyment.
hope that within the next few years this
may become a national holiday. so that all
over the country, at the same time. men
and omen who toll may come together and
enjoy themselves and discuss matters of
special Importance TO them. The working
men made this country what 1t is"
The Senator here waited for applause.
but, none coming. he resumed:
Travel about where you NAV, from
Maine to Oregon, from Florida to the Dako-
tas. you find every W here progress, develop
ment and expansion of labor miraculous
beyond degree. Go To your cities; you find
them adorned and beautiiied by the most
magnificent structures; you find grand
fIoroughfares dividing the different parts
of the cIty; you find that the streets are
lighted by the electric current: that the
prople are moved backward and forward
with the speed of the wind
At this point there was considerable
ha mi g..