The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-02-27
SOVERE1GN'S ADDRESS

S%OVERE1GN'S ADDRESS,
TO THE IOWA STATE ASSEMBLY
KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
1As state Master workman Delivers An
Able speech In Which He Treats OF tho
Reasons Why LAboters and Producers
should 30 Organized.
TO the officers and members Of the
Iowa State assembly, greeting:
Once more the Iowa Knights OF Labor
meet In delegate assembly to consider
the demands of labor and the claims OF
humanity. Once more we are called
upon to legislate for tho welfare OF our
order and define our future course in the
struggle for social adjustment.
All our past efforts have been to adapt
social organization to natural laws and
the inherent rights Of all mankind:
And, to the ediicatIon Of OUT order, 1t
may be tFuthfnlly said that Il greatest
weapon Of assault is education. Educa-
ton is the only power that can dispel
partisan prejudice, revolutionize bad
governments, dethrone tyrants and give
to the world Its iewcled honors and Il
homage to fairness, magnnnimity ind
brotherhood.
Through the powef Of bducatidii. iii.
tolerance and superstition arc passing
away. The prison cell for the inventor,
the poison hemlock for the philosopher
and the fagots for the thinker are no
more, BY this same greet agent of eve'
iutinh and fellowship the Knights OF La
Dor and kindred associations will work a
relaxation in the hatred and selGshnesS
that have so long dominated the consti.
tuition Of society until all labor is res
deemed from oppression and greed.
Our s~anctuaries are the school houses
Of economics, In which VIC educate our
members in the powers Of government,
responsibilities of citizenship and the in
herent rights OF the common people.
The motive that actuated the prime
| movers OF II order was education, to
the end that thete might BIZ created a
healthy pubic opinion on tho subject OF
labor, and but for this feature 1t would
not command public respect or establish
the necessity Of its existence, Nor have
we been without reward. The last dcr.
ade has seen Our educators on every pubs
lie rostrum and our principles permcate
the libraries and literature Of the @iiatiors
while many of u important demands
have been engrossed on the calendars OF
legislative councils. And before another
decade shall have passed away our orde
will put the decsIogue md the golden
rule into politics. and the telegraphs, tel
ephones and railroads OF this nation will
be owned and operated by tho general
government tor the benefit OF the whole
people. The monetary prerogntives Of
the nation will be taken from private
banks and restored to tile general HoT=
crntnent. the burdens OF taxation equal
lied and m~itigated to public necessities,
and the homes Of labor given higher con-
sideration than the dollars OF Shylock.
There is no causr for discburageiicnt.
The principles of our order are shaking
the social defects OF the civilized world;
they spread out over the sea OF moral
philosophy, civil government and human
liberty: they are defacing the thrUnes OF
Europe and erasing the imperfcclions in
our republican superstructure. Even
the cant and hypocrisy in the politics
and religion of the age are giving way to
the spirit of progression.
But let the future mark no cessation
of agitation and education. tho phil
anthropy of the world hcclions us Oil
ward.
Let US not only demand opportunities
Tor moral and social improvement TO cor
respond with now aud improved methods
of production. but let us demand the
| abolition OF all those laws and customs
upon which rest the classification Of co.
ciety into higher and lower grades, and
let no member DC lured to the contentcd
footstool 81 monopoly under the guise
that our high standard OF civilization Is
a guarantee of justice and equality. Civ
ilization is necessary to the welFar.
OF labor. Art and science aud literature
could not flourish without it. But civil
ization and Justice are not synonymoH
terms. Civilization means culture
J poltteness and refinement, and nothing
more. Therefore no man need be homes
TO be civilized. The highest civilize'
:. culture and even religious prctension
ard of civilization arc the most pcrfee
accomplishments Of our great moder
a thieves. Civilization may flourish 0
wage slavery, child labor aud trust!
Colossal fortunes may be massed fro,
watered stock and produce gambling
There may be courtesy and civility !
: tho house of greed and cxtortion. A
legalized thieves are civilized thicye
Rome died IN the zenith of her civiliz;
ton from legaliZcd thieves. llumanit
q to-day Is grooming on the rack ,
lcgalized injustice. Savagery, wit
its rowing bands of frc'
q hooters robbed the innocent: divided ii
spells among maraudinR chiefs, col
le ferrcd titles of nobility. proclaimed tt
N divine right to rule and built its throne
i on the bones of its vanquished. But II
" system has been changed from the bru
, ality Of savagery TO the polit" and !
e. fined methods of civilization. Civiliz
re tion clips its coupons. CANDLES in brea'
lies to the assessor, opens its bank wi
prayer, robs its dcpositors. sends men
heaven on 2 per cent. per month, al
digs a veritable hell for the poor.
Civilization has no spear, male
armor or battlcaXcs. bat It marsha
lobbies against legislatures, CONVEX
}. wealth into worcestershire bonds. Owe
avs the people with Pinkerton thugs al
OF robs labor through taxation and usur
Civilization freed the 'chattel sluy
q. but there are now more white slav
al sewing cotton than there were bla,
in slaves picking it thirty years ago, a.
moro money and brains are now devot
"a to fiiching wealth from labor than a
combined with labor to produce
~ Civilization without justice is 4 failul
~ But revolution is ut hand. 'rhc farmc
=, OF the west are aroused to the suprel
necessity Of a change and are CONGO
ne trating their forces In lines parallel wi
o. our own. And I appeal to this order
t, extend the right hand Of fellowship
them and court their closest possible
b. operation. The cause is common Il
in the interests mutual. We need not OF
th q reform ballot system but we need
form voters to use it and in this strngs
10 we enjoy the support of the organic
farmers. Let US in turn consult TIL
!, interests In our future work.
At the recent session of onr gene
2, assembly held at Denver. Col, Il e
eral master workman recommended tt