The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-02-19
KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
he State Assembly Meets in An
nual Session at Des MOines.

| he State Assembly Meets in An
nual Session at Des MOines.
Master Workman Sovereign Delivers an
Able Speech Of Interest to the Order
and Public.
DEs MONIES, Ia, Feb. 10.-The State
Assembly. Knights of Labor, met in an
lual session to-day with the local as
;emblies well represented. 1t was
.allcd to order by State Master Work.
nan Sovereign, who then delivered the
following speech:
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 the 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 man.
kind. And. to the edification of our or
Ter. it may be trnthfully said that our
greatest weapon Of assault is education.
Education is the only power that can
lispel partisan prejudice, revolutionize
bad government, dethrone tyrants and
give to the world its jeweled honors
and homage to fairness, magnanimity
and brotherhood.
Through the power of education, in
tolerance and superstition are 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 great agent of ev-
olution and fellowship the Knights of
Labor and kindred associations will
work relaxation in the hatred and
selfishness that have SO long dominated
the constitution of society until all
labor is redeemed from oppression and
| greed.
Our sanctuaries are the school houses
of economies, in which we educate our
members in the powers of government,
| responsibilities of citizenship and the
inherent rights of the common people.
The motive that actuated the prime
movers of our order was education, to
the end that there might be created a
| healthy public opinion on the subject Of
labor, and but for this feature it would
not command public respect or estab-
| lish the necessity of its existence. Nor
| have we been without reward. The
| last decade has seen our educators on
every public rostrum and our principles
permeate the libraries and literature of
the nation, while many of our impor-
tant demands have been engrossed on
the calendars of legislative councils.
And before another decade shall have
passed awav our order will put the dec
alogue and the golden rule into politics.
and the telegraphs, telephones and rail-
roads of this nation will be owned and
operated by the general government for
the benefit of the whole people. The
be taken from private banks and re-
stored to the general government, the
burdens of taxation equalized and miti-
gated to public necessities, and the
homes of labor given higher considera-
ton than the dollars of Shylock.
Ther6 is no cause for encouragement.
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 hu.
man liberty: they are defacing the
thrones of Europe and erasing the inn
perfections in our republican super.
structure. Even the cant and hypocrisy
in the politics and religion of the age
are giving way to the spirit of progress
sion.
But let the future mark no cessation
of agitation and education. the philan
throphy of the world beckons us on
ward.
Let US not only demand opportunities
for moral and social improvement t.
correspond with new and improved
methods Of production. but let us de
mand the abolition of all those law.
and customs upon which rests the elias
sification of society into higher and low
er grades. and let no member be luret
to the contented footstool of monopoly
under the guise that our high STANDARD
of civilization is guarantee of justic'
and equality. Civilization is necessary
to the welfare of labor. Art and sci
ence and literature could not flourish
without it. But civilization and jnstic,
are now Synonymous terms. Civiliza
ton means culture, politeness and re
fnement, and nothing more. Therefor,
no man need be honest to be civilized
The highest civilized man may be tn,
greatest thief. In fact culture and ever
religious pretentions and all that go L
make up high standard Of civilization
are the most perfect accomplishment
of our great modern thieves. Civiliza
tion may flourish on wage slavery
child labor and trusts. Colossal for
tunes may be massed from watere
stocks and produce gambling. Their
may be courtesy and civility in tn
house of greed and extortion. All legal
lied thieves are civilized thieves. Rom
died in the zenith of her civilization
from legalized thieves. Humanity t.
day is groaning ON the rack of legalize
injustice. Savagery, with its rovin
bands of free-booters, robbed the inne
cent, divided the spoils among maraut
ing chiefs, conferred titles of nobilit,
proclaimed the divine right to rule an
built its thrones on the bones of it's var
quished. But the system has bee
changed from the brutality of savager
to the polite and refined methods ,
civilization. Civilization clips it's co,
pons. CANDLES in bread, lies to tn
assessor, opens its bank with prayer
robs its depositors, sends men to heave
ON per cent per month, and digs We
table hell for the poor.
Civilization has no spear, mailed a
NOR or battle-axes. but it marshals lol
bies against legislatures. convert
wealth into non-accessable bonds, owe
awes the people with Pinkerton thus
and robs labor through taxation an
usury.
Civilization freed the chattel slave
but there are now more white slave
sewing cotton than there were blac
slaves picking it thirty years ago, al
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