The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-11-17
POWDE2LY'S PRECEpTS.
The Master Workman's Address
to the Knights of Labor.
NECESSITY FOR CONCENTRATION.
There Arc Too Many Labor Organi-
cations, He Says, Struggling for
Supremacy-Benefits of the Secret
BalIot-OpposinE Immigration.


xations, He Says, Struggling for
Supromacy-Benefits of the Secret
BaIIot-OpposinE Immigration.
ST. LOUIS, Nov. t7.-The chief feature
of the proceedings of the Knights of
Labor convention yesterday was the ad-
dress of Mr.. t. V. Powderly, of Penn
sylvGpia, the general master workman.
Mr.. Powderly spoke in part as follows:
Gas review the past history of the
labor movement am inclined to believe
that there has been great waste of vital
force and means. AS we look around us
we see hundred and one new associa-
tions having in view tho granting of
benefits for accident or sickness and in
surance in case of death. While it is
true that many of these are swindling
concerns, it is none the less true that
they draw not alone from the knights of
Labor, but from all the labor organiza-
tions. 1t is fact that there are too
many labor organizations struggling for
supremacy. The tendency of the labor
movement seems to be to divide up,
while that of the opposing force-capital
is to consolidate and thereby gain the
strength to combat the forces of industry.
"The members of this order are to be
congratulated on the gratifying result of
the agitation for ballot reform, which
was inaugurated by the general assembly
few years ago. When the question
was first presented to the general as
sembly no state in the Union held cleo
tions under laws which would secure
the voter the right to cast his ballot
without intimidation, scrutiny or with
out subjecting himself to the espionage
of those who might have it in their
power to injuTe him for voting contrary
to their wishes. Now there are some
thirty states in which the secret ballot
law is in force.
81 am well aware that objections will
be raised against depriving a man who
cannot read of the right to vote, but it
must not be forgotten that we continue
to deny to woman the right of having a
vote in public affairs, and we do it with
out requiring an apology for the contin-
uance of the wrong. That no injustice
be done, it would be well to fix day in
the future, say five years from the date
of the passage of the law, after which no
person shall be allowed to vote unless
able to read his ballot.
'There are those who would establish
a property qualification for the citizen,
but we should oppose such an innovation
with all the strength we possess. This
nation must depend for its life on the in
| telligence of its citizens, and it is very
essential that an educational qualifca-
ton should be insisted upon from a
| voter.
"SoIne six years ago your general mas
| ter woTkmen declared that he was in
favor of the restriction of immigration.
The views then EXPRESSED were not re-
ceived with favor by the order, but his
sentiments have not changed since then,
| unless i'll the direction of more rigid
| exclusion of immigrants than he then
| favored. We may adopt short hour laws
| in every state rs well as the nation; we
| may fix wage scales through the land;
| we may enact protective tariffs until the
| articles of foreign manufacture are pro-
hibited; but while the tide of immigra-
ton foods on in an interrupted stream
| there will be no dependence upon short
hour laws, no reliance on wage scales,
| and there can be no protection to Amer
lean labor that will really keep tho
! status of the American workman higher
than that of his brother who lives under
| misrule.
''Your general master workman has
| no hesitation i'll saying that he favors
the total exclusion Of all immigrants
who are not self supporting on landing
| in this country. lie would fix a term of
| years-ten would be long enough-dur-
ing which time no immigrant should be
allowed TO land with view to remain
! ing unless he could prove that he had
sufficient means to sustain him for one
year
The avarice Of employers of labor,
the greed of the owners of steamships,
and the moral oowardice of our public
men have prevented the enactment of
legislation which would have long since
relieved the strain. We can we'll afford
to aid the European in battling down
the institutions which confront him at
home better than to reduce our own
| worklnen TO Il worse condition than that
of those abroad Who are looking to tins
land for relief.
During the past six months tho people
of this land bave witnessed suCh at
tempts at making the power of aggre-
gated wealth supreme as We're never
dreamed of before. Whether it he at
Cmur dAlene. at Homestead, at Buffalo
or in Tennessee. the instinct which
guided rapacious hands was the same.
| Centralized wealth drew the scattering
fire of divided labor, and IS Il natural re-
suit labor lost in each battle. If the les
sons are taken at heart the sacrifices may
not bA in vain"
The general executive committee, in
its annual report, approves the plan
adopted last year of requiring each MEM
Der in good standing to pay live cents to
fund for the payment of railway ex-
penses of delegates. Much space is de
voted to the review of the trouble with
the clothing manufacturers at Rochester,
N. Y, and the efforts 10 settle it. The
troubles between tho knights of Labor
and the Worlds Columbian exposition
is touched upon at great length, together
with the efforts made by the knights to
settle the difficulty. Another paragraph
of the report refers to the laws regarding
employers liability in case of accident
to employees. 1t is stated that hardly
any of the laws We're fair to the en-
ployes, but that even in states where the
laws are nearest to making just compen-
sation for injuries the laws are practi
cally imperative.