The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1892-11-19
KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
GENERAL MASTER WORKMAN
POWOERLY'S ADDRESS.
CURRENT ISSUES CONSIDERED.
Co-Operation Of workingmen's Organiza-
tiOns Advocated - The Educational
Qualification for Voters d. I,.Iorsed-
Restriction and Reg gulntion of
Immigration strongly
Advocated.

Il
assembly of the Knights of Labor
settled down to business to-day. the
preliminaries having all been arranged
last night. The attendance is not
nearly so large as outsiders had
expected. because Of the fact that the
number Of delegates is limited, but
all the leaders in the great order are
here and are prepared to take action
on matters of interest to the mem
bers.
1t is said that there will be PROPOSE
tions presented looking to full and
complete cooperation with the Ma
tional Federation of Labor and the
National Farmers Alliance in all mat
tiers of interest to or affecting the in
terests of the working classes.
The entire morning session was de-
voted to the reading of the annual adj
dress of Master Workman Powderly
and to the presentation OF the reports
of the secretary-treasurer and the ex-
.ecutive committee. These were all
we'll received. - @
UNION OF LABOR FORCES NEEDED.
General Master Workman Powderly
adverted to the important work
to be done and advocated admit
ting women TO local assemblies on
equal terms with men. Continuing he
said:
AS review the past history of the labor
movement, am inclined TO the belief that
there has been great waste OF vital force
and MEANS As we look around us we see
n hundred ana one new associations having
in view the granting of benefits for acci.
dent or sickness, or insurance in case OF
deaih.9 While IL true that many OF these
] were swindling a concerns pure and
simple, it is none the less true that
they drew not alone from the Knights
of Labor, but from all labor associations.
II Is q 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 oppos.
ing force--capital-.is to. consolidate and
thereby TO gain strength to combat the
forces of industry. when. single handed,
they are arrayed before them.
Every prominent member Of n labor or.
ganization who for some reason or Other
has taken offcnse ut something done, or
best, sets aboutrorganizing q new society
OF labor. The only result Is division 0l
strength, cutting of of Communication, fso.
1ation6a and final3.deatlLs These may
not be palatable truths, bat that they
are true no one can deny who has eye 10
ing silent on these things that we can re-
move the eviEs Something must be done to
remedy this error; that it Is an error, both
OF Judgment and policy, am morally GER
tain. The crying need OF the hour is an
organization in whiclG every interest may
/ be cared for. There exists no reason why
every branch Of toll should not be enrolled
under the shield of this organization.
EDUCATION FOR THE VOTERS
The master workman congratulated
the assembly on the passage of the
ballot reform laws and adv coated the
passage OF election Ia ws making
ability to read a prerequis ite for vot-
ing. but opposed any laws establishing
property qualification Of these
matters he said
This nation must depend for its life on
the intelligence of It's citizens and it is
very essential that an educational qualih
cation take the place OF the system now
practiced. Once get. the citizen to read his
ballot and he will take more interest in II
and will be anxious to study the
principles Of the parties which ap
peal to him, for support. No matter how
intelligently the illiterate citizen may dis
pose OF his ballot he does 1t on the strength
| OF what he is told and not what he knows
| privilege Of voting twice. Il recommend
| that the general assembly take action on
| this matter
RESTRICTION OF IMMIGRATION.
Much space was devoted to the
| question of immigration, the master
workman saying in part:
| Some six years ago your general master
| workman declared that he was in favor oil
the restriction nofimmigratiou. OF The uiew
| then expressed were not received ith fa
| vor by the order. but. notwithstanding
o..
| since then, unless IL be in the direction of
| more rigid exclusion Of immigrants thar
he then favored. We may adopt shor
hour laws In every state as well as the ma
tion,w may fix wage scales throughout tn
| land, we may enact protective tariffs unit
the articles OF foreign manufacture arr
| prohibited, but while the tide OF immigca
| tion flows on in an uninterrupted stream
there will be no dependence on shot-hou
| laws, no reliance on wage-s5iles. and Their
can be no protection to American labo
that will keep the status of the America
workingman higher than his brother VIII
lives under the weight of centuries o
monarcnical misrule.
Your general master workman has n
hesitation in saying that he favors th'
total exclusion OF all immigrants who ar
not self sustaining on landing in this coun
| try He would fix term OF years-te
would be long enough-during which tim
no immigrant should be permitted 10 Ian,
with q view to remaining, unless he coul
prove that he had sufficient means TO sus
tain himself and those dependent on hir
for one year.
LABOR AT THE BALLOT BOX.
The campaign which Just closed wilt
messed very interesting IL not intelligen
discussion of the tariff. but there is NOR
of revenue illegally drawn from tn
pocket OF the merchants, manufacturer
and workmen in one month {
the year by the railroads and telt
graphs than We pay in tariffs for yea
These and all other questions connecte
with them must occupy the attention
the industrial Organization for the futur
and the strike of the futur
must be a, strike for the rule of the peopl
We can decry politics as we please, but "
must be politicians or the slave OF polit
clans
Ifevery citizens of Pennsylvania knew h
right, IL he performed his duty under u
law intelligently and as ne ought to, I
Judge would dare charge treason agains
workmen who but struggled for recogn
tion. -t
The baltle of the future must be Tough
out on different lines from those whic
marked the shifting progress OF the pas
These lines must diverge from and cente
at the ballot box. Not as slaves to part.
bent on obeying the will of boss or maj