The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-11-17
KNIGHTS AT ST. Louls.
Tho Annual Address of General Master
Workman Powderly.

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 17.--It is not thought
that the convention OF Knights OF Labor
will adjourn before next week, as Il num-
ber of important matters are to come up
for discussion and decision.
The first part Of the proceedings yester
day was devoted to reading "a statement
OF the finances Of the order.
The annual address of General Master
Workman Powderly was extremely
lengthy, occupying over an hour in its
delivery.
He congratulated his hearers upon the
present condition of the order, reviewed
its many periods of prosperity and de-
preston, and said that although since its
existence the membership of the order had
ebbed and flowed, yet to-day it was on the
increase, and all through the exciting
times incident to the Presidential cleo
tion the order had steadily grown in
membership and influence At no time,
however, had the membership exceeded
six hundred thousand in good standing
Reviewing the labor movement Mr.
Powderly said that there are too many
labor organizations struggling for su-
premacy. The tendency of the labor
movement seemed to be to divide up,
while that Of the opposing force-capital
was to consolidate, and thereby to gain
strength to combat the forces of industry,
when, single handed they were arrayed
before them.
After speaking at length on the ques-
tion of ballot reform, and on the initia-
tive and referendum scheme, and urging
that the General Assembly take specific
action on both questions, Mr.. Powderly
proceeded to dwell in detail on the matter
of immigration.
He said that six years ago he had de-
clared in favor of the restriction of immi-
grafton, and although his views were not
received with favor by the Order he had
not changed them, but on the contrary
had made them more rigid. He believed
in the total exclusion of all immigrants
who are not selfsupporting on landing in
this country.
There should be a fixed term Of years.
ten would be enough, during which no
immigrant should be permitted to land
with a view to remaining, unless he
could prove that he had sufficient means
to sustain himself and those depending
upon him for one year.
Strikes and lock-outs next claimed Mr.
Powderly's attention. He said that dur
ing the last six months the people of
this land had witnessed such attempts at
making the power of aggregated wealth
supreme as were never dreamt of before
Whether it was at COeur d'Alene, at
Homestead, at Buffalo or in Tennessee,
the instinct which guided the rapacious
hand was the same.
The underground wires which directed
these attacks all ran to the same center
from all these places.
The organization of labor will, if it
has sense, take up these questions for
consideration.
The railroads are public highways, be-
longing to the whole people and the whole
people should know it, The campaign
which has just closed witnessed an inter-
esting, if not very intelligent discussion
of the tariff, but there is more of a rev.
enue illegally drawn from the pockets of
merchants, manufacturers and workmen
in one month of the year by the railroads
and telegraphs than we pay in tariffs in a
year.
These, and all questions connected
with them, must occupy the attention of
| the industrial organization of the future,
and the strike of future must be a
strike for the rule of the people. They
could decry politics as they pleased,
but they must be politicians, or be slaves
of politicians.