The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-11-17
MUST PULL THE WIRES.
Master Workman PeWderly Would
Make the People Politicians.
OTHERWISE HE FEARS THEY WILL
BE EUROPEANIZED.

HIS Reference 10 Gne f1oustcdu
Trouble and Other Labor Wars-Op-
ening of the National Convention of
the knights at St. Louis.
ST. LOUIS, November 16.-The general
assembly of the Knights of Labor is in
session here with Grand Master Work
man Powderly in the chair. Today, af-
ter some preliminary work, Mr.. Powder
ly delivered his annual address.
After speaking at length on the ques-
ton 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 mat
| ter of immigration. He said that six
years ago he had declared in favor of the
restriction Of immigration, 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 exclus-
| ion of all immigrants who are not self
supporting on landing in this country.
'sThere should be fixed term of
years. said he, ''10 would be enough,
during which no immigrant should be
permitted to land with a view to remain
| ing unless he could prove that he had
| sufficient means to sustain himself and
| those depending upon him for one
year."
Unworthy motives might be attribut-
| ed to him because of these sentiments,
| but they were honestly entertained and
no reflections would induce him to
change his mind, for he foresaw great
danger, not alone to labor but to the
| whole country, If
| The Immigration Question
was not heroically handled in the near
future.
| .sThere is great danger he said,
| tfhat. in the babel of tongues we might
! forget that we are freemen in this cOun-
try and in losing sight Of that fact, might
allow the incoming hordes to European
| ize us before we could Americanize
| them.''
| Hundreds OF thousands of foreigners
were thrust upon this country every
year, some allured by misrepresentation
| and others sent direct from the. peniten-
tiaries and prison pens of the Old World,
while still others were hired on the other
! side of the water by those who would
| lower the standard of wages in this coun-
try.
The rapacity of the employers of la
Dor, the greed of the owners OF steam
ships, and the moral cowardice OF our
public men, had prevented the enact
ment of Legislation which would have
| long since relieved the strain.
| Thew could better afford to aid the
European in crushing down the institu-
| IL, oynracc him at home than tn
| continue system which will inevitably
reduce the American workman to worse
| conditions than experienced abroad by
those who are now looking to this land
| for relief.
He asked the general assembly what
| it would do on the question of immigra-
| ton.
Strikes and Lockouts.
next claimed Mr.. Powderly's attention.
He said that during the last six months
the people of this land had witnessed
such attempts at making the power q
aggregated wealth supreme as were
never dreamed of before. Whether it
was at Cmur d'Alene, at Homestead, at
| Buffalo OF in Tennessee, the instinct
| which guided the rapacious hand was
the same. The underground wires
which directed these attacks all ran to
the same centre from all these places.
The organizations of labor will, if they
have sense, take up these questions for
consideration.
ssThe railroads are public highways"
he said, ''and belong to the whole peo-
pie, and the whole people should know
it. The campaign which has just closed
witnessed an interesting if not very in
telligent discussion of the tariff, but
there is more of a revenue 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 tariff taxes
in aiyear.
''These, and all questions connected
with them, must occupy the attention of
the industrial organization of the future,
and the strike of the 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"
He asked the assembly TO act on the
matter. He had no advice to offer.
The salient points in Mr.. Powderly's
address were received with applause.
The report of the general executive
board was read. The general secretary's
and treasurer's S reports were submitted,
The address and reports were referred to
the committee on distribution.
Rev. Mr.. Luce President.