Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-11-17
CAUSE OF LABOR.
..,.n-wAsrsR-woskMAN POWDER.
oH'' ~ ON THs SITUATION.
-..,,cnsl ballot Qualification and Re-
.,riet,Oa Of I~"'sra'ion Recommend
orhe strike OF the Future"
m, ,olnrrAph o ,hs pIspa.ce.l

,,sserbly Of the Knights OF Labor re-
'".o,,od In secret session this forenoon
~ Grand Master Workman Powderiv in
HAT After on hour spent by tho as
TIC m preliminary work, Mr.. Powderiy
,.r,ored his annual address. He said in
pat No..
,r..to,ap that all local assemblies should
IL mn OF a mixed membership. Each
80 assembly should admit men and
o,,n II all trades and occupations, 80
~" chen a question Of vital importance
ery one calling is to be discussed oil
- NAV become familiar with II, and
e'" p,iyaic matters relating 20 particu-
,.,crnrati9n are discussed those not di-
~ +, Interested may retire. There is no
'..,,or winch bears on any trade or call
t' ,sh,cb does not bear either directly
l"- i,,ccily on all others. and many
a. 49,. f,iiures OF the past can be traced
y'.lr a. the door that has been closed
In, face Of men who have been excluded
,, r4ricipatiOn IN discussions IN which
XII. interests were involved. There has
,.rcsi waste of vital force aud means
.I, labor movement. There are too
m labor organizations struggling for
l.'..aacy The tendency Of the labor
s'.uept seems 10 be TO divide up, while
m.,.f the opposing force--cRpital- TO
'.-.rl-lste. and thereby gain strength TO
H., the forces OF industry. when, sin
L.t,r led. they are arrayed before them.
,,.-, prominent member Of n labor or
i.et'au VINO for any reason has taken
80. al something done entertains an
.stist his plan IS best and sets about
.,,rfring q new society. The only result
.dy,.,on Of strength. the cutting of Of
rrgu.ca,iOn. isolation, and finally
dcl.l. ,,
..rta members Of this order are TO he
.,,--4fu,ated on the gratifying result OF
....iiuon for ballot reform inaugurated
3D., General Assembly n few years ago.
ltsrs aro now thirty States IN which the
.-.,l4.lot law is IN force. In some
S...a.tlc laws are not up TO our standard,
i~,,tt,e laws may be amended. There
nus, ue DO backward steps taken on the
...rru II Is the opinion OF your Grand
Master Workman that we should 60 still
...,l.raud advocate the passage of cleo
,,.- laws which will render II impossible
..r,. citlzon TO vote unless he can read
p....Iof. The illterate voter is certainly
p -... mercy Of some other person when
+ .s.., lfs ballot, and If 1t is proper for
,.t.tsl. IN another 10 prepare my ballot
s-...t a- equitable for me to send that
.fN.r NtAlA III ~ Nblt III oAtaAs
II ,ru well aware that objections will DO
,-ssI against dcpriving man who can
..,r.lt of the right TO vote, but 1t must
,tl. forgotten that we continue TO deny
.t.l.r the night to vote Once the cit
49,, i.e-us 10 read his ballot he will take
..,4 interest IN it and will be apt to study
,.prucIp.es Of the parties. No matter
iv .ntsl'Igently the illIterate person may
fs.a., n nis ballot, he does 1t on the
strength Of what he Is told and not on
V.sfte knows. ] recommend that the
1ar,-Al Assembly take action on this mat
tst
Nr. Powderlv next strongly opposed any
r-.,e-tg qualifications on voters. He also
ily0.a.ed giving TO the people the right
nu.uatc laws, and also favored the refer
tl.gu.
fF~TRCIIoN or IMMIGRATION.
"Some six years ago your Grand Master
Workman declared that he was IN favor OF
itare.trlcti1n Of immigration. The views
then rxrressed were not received with ia
y.rtytu- oder. but his sentiments have
r., changed since then, unless 1t be IN the
direction OF a more rigid exclusion of i'm
migrants ,lan he then favored. We may
,lIrt stort-hour laws 10 every state as
vr. e., the nation; we may fix wage-scales
throughout the land: we may enact pro-
t.-,ya tariffs until the articles of foreign
r.rgHcture are prohibited, but while the
rie ui immigration flows ON in interrupt
fstr.am. there will be no dependence
upon .hort-hour laws, no reliance on
vs....cales and no protection TO American
labor that will really keep the status OF
t- American workman higher than that
a. t., brother who lives under misrule.
y-gr Grand Master Workman has no hest
tsr0u 900 ,a,ing that he favors the total
dcUl,u O.. all immigrants who are not
s.i-.lpyoftlne on landing in tins country.
l.W.u.a ia q term Of years-teD would
te .0n. en0ugh-during which time no
immigrant should be permitted to land
With view 90 remaining unless he could
prove that he had sufficient means to sus-
tan han for one year.
LALRoADs AND TELEGRAPH LINES.
"Tl, campaign witnessed very inter
e,llg ,cusslon of the tariff, but there IS
u.Ir % revenue illegally drawn from the
pockets OF manufacturers and workmen IN
lsmol;h uy the railroads and telegraph
Ines than we pay IN tariff for year.
These and all other questions connect
elv.'t them must occupy the attention
GUlls,nal organizations in the future,
sri the strike OF the future must
b. d strike for the rule of the people.
We can decFy politics, but we must be
Politicians. We must be lawmakers. IL
ever, citizen Of Pennsylvania understood
Lsuguts # he performed his duty under
'.4 i4w no Judge would dare TO charge
Treason against wOrkmen who struggled
ifG-g0smuOn. The battle of the future
aust D. fought on different lines from
u.se winch have marked the past. These
lines must diverge from and centre at the
,lI.,-5HK. where the worklngman must
vl.e. Dot as slaves 10 party bent on obey
D.. o.. Wlil OF a master, but as free men
Fl0 value freedom and will maintain 1t"
Tie speaker also advocated af1llatlon
VIII ile Farmers Alliance and other SINH
ir LIMITATIONS. recommended the or
ga,ifl'luu Of social insurance and bene-
t.4l features, and In conclusion SAID he
Atsw nothing he had done during the
Year hat ne would not do over again under
s-ctaT circumstances.
Tie report Of the General Executive
l'4-l and Of General Secretary and Urea
'ler HAYES were then read.
NEw PLATFORM PLASKs.
The afternoon session Of the Knights was
G.yoteI 60 the report of the Committed
90 Laws. The proposition TO insert
cause 10 the platform providing for the
l'D 10 the referendum scheme WAS, after
Ll.a Discussion. adopted. Another propo-
sHul Was adopted, providing for the
Establishment Of an employment bureau
'r ile order. A suggestion that there be
s.rc1en cut of the platform the plank
NoNaug for graduated income-ta1
evoked considerable discussion, and IN
H'si Of the suggestion being adopted the
l..lk MAS made all the stronger by the
ADOPTION Of an amendment providing also
4y. d FAX Oh lnheritances.