Los Angeles herald., 1892-11-17
LABOR IN CONVENTION,
Master Workman POWderly's
Annual Address.
A Plea for Close AffiliatiOn
Among Trades.
Suggestions in Regard to National
immigration Laws.
A Review of the Past Years Work by
the Officers Reports-Growth and
Financial Standing of
the Order.

| OF the knights OF Labor General Master
Workman Powderly delivered his an
nual address. Among matters dealt
with was recommendation that all
local assemblies should be made up of
mixed membership, including men and
women of all trades and occupations.
Many failures of attempts at the better
ment of conditions in the past had re-
suited from the fact that members in
other trades were not acquainted with
the conditions of the particular trades
seeking betterment, hence were not in
position to sympathize and help in the
struggle. Powderly declared there were
too many labor organizations strug-
Cling for supremacy. The tendency
OF the labor movement seems to be to di-
vide up, while that Of the opposing force,
capital, was to consolidate and thereby
gain strength in the fight against indus
try. The result was labor was beaten in
detachments Something must be done
to remedy this. There existed no reason
why every branch of toll should not be
enrolled under the shield of the Knights
OF Labor. The speaker congratulated
the organization on the gratifying re-
suits of the agitation for ballot reform
inaugurated by the general assembly
only few years ago. Then no state
had reform ballot system. Now the
secret ballot law is in force in 80 states.
In this connection, Powderly recon-
mended that no person be allowed to
vote who could not read his ballot, for
the reason that such person is at the
mercy of the man admitted to the booth
with him to assist him in making up his
vote.
Powderly devoted much space to the
question of immigration, saying in part:
| Your general master workman has
no hesitation in saying he favors the
| total exclusion OF all immigrants not
| self-sustaining from landing in this
country. He would fix the term of
years-10 would be long enough-during
which time no immigrant should be per-
mitted to land with view OF remaining
! unless he could prove he had sufficient
means to sustain himself and those de-
pending on him one year.
He declared he saw a great danger,
not alone to labor but to the whole
country, if the immigration question
is not carefully ard heroically handled
in the near future. 1t was not a ques.
tion whether there is room enough in
this country for all the world, but
whether the influx would cause us to
, lose all the benefits which we now enjoy.
| Powderly then reviewed The question
of strikes and lockouts during the past
six months in which aggregated capital
had made such attempts to carry
supreme power which was never dreamed
of before. In these fights centralized
wealth drew the scattering fire of divided
labor, and as natural result labor lost
the BATTLE. The tariff question had been
widely discussed in the late campaign,
but more revenue was illegally drawn
from the pockets of merchants, manu-.
facturers and workmen in one month
of the year by railroads and telegraph
than we pay in tariffs for IL
months. Industrial organizations must
consider these things, and the strike of
the future must be strike for the rule
of the people. They might decry poll
tics, but they must be politicians or the
slaves of politicians. They must go to
the fountain head and make the laws.
II every citizen of Pennsylvania knew
his rights and performed his duty intel
ligently under the law, no judge would
dare charge treason against workmen
struggling for recognition. The battle
of the future must be fought at the bal
lot box. The speaker advocated affilia-
tion with the farmers Alliance and
other similar organizations.
The report OF the general secretary
and treasurer, Hayes, says the benefit
insurance feature of the order was not
very successful, owing to lack of sup
port by members. He urges work to
remedy this. The financial statement
shows, including balance from last
year, the receipts to be $50 ,614; ex-
penditures, $69, 749. The membership
shows slight increase during the
year. Now over 100000 are in good
standing. The order is practically free
OF debt and owns property worth
100000.
The report of the general executive
committee, among other things, reviews
the trouble with the clothing manufac.
turers' combine at Rochester, N. Y,
and says the boycott has been steadily
and effectively prosecuted, and millions
of dollars of trade diverted from them.
At the afternoon session clause was
adopted providing for the establishment
of an employment bureau by the order
The suggestion to strike out Of the plat
form the plank providing for gradu-
ated income tax was rejected, and the
plank made stronger by an amendment
providing also for tax on inheritancss.
Mrs. ingalls,, representing the national
w. q. L. u, made fraternal address,
and letter was presented by Thomas
I. Wright inviting the order to send
delegates to the Nicaragua canal COM
mission at New Orleans.