Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-12
They Criticise His Generosity in
Building Libraries.
POLITICS LIGHTLY TOUCHED ON.
Details of the Rochester Clothing Combine
Laid Bare.
A LESSON PROMISED THE CAMBRIA CO.

Pension Agent II. II. Bengough wa
chosen Chairman of the meeting, and al
the prominent labor leaders of Allegheny
county were given place as Vice Presi
dents Chairman Bengough first read let
ter of regret from Mayor Gourley, who
was out of the city and could not make II
possible to be present. In introducing Mr.,
Powderly, the Chairman said: ''It is g
pleasing task to introduce to the people of
Pittsburg, a man whom personally admire
for having a head and heart in this grand
movement. To those who are not members
OF this organization, I can say it was
my pleasure to have been at one time iden.
titled with the knights of Labor. Then
was brought in contact with the speaker Of
the evening, Mr.. Powderly, and found in
him man conscientious in his support Of
the wageworkers of this land"
Wants the Old Men to Work.
Many of the people in this hall tonight
said Mr.. Powderly, may not now be mem
bers of the Knights of Labor. Many may
have slipped out, laid down the burden and
allowed younger men to carry on the battle
of organized labor. To them
say We require their aid to-day. We
want to see every face in its old place in
the assembly room. 1t may be all right to
stay away, but we want your advice. 1t is
not your dollar we covet. Those standing
on the outside do not know what goes on
within. In this great industrial center,
which Pfttsburg forms, we need every man
within the ranks.
There is another class which has left us in
Pittsburg, and the Lord be praised! While
n fba ,;1o% T.,
that high dregree for which 1t is aiming.
We have now sifsed the chaff out and the
citizens of Pittsburg can see that we have
nothing but real wheat now.
AT Peace With the Federation.
You see every few weeks that we are hav-
ing fight with the trade unions. We see in
bold lines: "War to the knife. The Knights
of Labor and the American Federation of
Labor are into each others wool" These
stories are manufactured. We're not here
to quarrel. 1t is our duty to
SET matters Alright, and we have no
quarrel with any organization. Someone is
pers and Powderly. There has never been
a fight on my side, and if the other side is
fighting me have not found it out.
Some time ago there was call issued for
the assembling of the representatives of the
laboring people at st. Louis. For one time
in the history of the United States the in
dustrial element came together to give out
a platform to speak for the working people.
1ngton to represent us, but we always have
to send a committee to watch them.
To get rid Of this the convention at St.
Louis was called. Between 5000, 900 and
600, 600 men and women wage-eaIners were
represented Two-thirds Of that conven-
tion was composed of people who sailed un-
der the shield of the Knights of Labor. We
formed no new party there, but you cannot
blame the people who were represented
there If they vote independently and for
themselves in the future.
A Gentle Roast for Carnegie,
You are to have in this city library. 1
understand it is to be located in the center
of labor. That is labor put the handsome
residences where they are. Where does
labor live in Pittsburg? Is it not under the
cliffs, or, like those Of old, in the caves of
the city? A good, kind, Christian man will
sionally and read book. You may be
thankful you can read book. If the system
of old had gone on without our in
known how to read. We have one demand:
We want the earth. We are fast getting it,
and the day will come when labor will have
its equal rights in this land.
A. w. Wright, of Toronto, Canada, fol-
lowed Mr.. Powderly. He said:
1 believe 1 can do my best work in the
Knights of Labor. Others think differently
and choose other organizations. That Is
right, but wherever you are you ought to
give cheerful co-opera tion to all. This morn
ing read that the Cambria Iron Company
of Johnstown, was discharging its men be-
cause they belonged to trades unions.
Capital Has No Right to Dictate.
There are no Knights of Labor assemblies
in Johnstown, but all the same it is the duty
of every union man to give aid to these un-
fortunates. The Cambria Company has no
right to say these men shall not work for 1t
for this reason. I find the President of the
company has told the men they must not
belong to trades unions. That is rule s, he
of the United States. That rule comes from
a corporation, and this corporation should be
taught a lesson.
will try to explain the Rochester, COM
bine. 4 believe there was gentleman in
Pittsburg some weeks ago who tried to
break the boycott on the Rochester CLOTH
ing. He has told his story, and in justice 1
tell mine. The Knights of Labor Assembly
in Rochester numbers 1900 men and
women. The employers combined to de-
stroy the organization, and without a mo-
ment's notice discharged every member
of the assembly.
The Oiher Side of the Rochester Strike.
This movement came so suddenly upon
the National Treasury that we did not have
funds to meet it. The clothing manufact-
urers organized and put up Sls6, 900 to fight
us. The combine told our men that they
tion that they would leave the organiza-
ton This was tough, but, when a
man has family dependent on him. he will
give away if he has a heart: respect him
for it. The master workman OF the assem-
ply was SO situated, and he told the mem-
bers to go back on any terms they could get.
He was right. The combine did not take
back many of their former employees. The
kl,a hIxyW mn a n foh
The monopolists not only did this, but they
blacklisted them in every city in the coun-
try.
operative concern. The combine tried to
break it up. They notified the manufact-
urers of cloth that II they sold to our men
they would not by their cloth. The general
officers of the Knights of Labor then decided
that a boycott would work well in the case
of the combine, and We placed a ban on
their goods. 1t has worked SO successfully
that it cannot send goods out of Rochester
without covering the label.
Bound to Break the Combine.
The combine had 20 of its foremen from
labor organization and had 1t affiliated with
the Federation of Labor. This is the way
the matter stands. II any attempt is made
to fight our boycott by an organization or
individual the Knights of Labor will follow
it to the end of the world. That boycott will
stand until the commune takes DUCK Ill tHe
old employees.
Some weeks ago we read Andrew Carnegie
had turned preacher for one night. think
he deserves credit for being as good as he is.
He is philanthropic. When he does any;
thing he takes good care his lett hand
knows what his right does. When he gives
library it is we'll known. He told working
men in his sermon that they. were
better Off than their forefathers. He knows
the rule of average better than than than