Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-11-17
KNIGHTS AT ST. LOUIS.
The Annual Address of General aiastel
 Workman Powdsrly.

-
 Workman POwdsrly.
 ST. LOUIS, Nov. 17.-It is not thought that the convention of Knights of Labor will adjourn before next week, as a num- Der 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 It's delivery.
 He congratulated his hearers upon the present condition of the order, reviewed it's many periods of prosperity and de- pression, and said that although since it's existence the membership of the order had ebbod and flowed, yet to-day it was on the increase, and all through the exciting times incident to the Presidential cleo ton the order had steadily grown in membership and influence. At nc time, however, had the membership exceeded six hundred thousand in good standing.
 Reviewing the labor movement Mir. 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 asrayed before them.
 After spAaking 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, MT. 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 ha 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 self-supporting on landing in this country.
 There should be fixed term of years, ten would be enough, during which nc immigrant should be permitted to land with 8 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 Mir. 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 8upr0u0 AS Wor0 never uf0dub OL DoIOT0 Whether it was at Coeur dAlene, 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 ii has sense, take up these questions fol consideration.
 The railroads are pubic highways, be- longing to the whole people and the whole people should know it. The campaign which has just closed witnessed an inter l esting, if not very intelligent discussion of the tariff, but there is more of a rev enue illegally drawn from the pockets oi merchants, manufacturers and workmer in one month of the year by the railroads and telegraphs than we pay in tariffs in 6 year.
 These, and all questions connected l with them, must occupy the attention oi | the industrial organization of the future and the strike of future must be { strike for the rule of the people. They | could decry politics as they pleased but they must be politicians, or be slave. | of politicians,