Evening star., 1893-11-21
POW CASE.
One of His Old Associates likens
Him to DR.. Jekyll.
The CHARGES MADE BT HAYES.
What Has Led to the Disruption
Of a Great Labor Organization.
A. NJ. DEWEY'S CRITICISMS.

when rogues fall out honest men get
their due" These were the words of Mr.
A. NJ Dewey. for several years a promi-
nent and active official in the knights of
Labor, and at one time the editor of the
official journal of that order in Philadel-
phia, when asked by Star reporter for
his views concerning the present rupture
between General Master Workman Powder
ly and SecretaryTreasurer Hayes of the
general assembly, now in session at the
City of Brotherly Love. "Powderly and
Hayes have for years been inseparable
friends, and thoughtful men in the labor
movement will not be surprised now that
they have fallen out to hear these charges
and countercharges of corruption and
fraud. The truth of the matter is that both
men have outlived their usefulness to the
cause of labor reform. They have for years
so manipulated the records of the general
office as to shut out of the annual conven-
ton all men who were not in sympathy
with themselves. and have thus perpetu-
ated themselves and their personal friends
In office, at the expense of everything dear
to the hearts of the masses in the order.
when the general assembly met at Rich
mond in 1886 there were more than a mil
lion of members represented. There was
money in the treasury and future pros
poets were bright. Powderly's salary was
raised from $500 to 5000 year, and he
was given additional authority to govern
the order just about as he saw fit. From
that time the order began to wane, both
in numbers and influence. The principles
it espoused were noble ones, and naturally
attracted to it thoughtful minds and
bright intellects interested in the welfare
q Rnt ha
executive board. of which Mr.. Powdery
was the chairman and principal director,
soon developed into an organized consplr-
acy, and any member of the order or EN-
ployer of labor who did not sneeze when
the board took snuff was placed on The
rack and tortured to the extent of heir
ability to infiict punishment. The boycott,
powerful but dangerous weapon, was
used to destroy the business of manu-
facturers, while the powers of the execu-
tive board We're used to suppress all %
position from within by the expulsion of
sucn members as did not approve of such
un-American methods of settling labor
disputes.
"Mr. Powderly asked to be protected from
criticisms by members. and he was empow
cred to arbitrarily eXpel members at will
without trial or hearing of any kind, and he
used his power freely. 1t was only natural
that the once great order should dwindle
to almost nothing under such discipline.
Intelligent, Independent men would not sub
nit to such treatment. 1t was anarchy of
the most offensive kind. Powderly and
Hayes have both been sowing the wind for
several years. and now they are reAping
the whirlwind in a manner little expected"
Mr.. Hayes Charges.
"Have you seen the charges made by Mr.
Hayes on Saturday against Mr.. Powderly?'
Yes; and from what | know of the men.
/ am prepared to believe them. But it is
case of the pot calling the kettle black.
Before coming to Washington, l spent near
ly two years in Philadelphia as editor and
manager of the official journal of the order.
i was necessarily thrown much in contact
with both of those men. l soon discovered
that all not straight. and it was FOR
that reason that / resigned and accepted a
proffered situation in the government print
ing office here. There was disnosition TO
use the columns of the paper for dishonor
able purposes.
Advertising of a shady character could
be had in plenty, but l steadfastly refused
to publish it. BY refusing to publish boy
cott notices which l knew to be ordered in
the interest of rival manufacturers | in
CURED the displeasure of the executive
board members After some sharp corre-
spondence between myself and Powderly |
resigned. Since then the columns of their
paper have been filled with schemes of all
kinds. all with the approval of Mr.. Powderly
and his board. HAYES has fallen out with
his associates, and is now exposing the
crook edness of the whole affair. And. while
he is no better than the others he is per-
forming the honest men in the rank and
file Of the labor movement service in thus
showing to the world the true character and
disposition of the greatest double the labor
movement ever produced. Powderly is Il
vertabie Dr. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde. His
| ability as an orator, coupled with an un-
usually fertile brain, has enabled him to
pull the wool over the ewes of nearly every
one with whom he has come in contact. He
has for years hoodwinked his dupeS into
believing that he Is working himself to
daa i'm hpi
time he was studying law and writing ar
ticles for magazines and books for publica-
ton in his luxurious library at Scranton.
Those of VINO knew him Intimately
were aware of his 1uPiicity, but If we were
to say word ne would deny it and have us
disciplined for daring to critcise a superior
officer lie expelled John Kelly Of Pitts
burg for telling the truth about labor
difficulty in that city in the columns of a
Pittsburg daily, and then himself sent a
criminal libel against me throughout the
assemblies of the order under cover of his
great seal as master workman, employing
the most scurrilous falsehoOds to bolster
himself up and break me down. He has
been able advocate of the rights ot the
masses but all the time he has been CO.
verify attacking every one who opposed him,
and playing the order for all there was in
il for himself and his immediate family.
lie has been given credit by the newspapers
and the public for possessing great ability
as an executive officer, but most of the
credit belonged to others who did the real
organization. 1t Is a noticeable fact that,
almost without exception, the men who
made the Knights of Labor a powerful and
respected organization few years ago are
! now at outs with Powderly.
George T.. McNiel of Boston, Frank X.
| Foster of Haverhill. Charles Fl. Litchmann
| of Marblehead, the three great leaders OF
! the labor forces in he New England states;
| Ralph Beaumont of New York, George
| Schiling of Chicago Robert Schilling of
Milwaukee, .. r. Lake of ST. Louis, Joseph
K. Buchanan of Denver j. A. Labade of
| Michigan, and many others equally as con-
| spicuous as advocates of the principles of
| the K. of L., are now on the outside of
| that order.
| These are the men who made it possible
! for Mr.. Powderly to secure to himself the
| credit of leading the most compact and
numerous labor organization on earth, and
/ at the same time draw a salary equal to
| that of member of Congress. But they
were in his way, and must be sacrificed in
order that his power might not be jeopar-
died.
| What May Result.
what will be the effect on organized
labor if Mr.. Hayes proves his charges
| against the master workman?'
1T may result In the reorganization of
| the Knights of Labor under some other
name. The order has been in disfavor,
| even among the thoughtful workingmen,
| for some time. Mr.. Powderly himself has