The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-12

TO accomplish the most important results
must have it's power wisely directed against
the weakest point in the enemy's line and
the very stronghold and citadel OF monopoly
must be captured No organization in the
world has so clear. definite and practical
plan of campaign as our order The ma,
chinery of our government must be wrested
from the hands OF the agents of the pluto
Gratis and restored 10 the people. Inc
money of the people. the life blood OF COM
merce must be issued by the agents OF
the people only. The great highways OF
commerce must be freed from the clutches
of railway kings: and the land, the grea'
reservoir from which all wealth is drawn,
which is the prime necessity for the main
tenance of human existence. must De re,
rights of each one of the children OF men TO
share of the bounties of nature must De
recognized and secured. The opportunity
to live In peace and secure of the oppor-
tunity to labor and enjoy the full fruits of
their toll must be guaranteed beyond
possibility of a doubt. These are the great
Knights of Labor propose to fight out to
finish and the wealth producers OF the
world are welcomed 10 their ranks.
During the year that has followed. your
general officers have striven earnestly TO
carry into effect this declaration, believing
that by SO doing We should accompsnssn sn RE re
The hope we then held has been more than
realized in the vast present upheavsl wnich
has taken place in the United States iosad s1hce
I'm pursuance of the policy set forth in
our Washington assembly we attended the
convention of the Populist party In 81.
Louis and the Democratic party in Chicago
and used our best efforts TO secure uni
fication of the forces represented by those
pies embodied in the preamble OF the
knights of Labor. And it should be a
cause for rejoicing on the part Oh every
plank. the plank in opposition TO govern
ment bond issues, the income tax plank and
numerous other very lmpornahs prnnepleeS
battled for by Knights OF LABOR against
hopeless odds have become the commando
ing issues of American politics ana nave
completely overshadowed all the sham
issues which have long been used by poll
ticians and the money power TO oiln1 ,,atin,e ine
from these vital questions affecting the
real welfare of the wealth producers.
CALLED TO BATTLE.
"At last the time has come when the
lines of battle are fairly drawn between
the laborers of America on the one hand
and their implacable enemies. the money
kings and their minions, on the other. Al
though complete victory for the people
was not won in this election. yet immense
gains have been made. Six millions of
American voters have arrayed themselves
permanently under the banner of principles
so long upheld by the knights OF Labor.
At least two millions more would have
done likewise but for the frightened forces
paign by the party of the plutocracy;
This General Assembly should give the
most thorough considerations to the CUES
tion of how best to preserve political ad-
vantages already gained for the masses
and how we may perfect the organization
for victory in the immediate future. The
millions of wealth producers ale now
aroused as they never were aroused be-.
fore in i. the hlstSy tor oil tne can nsteS %
at this General Assembly to decide on such
a policy as will show the people how TO so
use their political power that they Will be-
come irresistible in their demand for the
reform which labor requires.
THE lack of organization among the
toilers is a grave menace to the Republic
Not per cent. of the working people of the
United States are organized. 1t is impera-
tive that something must be done to organ
ize them more rapidly than they have ever
been organized in the past. What shall
it be-. be? o,,,s .,nuos. er.. .,.. NO n,r.,
make it clear to the laboring people that L.
is to their interest in every sense of the
word to become good members of the
Knights of Labor. We must make it clear
to the employers that it Will not be in
furious to their best interests II their EN-
ployes are permitted and encouraged TO
yond question that every man and woman
who Is a member of our order will be safer
and better protected in their rights than
those who are not members. We must make
the employer understand that If he employs
knights of Labor he will not be placed at
any disadvantage with his competitor who
employs no Knights of Labor or is at open
warfare with the order.
"Hasty and ill-advised strikes should be
avoided as much as possible; every strike
and lockout is incipient civil war. One Is
an attack of the employer and the employed
and the other is an attack of the employe
and the emp oyer. These attacks and coun-
ter r-attacks often develop into civil war. and
as one blow brings on another we can never
foretell what the final outcome of some Of
these struggles may be.
1.-The plutocracy is seeking an excuse 10
greatly increase the standing army. The
petty violence connected with the strikes
and lockouts is their most plausible excuse
now Let us not play into their hands.
We should teach the laboring people TO
cease to be rebellious slaves and to realize
their real position--that of the head mas
ters and rulers of the Republic, clothed
with ample power to reconstruct all social
and Industrial conditions on whatever lines
they desire. To this end let the good work
of unifying the political power of the mass
es now so well begun, be carried on with
renewed yigor, and when another four
wears have passed every branch of the gov
crnment of the United States-local, munt-
cjpal State and national-will be In the
hands of the wealth producers, TO use as
they see fit We shall then no longer be as
we now are-largely at the mercy OF the
money kings in the great corporations.
The address is signed James X SOW
ereign chairman: Thomas IL. McGulre.
Henry b. Marty. James NJ. kenney. Charles
A French, John W. Hayes, secretary,
.~o,,o,ot avaoutivs baa rd -