The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1896-11-19
ANNUAL ADDRESS
OF General Master Workman Sow
ereign. knights Of Labor,

OF General Master Workman Sow.
ereign. knights Of Labor,
Read Before the Convention Assembled
1t Rochoster, N. IA Broad AR
raignment of tho Money
Power Of the Country.
ROCHESTER,, N. Y, Nov. 11.-FoHow-
ing is the annual address of General
Master Workman Sovereign. Knights
of Labor. read before the delegate con.
tention assembled in this cityi
TO the Officers and Members Of the 3scentiefh
General assembiv, knighfs Of Labor:
After struggle Of q years against the evils
OF aggregated wealth by our order; We are con-
fronted with more serious problems affecting
the rights and liberties OF the industrial
masses than ever before. Not only have the
idle. speculating classes demonstrated their
ability to dominate productive enterprise and
accumulate the wealth Of toiling millions, but
they have demonstrated their power to coerce
waGe-earnerS and mortgaged farmers with
threats Of discharge and foreclosure into SUBJ
mission of their win. The autocratic holders
OF idle money have subverted the principles OF
free government by forcing political services
from the poor as the tenure Of employment.
Lhboring men can combat o falSehood and
UIu uCu6HC0 ~ tEulCOrS ITOm tnclE own EdukSj
but when depraved monster OF corporate
rapaCity steals into their homes and threatens
them with discharge and persecution because
OF their political convictions, they sacrifice
their liberties in consideration OF food and
shelter for their helpless wives and innocent
children. The struggle just passed has demon
strated that pecuniary dependence in political
slavery. szsssfszsssss1
How to pretont tho complete overthrow Of
our civil Hle&1 Is the problem of the hour.
How weak sndfpoverished labor can triumph
over haughty, 6elntheeriDg, confederate capi-
tai. is q question too serious to admit Of pro-
crastination. It must be considered in all its
length and breadth. and the best possible or
ganiEation perfected to meet the Vaccinations
of the money changers
In the struggle just PASSED the Knights Of
Labor proved itself to be the only labor ofgani-
4ation that stood like an iron wall before the
fire Of the organized money power OF two con-
tinents, Every general officer and every dis
trict and local assembly OF our order spurned
every offer OF bribery and scorned every threat
OF the money king When the test came our
! order was found to possess the knowledge. the
courage and the manhood to defy and combat
| the emissaries Of organized greed. Except
| the support given by that matchless champion
OF labor, Eugene v. Debs, the chief oficef OF
no other national labor organization gave us
material aid in our struggle for the cause OF
| the common people,
The American Federation of Labor proved
| too loose in its organized capacity and too
| weak in its test OF membership to either resist
| or evade the onslaughts Of the Wall street
combines, and 1t therefore became an easy
prey to the emisSariCs Of corporate wealth.
| Notwithstanding the fact that recent rulings
| of our higher courts have placed all labor or
| Eanisations In the category OF criminal com
| spracy, thousands OF the members OF the fed
GRAFTON voted to sustain that pernicious ruling
| They plead guilty to the Charge by the votes
| they cast. Not only did they vote to exalt the
money changer and make the rich richer and
| the poor poorer, but they voted to sustain gov
ornment by injunction and the recent income
| tax decision Of the supreme court
Many trades unions and many Of the officers
| OF trades unions stood 10y ally by the cause OF
| depressed lobor and did valiant service in our
| late struggle for our economic reform, and
| they can not be too highly praised for the high
type of manhood their acts expressed. But
trades unions, In general sense, are too frafl
In their organic construction. to depart from
| the narrow line OF craft and selfishness and
| lead a great labor movement against the en-:
| cfoachment and aggressions OF avarice and
| greed. That duty devolves upon the knights
| of Labor, and at this session Of the general as
sembly we should prepare the way to unite
| under the shield Of knighthood oil the indus
| trial reform forces of America.
| To that end would recommend that the or
| der divest itself Of all utopian dreams as a
weary traveller would cast away his personal
| effects to tighten his burdens in dangerous
| march across q dreary desert; / would In
struct our trade district assemblies to adjus,
all local differences with employers, leaving
| the general ofhce FREQ 70 devote the entire
coming year to the work Of organization.
| would SO change and abbretiate our present
test OF membership as to center our Immediate
demands upon an equitable income tax; the
free and unlimited coinage OF silver at the
present legal ratio; the payment OF all govern
ment bonds according to the present contract
| and the government issue of all Of the money
Of the country. would make positive and
unequivocal declarations against government
by Injunction, increase Of the standing army
the payment cf the bonded debt in gold alone
the issue of bonds in time OF peace and the is
| sue of circulating notes by banking corpora
| tionS.
1 would then prepare nm entire new secre
work with stronger obligations than we nov
have, establish n degree known as the minute
men, and as far possible return to our for
mer system OF working In absolute secrecy.
would then appeal to the free silver and 10
form forces everywhere for membership ait
support and throw this organization into tht
great broaddield Of agitation to fight the none,
hnish. 49,
would not recsde from our demands fo
land reform, nor from any Of the other grea
principles scoutained In the preamble o
l this order, but would designate them as bat
vile grounds TO be fought over after we havt
throttled the life out OF the money power tha
is undermining the foundation of American
liberty. This order should not let the bird II
the hand eseape with the hope Of catching th'
one in the bush. We should battle for the re
form which is nearest the hearts OF the people
instead Of expendiEes of energy on questions
enshrouded In the doubt and gloom OF a fal
distant future.
The money-power has made Itself the guar
dian and protector of every other monopol,
and combine and stands forth to-day the lido
Of every miser, the hope of every kind and got
Of every despot. The idle holders Of idle wealth
throughout the world are combined against tn
tree coinage of silver. A bondholding aristoc
racy demands its abolition as q primar.
meney in order to appreciate debts and depre
ciate the profits Of labor below the profits o
money at interest, SO that fixed income annui
ties may be saddled upon the Industries Of tn
world. Labor must bare its limbs to thos
shackles and bow its head to the lash, or &C
cept this issue and combine in one great organ
tzation to throw OF the yoke of oppression.
It may be said that by accepting this issu
We would be charged with favorinR the silve
mine owners In the Rocky mountains. Tn
charge would not be true. and II 1t was. I hav
only to say that I would q thousand time
rather cast Q thousand votes for q mine owne
in the Rocky mountains who employs labo
4 and contributes to the wealth OF my countr
than to cast ono vote for foreign Shylocl
who conspires to rob the labor Of the world.
We can not a6ord to shut OF the fountain Q
life to ind grain OF sand. nor destroy noun
tain OF good TO ina q pebble OF evil Further
moro, the mine owners can have no more dtrec