Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-11-19
ANNUAL ADDRESS
OF General Master Workman Sow
Sreign. Knights of Labor,
Read Before the Convention Assembled
at Rochester, n. IA Broad Ar
raigrment of the Money
Power of the Country.

Master Workman Sovereign. Knights
of Labor, read before the delegate con-
vention assent led in this city:
TO che Officers and Members Of the TacenSieA
General Assembly, Knights Of Labor:
After struggle OF p 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 specializing 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 sub
m isston Of their will The autocratic holders
on idle money have subyerted the principles of
free government by forcing political services
from the poor as the tenure of employment
Laboring men can combat faIsehood and
bid defiance to traitors from their own ranks,
bat when a depraved monster Of corporate
Tapacity steals into their homes and threatens
them with discharge and persecution because
roS their political convictions, they sacrifice
Ekeir liberties in consideration Of food and
shelter for their helpless wives and innocent
children The struggle Just passed has demon
astrated that pecuniary dependence In political
slavery.
How to prevent the complete overthrow of
our civil liberty is the problem Of the hour.
How weak aud impoverished labor can triumph
over naughty. domineering. confederate capt.
tai is question too serious to admit OF pro-
Asrastination- 1t must be considered in all it's
heagth and breadth. and the best possible or
ganiZation perfected 70 meet the Vaccinations
of the money changers
In the struggle just passed the knights OF
Labor proved itself to be the only labor organi-
zation that stood like an iron wall before the
fire Of the organized money power of two con-
EiCeuts, Every general oficer and every dis
Erict 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
she emissaries of organized greed. Except
the support given by that matchiess champion
of labor, Eugene V. Debs, the chief officer of
no other national labor organization gave US
material aid in our struggle for the cause OF
Ehe common people.
The American Federation OF Labor proved
G10 loose in its organized capacity and too
E<sak in its test Of membership to either resist
or evade the onslaughts Of the Wall street
combines, and it therefore became an easy
prey to the emisSariCS OF corporate wealth.
Notwithstanding the fact that recent rulings
cf oar higher courts have placed all labor
CARNATIONS in the category of criminal con-
sspiracy, thousands of the members of the fed
eTatiOn voted to sustain that pernicious ruling
They plead guilty to the charge by the votes
saey cast Not only did they vote to exalt the
nasuey changer and make the rich richer and
cte poor poorer, but they voted to sustain gov
GsT0Lnent by injunction and the recent income
tax decision of the supreme court.
Many trades unions and many of the officers
SSF trades unions stood 10y ally by the cause of
depressed lobor and did valiant service in our
AsLse struggle for our economic reform, and
E1ey can not be too highly praised for the high
tyre of manhood their acts expressed. But
trades unions. in a general sense, are too frail
In their organic construction. to depart from
the narrow line OF craft and sel6shness and
lead a great labor movement against the en-
GTO3chment and aggressionS of avarice and
greed That duty devolves upon the knights
N Labor, and at this session of the general as
<ssgnbiy we should prepare the way to unite
EHaler the shield of knighthood all the indus
Erial reform forces of America
To that end would recommend that the or
der divest itself OF all utopian dreams as
Syeary traveller would cast away his personal
effects to tighten his burdens in a dangerous
march across a dreary desert; 1 would in
Erruct our trade district assemblies to adjust
All local Differences with employers, leaving
sIsc general Office free to devote the sntire
coming year to the work OF organization. 1
7gUuId change and abbreviate our present
test of membership as to center our immediate
Ess1nands upon AN equitable income tax: the
free and unlimited coinage OF silver at the
present legal ratio; the payment of all govern
nNent bonds according to the present contract,
'SEzSd tbs government issue of all OF the money
Of the country. 1 would make positive and
HHleQuivocal declarations against government
bF injunction, increase OF the standing army,
che payment of the bonded debt in gold alone,
CIas issue of bonds in time OF peace and the is
sue of circulating notes by banking corpora
458ns.
1 would then prepare entire new secret
~srk with stronger obligations than we now
have. establish degree known as the minute
zlen- and as far as possible returnSto our for
smeE system OF working IN absolute secrecy.
7 would then appeal to the free silver and re-
Eprm forces everywhere for membership and
support and throw this organization into the
great broad field OF agitation to fight the money
Power and the corporations to an everlasting
1 would not recede from our demands for
Land reform. nor from any of the other great
principles contained in the preamble of
"a ~ order, but would designate them as bat
ES> grounds to be fought over after we have
rhrottlod the life out of the money power that
IL undermining the foundation OF American
Rsaserty. This order should not let the bird in
the hand esc ape with the hope Of catching tho
ssze in the bush. We should battle for the re-
Elrvu which is nearest the hearts OF the people
Eastcad OF expanding of energy on questions
eGshrouded in the doubt and gloom of far
distant future.
The mOney-power has made itself the guar
dan and protector of every other monopoly
7Gd combine and stands forth to-day the idol
of every miser, the hope of every kind and god
OF every despot- The idle holders OF idle wealth
throughout the world are combined against the
-EFsAe coinage Of silver. n bOndhOldiag aristoc-
racy demands its abolition a. a primary
money in order 10 appreciate debts and depre-
Sfate the profits OF labor below the profits Of
E2(sUGJ At interest SO lDaL uScu income allui-
s1{es may be saddled upon the industries OF the
world Labor must bare it's limbs to those
sshzckles and bow its head TO the lash or ac-
sept this issue and combine IN one great organ
ExstiOn TO throw on the yoke OF oppression.
~ may be said that by accepting this issue
would be charged with favOring the silver
RatiRe owners in the Rocky mountain The
charge would not be true, and if IL was. have
SJuIy 90 say that I would thousand times
rather cast u thousand votes FOR mine owner
IN the Rocky mountains who employs labor
and contributes 10 the wealth OF my country
chan cast one vote for foreign Shylock,
Et8o sonspires to rob the labor OF the world.
We can not afford 20 shut on the fountain OF
Aifc 10 find a grain OF sand. nor destroy noun
1aia OF good to find pebble of evil Further
szaore. the mine ownerS can have no more direct
interests than labor itself Statistics tell
-ElEat for every miner who goes TO work in a sill
War mine nine other working people are
demanded Ia other felds OF industry. one
KzlatduR tools and machinery, some producing
food and other supplies for the miner and bis
EaEa1y, and others employed in stamping mills,
zss2aEslterS. cts
The labor organizations OF Utah. less than
month ago. reported that in - towns in that
state where before the repeal OF the purchas-
flss, clause OF the Sherman act there were en-
played - .e65 persons. there are now employed
= EgnIy 3 s22: that wages have been reduced 20
Ksr cent. and that since 1892 Utah alone has
Seag east S34SS working people TO
ss4yTsxyle for bread I'm our already over-crowded
sezzteS. or pin the army OF enforced idlers.
yyhat il true in Utah ia rlis respect il true in
L. rN,e srs sv~vt in III