New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-12
pOUDEPLY AT COOPER UNION.

POVDERLY AT COOPER UNION.
1t was not strange that an organized effort
was made to disturb the proceedings at cooper
Union al the wage-earncrs' meeting on Thurs
day evening. and 10y rlotOus Interruptions pre-
vent Mr.. Powdcrly from obtaining hearing
Not strange at all. but entirely characteristic Oh
the methods and the manners of that faction in
the Labor movement which has been STRIVING 1or
wears TO prostitute and degrade the movement
for their own selfish purposes. They are mar
ketohle and both vicious and lawless 1t has
not been the practice, even IN our most eAcI'i"S
nolltical campaigns. for the cmissarics Of an
oppositon party To invade the meetings or 'hcir
ornaments in turbulent and disordcry gangs
with the sole view of creating disturbance ana
melting riot But the fellows who endeavored
70 break M the Cooper Union meeting with
Kisses and bowls and catcas, in order to prevent
decent and law-abding citizens from hearing
Mr. Powderly deliver what every one who either
heard or read 1t must admit was perfectly
calm. logical and reasonable exposition of the
issues of the campaign. were Of the new order
of political disputants-the sort cngendered by
the doctrines of the Chicago platform. and accu-
rately represented by the Boy Orator and his
of political discussion consists in drowning the
arguments of their opponents by unmeanlnG
noise their only answer to calm and intelligent
statement is lawlessress and disorder
The only purpose Of these disciples Of the Boy
Orator was 10 prevent Mr. Powderly from OBJ
tanning n hearing In so doing they were only
exempifying the principles Of the Chicago plat
form; only following and lettering in but small
,l,n fInf.a lN
has for the last two months been engaged in in
citing just such demonstrations by appeals 10
the ignorance and the lawless passions of those
whom he calls the toiling masses. But why
should they make this violent and dlsgraceful
demonstration against Mr.. Powderly: They pre-
tend to be laborng men, and to be actuated by
sincere desire TO promote the interests OF Ia
boring men; to make labor itself not only worthy
It's hire from a material point of view but de-
serving of the highest consideration, both from
It's inestmable consequence as the most impor-
tant factor In the worlds progress and from
| the intelligence with which It's responsibilities
are weighed and its duties considered. They
pretend in short. to be the special advocates OF
the rights and the champions of the dignity, Of
| labor. 1t was under color of this advocacy, ana
by virtue Of this championship, that they set
| themselves on lnulS,i. HlSut III toop'i thioh
not TO listen 10 the arguments OF an opponent Of
their own class, in order to be able to answer
thcm-nor indeed. TO answer them on the spot
with some show of order and planbut simply
TO suppress his argument by awless disorder
and howl or hiss him down, unheard, by mere
noise
And who IS Terence V. Powderly. that these
so-called and selfstyled advocates Of the rights
lol.l ..,, to, and NJ
purpose undertake to howl and hiss down in a
| community whose boast Is the freedom of speech,
which under law is accorded and by law pro
| tected? His record as a Labor leader answers
the inquiry. He was for many years the highest
officer of the organization of knights of Labor,
the most successful association of its kind ever
known In this country. Under his eldministra-
ton It was the most respected and influential.
| No combination of workingmen had ever com
manded such respect and certainly none had
ever made It's influence and power so universally
felt, as the Knights of Labor under his admin
isratlon. Self-poised and firm. hc was no less
conservative and conciliatory, and his admins
tration was marked by more real advancement
for the cause Of labor and more actual achieve
mens in its behalf than were ever known be-
fore or since. His policy was opposed by the
demagogues and agiatOrs In the Labor move
ment whose only conception Of the labor ques-
ton Is that there is and must necessarily al
ways be, bitter and relentless war between the
employer and the employed between capital and
labor Out of such constant contention these
men made their living Labor strikes were and
are their opportunities. Recommendations and
mutual understandings were and are the de-
struction of their business as agtators and con-
I,p.. Of ny
POwderly out in 1893. Since then that queer
counterpart of the Boy Orator, Mr.. Sovereign,
has been wabbllng round in his place, making
more noise in a minute than Powderly did in a
year, and doing thousand times more mischief
In the same time than Powderly ever did.
The Labor movement has been divided into
two distinct parties ever since Powderly was
deposed. Powderly addressed with his own
method and his own line of argument one of
these divisions the other night at Cooper Union.
The other division met him in their own way.
| with their own manners. and by their own and
only method The result that Mr.. Powderly
was heard. and his dsturbers had to be elected
by the police The lesson cannot be lost upon
honest laboring men, who desire 10 hear both
sides and form their own judgments upon politi-
cal questions and do not believe in the suppress
sion Of free speech
AIR. BRYAN AS 4 BOLTER
Tho Roy ON ico