The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-04-22
PowpERIY,s ENEMIEs.
Bitter Enmity of the Labor Unions
Resulted in His Downfall.
lFlIIaaeIlhIa NOrtl AmeTICan.l

4lHlill6 IdttOu DN EIeSlQcHL roosevelt
organized labor may close its account
with the man who was its supreme
leader for thirteen years.
POwderly's career is a strange COM
munion of triUmps and defeats. He is
self-made man, and, odd as il may
seem, he himself has been the
prime factor in his unmaking. His as
sociates have ever been committed TO
the belief that he couldn't stand pros
perity." Born in Carbonate, Pa,
where hrs environments were such as to
develop rugged manhood, he began the
very struggle for existence that even
tUally made him leader and sympa-
[ thiZeT with organized labor
PoWderly got only the most rudi-
mentary education. such as was COM
mon among the children of a mining
community AS a mere boy he had 70
face the problem of making himself
self-suppOrting. But even at that early
age those who remember him say he
was always bent on taking the leader
ship Of his comrades. What other
boys accomplished by isticuffs young
POwderly did by diplomacy. He
wouldn't fight unless cOrnered, prefer
ring to placate his enemy.
At IL Powderly began life in deadly
earnest as a switch tender for the
Delaware & Hudson Coal company. A
year later he became an apprentice in
its machine shops But ambition
burned in him, and he yearned for fame
as debater. He plodded on as a me-
chanic's helper until 1863. when he was
~ years old. Then he packed his world
~ possessions in a bandanna handker-
chief and trudged away from Carbon
dale TO Scranton.
Powderly at that time had acquired
considerable talent as q debater. While
he welded a sledge on hot iron by
day ne studied oratOry by night. Soon
after his arrival in Scranton he Joined
the Machinists and Blacksmiths' Ma
tOnal union. Within a year he was
chosen president Of the organization
Ihat gave him an opportunity to dis
play his oratorical talent. and he soon
gained some degree Of local promi-
hence.
1t was young POwderIy who trans
formed the st. Columbian society. a
strong Irish organization, into a de-
batting club. He was the recognized
leader, and liked nothing better than
the heat Of debate on questions con-
corning the future of Ireland, the home
Of his fOrefathers.
POwderly tOiled because he was
H.
he early began to cast about for a sub
stitute. Just at that time the Green
Dack party was d baby in sWaddling
clothes, and the young orator Of the
machine shops volunteered 10 aid in its
nursing. He advocated the tenets Of
the new party with such vigor that he
became the candidate for mayor on
its platform.
Powderly waged a hot campaign, He
left the forge, and gave all his time to
the spellbinding crusade. He was elect
ed over the Republican and Democratic
candidates by a large plurality and won
reelection just as decisively again on
the Greenback ticket. But the political
infant he had been fostering began to
manifest symptoms of collie even before
It had cut its first tooth, and Powderly
began 70 look, early in his second term,
for soft place to light.
He found it in the Democratic party.
and got his third term as mayor of
Scranton on that ticket. An incident
that occurred during his third term is
illustrative of PowdeTly, the pacificator.
A stocky little Irishman, smaller in
stature than the mayor by several
inches, met him in the street one dgv
and began a TRADE Of abuse because
I OF some grievance. The little man
threw off his coat, cracked his fists and
invited Powderly, with much vigor Of
language, to settle the score.
But Powderly was in favor Of arbi-
/ tration- Hold on. now" he said. Let
US talk this thing over a little just
get your coat and come up in my 1f-
fee a minute" The mayor gathered
up the small mans discarded appareI
assisted him in putting it on, and, TAX
ing him by the arm, they marched to
PoWderly's Office, a square away. Five
minutes later the man Of violence came
out in a peaceful frame Of mind and
Powderly retained an unimpaired an
atomy.
Meanwhile new leader had sprung
up in the Scranton Democracy in +.
A. Beamish, and when Powderly sought
a denomination he was defeated That
blow caused him TO Tecant, and at The
next opportunity he cast his lot With
the Republican party. But all this zine
he had been gaining strength with or
ganized labor. He was a student Of
labor problems, and finally joined the
ranks Of the Knights Of Labor.
Powderly advanced to the front rap
idly. and in 1879 was elected grand
. master workman of the organization.
For several years his supremacy vas
nAl4 uE1AAOAL4 0lL A4G1A4 LlEElE were
OminOus whisperings against him.
Other men who were prominent among
the Knights Of Labor accused him Of
being in secret communication with
corporations, and even went so far as
to hint that he was dominated by cor
pOrate influences.
Then came the great strike on the
Gould railways in the southwest in
1856. POWdeTly. as the leader was ac-
cused Of making grave errors. in a
secret circular that was sent among
the strikers he advocated violent
measures. Serious riots followed in St.
Louis. and Powderly was condemned
even by he strikers
That vas the beginning Of the de-
cline in strength Of the Knights Of La
Dor. Discussions arose, and at last
P0wderly was forced out Of the organ
izatiOn. No man Of the period was
more universally hated than the de-
! posed leader. And that feeling has
never abated. Organized labor through
[ out the country is stil bitterly hostile
/ to Powderly.
/ When he attempted to swing organ
! lied labor in the Republican ranks in
/ 1895 be further enhanced the feeling OF
I hostility against him Labor leaders
everywhere were loud in his GenunCld-
ton They. openly branded him a
traitor. and his work for the RepubH-
can ticket was productive Of no good.
Toward the close Of the campaign il
was considered advisable TO keep Pow
DERBY much in the background
But Powderly triumphed over his en-
eTnies for a time. and became the COM
missioner OF immigration in 1897. His
implacable foes never ceased in their
{ purpose Of undermining him. President
r Roosevelt got an early warning He
was told that the reappointment of
Powderly would involve q dire risk for
himself. and the president found, too.