Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-01-24

"The story of n Labor Axitator."
The principles of the knights
! Of Labor and the opportunities present
| cd by the organization for educational
work In the field of labor reform were
lrresiStlbly attractive to progressive
| and liberal trades unionsts. The senri.
| ment among unionists of that kind. of
which the organization Of Union assem-
bly, was a manifestation, was wide
spread at that time, and union ne.
| were forming assemblies or joining
those already organized in all parts o.
| the country. The phenomenal growth
| of the knights of Labor, which culni-
| mated in 1886, was In great measure
due to the atfiliation of trained, able
| and active trades unionists, which be-
gan in 1882
AS famished plant drinks the dew
| after heated day, so l, burning with
the desire to do something for the
working people, welcomed the princi
Piles of the Knights of Labor and the
opportunity the organization presented
Its eXhortation, "Agitate, educate or
ganize,' | adopted as my shibboIetll,
and | was foolish enough to think that
l could blow blast that would rouse
the sleeping giant of labor Others
have made the same mistake
Naturally l sought the printing press
as a means of carrying my message tc
the oppressed of earth In conjunction
with $. II. Laverty, a fellow compost
tor, | started the Labor Enquirer of
Denver, the first number of which was
issued Dec. -, 1SS2 With little other
capital than our knowledge of newSpa
per work Laverty and embarked up
on q sea in whose fathomlcss depths
lie the battered hulks of unnumbered
barks whose cargocs We're unmarkcta-
bic "human rights" and whose log
books We're records of foul weather
and short rations.
There We're in the Labor Enquirer
eight pages of five columns each. 1t
was issued weekly. While the paper
was pronounced in its advocacy of the
principles Of trades unioniSm and OF
thc Knights of Labor it Was conscrva
tive at thr start. Tie lnotto was:
We will renew the times of truth and JUS
Condeusing in n free fai' commonwealth
Not rash equality. but equal rights.
1t WAS soon evident that our news
and correspondence didn't interest, no:
did our editorials inspire, : Very l;i1..,
proportion of the WGrkingmen of til"
community Subscriptions came III
slowly. Expenses We're light, LAverty
and myself. With the help of an ap
prentice boy, doing all the mechanieH}
work upon the paper excepting th'
! presswork Our savings We're soon eN
haustcd. LavcrtN. who was umnar
ricd, reduced his living expenses ia
the lowest possible notch. During thV
last three weeks he WAS With me lie
lodged in the oliee and ate most of hj.
meals from the imposing stone. Ther"
WAS a little fellow in my family new
and it WAS pretty hard picking for t.
three of us sometimes. Many tin:c.
our ratons would have been scanti,."
had my partner accepted II fair Shar
| of what straNcd into the Enquirer> =
| till He WAS IL generous and self sac
iiGcny fellow, one of the kind of men
tE&t made the great labor movement
that came in later Years Il possibility
| He W;;S brave. too. for il took courage
70 4iNo up his interest in the paper
and to abandon the hopes that h3G
scared 81 hiyh. With the tCnth issu
Of ;he l,nGlliEEr he surrendered his in
terc>N To me and retired, announcna
lhHt there Wasn't enough i'll the paper
]
! that lt2 could better serve the cause 10y
withdrawing than ny remaining,
Fer lou, and Il half years l published
thp Denver Labor Enquirer. II W
Hps and downs GurinS those four NJ
Il I@tf wears. with the down side OF T.
score croVdng the pages to the lea.
gins Soon after l.avertN left me NY
| compelled to reduec the papers size
| which did hy Just halving it The:
! the time came when | wasn't able to
pay the apprentice boys wages, and \.
| had 10 90 What struggle it WAS L
continue the poor little champion of tae
workers. which few et the workers
! themselves ever lifted 4 finger to rs
sist 1t is true the Enquirer wasn't
| great paper: it w.lS hardly as large y
IA patent medicine folder or a circus
! programme but that was not my fault
| The only limit to size and character
recognized was measured by the in
| come Although lahored from six
tnen % tWpasy ,.o@"s Il Cay. SuA3s...>
iq2H,!rA. could .;p' t.....
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