The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-03-19


them and have all the profits At first thought the
.hen were very enthusiastic and they brought theii
proposition 10 me. / advised them 10 think the mat
Ter over before they accepted.
who among you understands the business OF
management said l. They had not thought OF
that.
What do you know Of the markets. how to
advertise, when 30 buy cheapest and where to sell
And all this they did not know. Well to make a
long story short, they thanked Mr. Hewitt, but re-
fused to take the mill
But in working for wages. Mr.. Powderly, does
labor get lis share Of the profits" Z"
"Who can tellln was the reply. Sometimes 1t
does. sometimes not / think the workingman
should be well paid and that his life should be made
easier IN every way possible, ii IS to the interest
of all that we have good wages, for good wages
ncan more money in circulation, greater con-
sumption Of all kinds of goods and good times
Again. if the wages be too high the business cam
not pay and the reverse of all this is the case
But wages are steadily rising the world over,
are they notl"
yes. especially in the United States "Take
this carpet" said Mr. Powderly, as he kicked
Turkish rug at his feet "There was nothing like
carpet in the poor mans house when 1 was boy.
Ny father was rather well off for a laborlng man.
He came 10 this country from Ireland III 1876 and
settled in northern Pennsylvania. opening up the
first coal mine in that part of the state. lie had
twelve children. and we had none too much Still,
we we're as well OF rs laboring people generally.
We lived in q cabin with plaster or paper on
The walls and 10 carpets on the floors. L slept N
fhe loft and the came through IN DRIFTS upon
ulv bed often covering the floor. l remember
how cold it was when / stepped out on that snow.
Contrast that with The workngmans home of today.
He has his carpets. his comfortable furniture and
often his piano. He lives better, has books, news
papers and magazines, and educate his chill
dren'
The Story of a Labor Leader.
:,
Il Joined tic GLachiEists and Blacksmiths' union
IN 1870 "a years ago. and was soon elected presi-
dent. Then Joined the Knights Of Labor, and in
1873 was elected general master workman. [ held
that office until 1888"
WAS there much money in ii p asked. "Sam
Parks would have done well if be had had that
place"
There was nothing in it bat the salary" re-
piled Mr.. Powderly, and when left the Office
$70cG in debt. [ was paid practically nothing for
The first four years Their $500 year, then $1,5500
and finally $1,000. but the $1,000 not always
paid. The position not financially profitable.
A. to Sam Parks it is not fair to use him as type
of the labor leader of that time now. He is a
villain. The representatives of unions of to-
day and of the past are and have been men of the
highest sense of honor. Indeed. they philan-
lhropic and are conscientiouslv doing what they
cain for their fellows
Federation Of Labor, was it not Are not the two
bodies very similar"
''No, the knights of Labor had, not only repre-
sentatives of the trades unions, but also of the
ployers. At one time one-third OF its members
were employers
Then il was somewhat like the Civic federation,
of which Senator Hanna was the PRESIDENT"
In sense, yet. / tried to settle labor disputes
far as possible without recourse to strikes 1t is
true had some strikes but settled LOO labor
disputes without strikes. Indeed, might say we i
prevented over 1000 strikes"
Speaking of Senator Hanna" Mr.. Powderly
went on 81" he thoroughly in earnest in his de-
sire to settle labor troubles through arbitration |
know that he began 1t than twenty years ago
1t Is now twenty-five years since | asked by his
men TO out 10 Ohio to act as their representa-
tive in a strike there | went and, their delegate
called on Mr. Hanna and tried to present the case.
he treated me politely, but refused to talk to me-
He said:
"'What is the matter with the men? Why don't
hey come to me and present their own case! They
snow me, know them. / don't know YOU
"'Will you receive a committee : | asked
OF course | WILL said Mr.. Hanna. Send
hem in
Il went and brought in committee of the min
ers and then started to leave. You need not go if
-oG do not want to- said Mr.. Hanna. sit down.
looked at the men,. They said stay and | stayed.
well. the discussion then went on between Han
IA and the men. The trouble taken up item by
TEN and threshed over. Sometimes Hanna gave in.
ometmes the men, but in an hour or so it was all
ettled and the men said they were satisfied and
would go back TO work 1t was hot at times, but at
he close Mr.. Hanna said: Now men, when you
lave any trouble III the future | want you to come
light TO me and we will talk it over. Don't ask Mr..
'owGerly to come clear across Pennsylvania and
)hio 10 talk for you. You know what you want.
Fe are all sensible men and can do our own busi-
less, and will do it. From that time Mr.
lama and his men settled their labor troubles by
difference and mutual Cancellation. He was thor
ughly honest and earnest in his advocacy of this
olicy, snd his life shows it.
How Powderly Saved Railroad.
an your strikes | suppose you have often had
o deal with many violent men, Mr.. Powderly?'
"Ges, we had" was the reply But we tried to
old them in check. ] remember an incident of the
rcat railroad strike IL 1886, when the Gould sys-
n OF railroads and other roads in the southwest
ere tied up. The men had left work for some time
hen | got letter proposing plan TO blow up
very bridge and culvert on the Gould railroad sys-
I'm upon a certain signal. That letter stated that
ne only way TO reach Jay Gould was through his
ockets, and that this action would prevent the
aims from running and break the strike The
ritter said that he had the dynamite and gave
al plan to how it should be placed and exploded
wreck the system lie marked his letter conf