Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1887 — LABOR’S CAUSE. [ARTICLE]

LABOR’S CAUSE.

The Knightfl of Labor in Annual General Assembly at Minneapolis. Spsech of the General Master Workman —His Temperance and Immigration Views. There was an unusually large attendant® of delegates at the General Assembly of the Knighis of Labor at Minneapolis, Minn. Mayor Ames delivered an address of welcome and Richard Griffiths responded. A. A. Carleton, of the General Executive Board, spoke particularly of the growth of the order, and said it would appear when the reports were all in that the order was not going to pieces, but was in reality stronger than ever. He declared that so long as the many were deprived of their rightful share of the products of their toil, the order would have work to do. Ralph Beaumont of New York said the work of the Knights of Labor had just begun, and predicted that if the order should gef down a grander and stronger organization would take its place. Richard Trevellick made a short speech pledging the order to the support of American principles and American institutions. John W. Hayes, Secretary of the General Executive Board, said: It is quite generally understood that the Order of Anights of Labor is in a much poorer condition than it was a year ago, financially and otherwise. That is a mistake; we are in a much better condition. At the Richmond convention we hud about 702,C0J in the orgauization. That was all. But there were upward of 30,000 who were not in good standing in the convention, inis year General Secretary Litchman’s report will show that there are 56o,(OO in the organization and every one in good standing. This will be a much better showing than last year. Secretary Litchman, during the past year, has suspended over 2,306 assemblies for non-pay-ment of dues. But a great many of tuem have come back. Those now in the order are abundantly able to pay up. That’s the kind of a showing we want to make.

General Master Workman Powderly’s address on “The World as Knighthood Would Make It,” was received with unbounded enthusiasm. It was brief but spirited. Among other things he said: Men say the knights can never attain what is aimed at in their declaration of principles. Then they go to church and pray for better things than the knights ever dreamed of. Knighthood would not pave the streets with gold. The men who pray that this earth be made as the kingdom of heaven would deny us a nlace in legislative halls. These places are not the kingdom of heaven. Tho men who make these prayers lie when they make them. They are hypocrites. The Knights of Labor respect the law, and they intend to take a hand in making the laws. How many millionaires are there in this room to-night? Not one. Well, how many men and women of moderate means? I would not ask you to stand up, for that would get you all on your feet. We intend to educate our people so that they will be able to go there. They should be educated so that they will bo able and fit to take high positions in life. Our organization is not a partisan organization, but in the true sense of the word it is a political organization. The man who studies with us will be able to vote intelligently; if he is not there is something wrong with his head. ,We are an organization. Nothing is ever still but a corpse. We have “ kickers." When one bad man kicks there are a thousand good men and women to resent that kick. I say all hail to the kickers I I have been taken to task on a few things. I want to say a few things on immigration. It has been charged that I did not favor immigration. It is a mistake, lam of foreign birth myself. I was not born early enough to keep my father from coming to this country. I would not have done so if I could. I have no objection to foreign immigration. I favor it. Every land-grant company has its immigration agents. They bring in all manner of foreigners. If one of these poor creatures raises his hand not against law, for he knows none, but against what he sees just before him he is called an anarchist and is punished, while the men who loaded these poor creatures on this country go scot free. I hate anarchy and I hate anarchists.