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... Missouri, Kansas, and Texas), and the Wabash railroads, which included approximately ten thousand miles of line. In October, 1884, a 10 % reduction in wages of shopper and others was ordered by Gould on the Missouri Pacific. A strike broke out in Moberly, Missouri and spread throughout the three roads. The Union Pacific Knights of Labor sent Joseph Buchanan with $ 30, 000 to support the strike against these wage reductions, and he was ordered to organize local assemblies at Kansas City, Sedalia, Moberly, Hannibal, and St.
Louis. In March, 1885, after a conference with the authorities of the three states involved, Gould withdrew the wage reductions. This was the beginning of the massive growth of the Knights of Labor organization. In 1886, the Knights of Labor actually stopped people from joining and had almost one million members. The organization felt they were growing too fast, and it was said that almost three million North American were Knights of Labor during their existence.
Every week trade unions were turned into local assemblies, and every day new assemblies would spring into existence. The numerous strikes in the East and West added greatly to the organizations growth, even though the Order was opposed to strikes, and after the success, the Gould shopper joined the Order by the thousands. Upon the Knights of Labors peak of success also came the height of its wealth. The Knights of Labor bought its headquarters, a brownstone mansion at 814 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, from Mrs. Mathew Baird for approximately $ 50, 000. The organization also bought the stables surrounding the house and some of the furnishings.
The description of the house, as broadcast to the Order and the public, left the impression that the general officers had done themselves extremely well. "A magnificent chandelier The reception room opens through sliding doors upon what was formerly a picture gallery The floor is inlaid with hardwood, solid marble wainscotting about three feet deep. The north room, formerly a library, also handsomely frescoes, two large mirrors, handmade lace curtains, fire place (gas), red plush hangings, large easy chairs covered with red velvet, large sofa" (pp 371, The Labor Movement in the United States) Another big battle the Knights of Labor endured was against Frank Smith, a member of senate, and his street car company in Toronto. Smith demanded his employees sign an iron clad agreement that prohibited them from joining any union. As a result, the previously unorganized but now insulted employees sought out the Knights of Labor. Smith even had a labor spy, which resulted in the firing of his employees responsible for supporting the Knights of Labor.
A notice was eventually given to all the employees which said if they were to join the Knights of Labor, they would be fired. A strike eventually broke out and ultimately got out of hand. On the third day of the strike, police were directed to let loose on the crowd. Despite a number of serious injuries and several arrests, the fighting continued all morning. However, the most serious battle of the day came at lunch time on Yonge Street when a mounted police rode through the crowd and was involved in individual battles. The same afternoon, faced with accelerated violence, a group of aldermen arranged a compromise between Frank Smith and the Knights which appeared to end the conflict.
On May 3, 1886, in Chicago, police fired into a crowd of strikers at a tractor factory. It was here that the sound of a bomb did more injury to the good name of labor than all of the strikes of that year because it stirred the emotions of so many strikers. The bombing became known as the Haymarket explosion. The result was a newspaper hysteria. The May 8 th, 1886 issue of the newspaper called the Knights of Labor, published by George E. Detailed, stated the following in its leading editorial: "Let it be understood by all the world that the Knights of Labor have no affiliation, association, sympathy or respect for the band of cowardly murderers, cut throats, and robbers known as anarchists, who sneak through the country like midnight assassins, stirring up the passions of ignorant foreigners, unfurling the red flag of anarchy, and causing riot and bloodshed.
Parsons, Spies, Fielding, Most, and all their followers, sympathizers, aiders and abettors should be summarily dealt with. They are entitled to no more consideration than wild beasts. The leaders are cowards, and their followers are fools. Knights of Labor, boycott them. If one of the gang of scoundrels should by any mistake get access to our organization, expel him at once - brand them as outlawed monsters. Do not even permit yourselves to hold conversation with one of them; treat them as they deserve to be treated, as human monstrosities not entitled to the sympathy or consideration of any person in the world...
We hope the whole gang of outlaws will be blotted from the surface of the earth. " (pp 287, Thirty Years of Labor) The people who led the strike were eventually arrested and tried in court. Out of the six people who were arrested, five were hanged and one escaped execution. These people eventually became known as martyrs. The full extent of the good that has been done by the Order of the Knights of Labor will never be known. Their failure to win another strike like the Jay Gould strike and the fact that they were deterred by the acts of violence by police, caused the Knights of Labor to slowly fade away. The Knights of Labor were formed with the view of securing the organization, and direction of power of the industrial classes.
Anyone who was rich and did not labor was considered to be a "parasite" by the Knights of Labor and were not allowed to join. Stockbrokers, labor spies, and investors, were all examples of these "parasites." It was a common theory shared by all Knights that these people became rich because they were "robber barons" and stole from the people who labored. The Knights of Labor wanted to adopt a system which would secure to the laborer the fruits of his toil, and this much desired satisfaction could only be accomplished by the thorough unification of those who earned their daily bread by the sweat of their brow. When the Knights of Labor had dreamed of "what might be" and had taken significant steps toward the realization of their ideal vision, their efforts to succeed, along with the battles they encountered, should never be forgotten.
Their capability to fantasize and those initial uncertain steps forward deserve to be remembered because of the possibilities they revealed. Their successes and failures throughout their existence inadvertently shaped the rights of todays working class employees. Their influence, although unknown by many, has and will continue to effect the continuing labor movement across North America.
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