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Terence Powderly Labor Leader, Civil Servant, Photographer

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Terence Powderly Labor Leader, Civil Servant, Photographer Summer 2012 Terence Powderly Labor Leader, Civil Servant, Photographer By Wmiam John Shepherd government career, he wrote a popular auto­ biography that outlined his complex relations erence Vincent Powderly was the elo­ with the Church while finding time to become an quent though flawed personification of the accomplished photographer of the capital scene. TAmerican labor movement during the late nineteenth century, specifically during his tenure, EARLY YEARS 1879-1893, as head of the Knights of Labor union, the largest organization of American workers in A product of the anthracite coal region of north­ that era. He was a major celebrity, an "American eastern Pennsylvania, Powderly was born on Idol," who captured national attention. Unions January 22, 1849, in the industrial community of were especially important in Powderly's native Carbondale to Irish immigrants. He reported that Pennsylvania, and his reform efforts on behalf of his immigrant father had said of his native land, the worker found a sympathetic political audi­ fIlet us leave this damn country and go to America ence. At age twenty-nine he was elected mayor of where a man may own himself and a gun too, if Scranton. Later he came to Washington where he he wants to." Accordingly, the newly-wed couple put his reformist ideas for labor and immigration left County Meath in 1827, landed in Montreal, to work for the federal government. and lived briefly in Ogdensburg, New York, Powderly was born a Catholic and observed where Terence Senior worked on a farm. In 1829 the basic tenets of his faith despite his well­ the family relocated to Carbondale where the known differences with the institutional Church. elder Powderly worked as a coal miner. He was Although he resented the attitude of many successful enough to open his own mine in 1845, Church leaders of his time toward unionism, though it went under by 1858 when he was forced he maintained close relations with progressive to secure employment as a mechanic with the bishops like John Ireland and John Keane. He also Delaware and Hudson Railroad. gained surprising support at a crucial period from With seven brothers and four sisters young Cardinal James Gibbons of Baltimore. Further Terence had scant opportunity for more than emphasizing his Catholic roots and progressive a rudimentary education. He was employed at outlook, Powderly was a strong supporter of Irish age thirteen as a switchman for the Delaware nationalism, serving as a member of Clan na Gael, and Hudson and at age seventeen apprenticed a secret society committed to Irish independence, as a machinist under James Dickson, a master and the Irish Land League, a political organization mechanic who had, in turn, apprenticed under that sought to abolish Irish landlordism in favor of the Englishman, George Stephenson, the inventor the tenant farmers. of the steam locomotive. After completing his Powderly lived the last third of his long life apprenticeship, Powderly eventually found in Washington where, in addition to his lengthy work in the machine shops of the Pennsylvania - 19 - The Catholic Historical Society of Washington Coal Company and later with the Delaware, LABOR LEADER Lackawanna and Western Railroad in Scranton. In 1876, while still employed as a machinist, Powderly once stated that the strike and Powderly joined the Scranton Local Assembly #88 subsequent mine fire in Avondale, Pennsylvania, of the Order of the Knights of Labor. Like many in that killed 110 miners in September 1869 were the labor movement he looked to the organization major influences in his life. Resolved to do what of American workers in a national union. The he could to help his fellow workers, he joined Knights, organized by a group of Philadelphia the International Union of Machinists and garment workers, shared that vision. Powderly Blacksmiths in 1871, the first year he achieved rose quickly in the Knights. the minimum age for He organized Scranton enlisting in a union. He also workers into an assembly read widely, impressing and became their leader people with his writing with the title of Master and speaking abilities. As a Workman. He also became result, he was elected both Corresponding Secretary local president and corre­ of District Assembly #5 in sponding secretary of his 1877 and assumed national union in 1873. leadership as Grand (later These union activities General) Master Workman and the depression of 1873 in 1879. left him jobless and black­ A problem imme­ listed as a union agitator. diately arose for the new Over the next two years labor leader. The Knights operated as a fraternal he was repeatedly unem­ organization with secret ployed and traveled oaths and elaborate, throughout the Midwest vaguely Protestant, and Canada searching perhaps even Masonic, for work. He was often rituals. The Catholic separated from his family Church was adamantly and wife, Hannah, who opposed to secret oaths he had married in 1872. and generally uncom­ His depressed circum ces Terence Powderly with celebrated labor leader Mary "Mother" Harris Jones. fortable with having its finally eased in 1875 when members associated with he found employment in any non-Catholic rituals. Scranton, only to have his wages cut the following Although Powderly met some priests sympa­ year. In 1877 he was discharged once more, never thetic to the need for secrecy in labor organizing, to work as a machinist again. He had also suffered he found himself increasingly at odds with a personal tragedy in 1875 when his wife, whom Church leaders. Nevertheless his most meaningful he refers to in his diary as "my little darling," achievement, greatly aided by Cardinal Gibbons, almost died when she delivered their only child, a was to bring about reconciliation in 1888 between girl who died a few days later. Her grieving father the labor movement and the Church. This action, "took the baby to the grave yard ... and buried it." which included recognition of unionism by the -20 - Summer 2012 Vatican, resulted in a virtual alliance of the Church with the American labor movement that has endured in some fashion until the present though Powderly himself remained alienated from the Church. The Knights came into national prominence during Powderly's tenure, peaking in membership and influence in 1886 with nearly 700,000, mostly Catholic, members. He was a popular leader. People Terence Powderly at his desk. greeted him with cheers when he traveled, wrote A PROGRESSIVE CIVIL SERVANT songs and poetry about him, and even named Since his early manhood Powderly had been their children after him. Unfortunately, he also active in local Pennsylvania politics. In the 1876 came under increasing assault from various presidential election, he had supported the political, economic, and religious interests. His Greenback ticket, a largely agrarian reaction in soaring rhetoric and dedication to workers' opposition to the federal government's currency rights were often confounded by his innate policies in the wake of the 1873 depression. caution and ineffective idealism. His aversion to Political activism surged throughout the labor strikes and insistence on racial reform through movement after the massive railroad strikes of arbitration alienated workers who instead were 1877, resulting in the youthful Powderly's election anxious to strike for popular benefits like higher as mayor of Scranton. During his three terms in wages and shorter hours. that office he worked to transform Scranton into The prominence of the Knights in the a model progressive municipality. He did this by American labor movement began to decline after advancing and largely accomplishing an agenda the unsuccessful rail strike in 1886 and its link to that included, among other things, establishment the bombing in Chicago during a workers rally of a board of health and a municipal sewage in that city's Haymarket Square. Finally, the system as well as reform of the city's tax structure. founding of the American Federation of Labor He also worked for paved roads and sponsored by Samuel Gompers, also in 1886, lured workers legislation against adulterated foods. away so that by 1889 membership in the Knights After forced from leadership of the Knights had dropped to 120,000. Thereafter, the Knights of Labor in 1893, Powderly was unable to find were beset by a divisive power struggle resulting employment. His reputation as a labor leader led in Powderly's removal in 1893 and eventual to his being viewed as a potential troublemaker in succession by his protege and betrayer, John the workplace. Some advised him to go into the William Hayes. saloon business, but instead he studied law. He - 21 - The Catholic Historical Society of Washington was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1894 and him in July 1902. Powderly, however, did not eventually argued before both his state's supreme go down without a fight. He waged a vigorous court and the Supreme Court of the United States. campaign to exonerate himself before both the Unfortunately, he became convinced that the new president and the nation at large. administration of justice was hindered by bias After an investigation, Roosevelt finally and technicalities. He decided to return to politics, realized that the accusations were false and rein­ and having previously stated Powderly been soured on third in 1906, this time party infighting and naming him Special electoral prospects, Immigration Inspector. became a member of Now representing the Central Republican the Department of Club of Scranton. Commerce and Labor, Shortly thereafter, in Powderly proceeded to the contentious presi­ investigate the chaos in dential election of 1896 European immigration he advanced his own to America. After ambitions by avidly extensive travel on the campaigning for the continent, he concluded successful Republican that U.s. Immigration ticket of William agents should be sent McKinley and Garrett to Europe to identify Hobart.
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