The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-10-10
KNIGHTS OF LABOR
Gathered in Annual Session
at Hamilton, Ohio.
4 Very Sensible Paper, Full of Good
Advice to All Glasses of
Workmen.

HAMILTON Ohio, October 6.-The General
Assembly OF the Knights OF Labor recon-
vened this morning. Master Workman
Powderly in his address said he had pre-.
pared the draft of a bill to be presented to
Congress, which will, if adopted, pro-
hibit the employment of the in
mates OF State or county prisons on
Government work OF any kind. He recon-
mended that Congress should be asked to
incorporate all trade and labor associa-
tions in the District of Columbia and the
Territories of the United States; also to
amend the bill passed at the last session to
prohibit the employment OF foreign labor
under contract. Some postmasters, he
said, who employed labor, intercepted and
opened communications between the officers
of the Assembly. The remedy was to pro-
hibt employers !rom acting as post
masters.
THE WORKING PEOPLE
of the states should demand OF Congress
the passage OF IL law creating postal savings
banks, the passage OF Oates bill, intro
duced at the last session of Congress, pro-
hibting aliens from holding large tracts OF
land, should be insisted upon, and the as
sembly should go furtherin demanding that
that all land now held for speculative pur-
poses be restored to the public domain. He
discountenanced the propositions to inau-
gurite n strike for the establishment OF the
short hour plan on May l, 1886. He be-
leved that
AN ANNUAL CONVENTION
should he held in every State, Territory and
province to be composed Of representatives
from all labor organizations within the
boundary of the State, Territory or prov
ence to discuss all matt tiers appertaining to
labor interests. Boards OF industry should
also be organized in every municipality,
which should keep watch over the destinies
OF workers. The workingnen on the CONT
nent OF North America, he said. must take
same action looking to the prevention OF
immigration during periods OF depression
This country can no longer be Called the
workshop of the world. Every step to
make it the poor house Of the world should
be resisted. He then
TOUCHED ON BoYCOTrING,
and said that when the end sought for had
been accomplished it should be discon-
tinsed. Drunkenness, which was preva-
lent daring strikes. should be punished by
expulsion. He pointed out the weak spots
on cooperation, and the mutual benefit
orga rizations. Hesmggested that similar
co-operative movement to the one located
in Covington, KY, be inaugurated in every
locality where there is an assembly
This plan, he said, binds the workingnan
and his employer together in mov"'',-rS',
in which + lac
assista. sa"d and
another ''orklngnen
had becvue TO look upon it as a fund to
support strikes. This was not true. No
strike should be ordered without the.assetre
OF the Executive Board, and then only
alter every other effort has failed. The
Executive Board should act as a National
board of concilia tion and arbitration. lie
thought it time for the Knights of Labor to
be more careful about championing
STRIKES OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
1t had brought odium on itself in the
past, in some instances for it's generosity.
Before taking sides, hereafter. it should be
fully convinced that there was right on the
side OF the laborers. He hoped that the
statement that the Brotherhood OF Loco
motive Engineers was opposed to the
Knights OF Labor was not true. He dis
courayed the formation OF any national
trades assemblies as d step backward.