Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-01-08
RLPLT To az. OF o.
The Ksfghts Of LAesP Of WhafesU
Densaaee . Correspondent and
Make stasenests In gefata-
ten Of his Assertions
EDTTos PosT-IyTTIIsEScKR:

/ Make Statements In gefata-
tisn Of his Assertions
EDzTos PosT-IyTuueEScKR:
Some fcriorn individual, under the
/ bexilderinR Authorization that be knows
something With reference to the status
! of our city and the character of our
/ organ z alton Of Knights Of Labor, has
seen ut 20 air his ignorance through the
/ columns of your esteemed journal. IN
der the Somewhat suggestive worn dc
plsssa< Of *. of O." the literal inter
probation of which We presume to be
Kind II Qusek."
| The daily press We regard as the great
| educator of the masses. Through q o
/ agency of the prsss all questions Invoiv-
| ing the public welfare are filtered, and
/ the truth finally arises to the surface
/ lnder the electric illumination of Jour
naiistie frictisp. While misrepresents-
ton and fallscy may occasionally creep
| into your columns, rejecting upon the
name OF our organic stiou of the Knights
of Laoer and the welfare of whstcom,
We know that a strict adherence tn the
| principles of honest journalism will Sc
| cure TO any responsible citlZ-a of
| Whstcom an opportunity to refute the
same.
TX. Of O." has undoubtedly been
| blecsbslled by the knights of Labor;
and while be may fesl sore, the dIssbil-
| ity nndsr which he now 30 ludicroasly
| sQuIrms il in no sense an excuse for
| such wholesale indulgence in slur and
| SANDER. The status of the knights of
Labor IN this city, morally, socially,
| physically ana financially, ID such that
| none but poitroon and social assassin
4 49, h.. III
business men, farmers and mechanics
| of the county; the men who pay their
taxes and their debts; men Who foster
| and encourage business enterprises; men
who are not paupers, bat have some feel
| ing for humanity, and who do not en-
gender or encourage strife Of any kind.
| IL is such an organization upon which
good government can hope t. be built
and prosper in times to come. Ii is
| such an institation that il will follow
| up the victories it has already gained in
such a manner as to forever bury into
political oblivion all such disgruntled,
disjoInted politicians a. X. of Q" In
| the language of the gin mill orator. it
will fruetify" and bear fruit. We
probably owe your readers an apology
for using the word just quoted. but it is
| a term having a tremendous local sig
nitiesnce, and will be recoenIzsd at this
end Of the line as the political slogan Of
x. of on
* OF O." seems to give great credit
to the actions of the City Coancil for
the past year, for the reason that they
| we're conservative business" men.
Now the facts of the case are altogether
of different character, when sifted and
| analysed. Those conservative" men
were elected one year ago by fraud
instituted by themselves, chief among
whoa was the inducing Of minors,
trsmps and irresponsible persons resid-
iDg beyond the Incorporated limits of
the city to vote for them, thus defeating
the will Of the majority of the bona fde
electors Of the city. Neither was the
financial status of the aforesaid Council
SO brilliant as he seems to Imply; one of
| whom, according to his own oath, on
record in the District Court no later
than last June, said that he did not own
a dollars worth of property within the
city limits. but that all belonged TO his
wife. Another, during his administrs-
| ton as COUNCILMAN, WAS bankrupt
merchant, and did not own q dollars
worth of property and does not own
anything in his own name and title.
The third, chief of the three, did not
own anything save as trustee for the
Washington Colony, aud, had he paid
his just debts, at least two of the present
City Council would today have bsen in
far better financial circumstances than
they now are, ans many of the knights
OF Labor, formerly IN his employ, would
not De compelled to await the slow pro-
cess of the court In order to obtain re-
Enumeration for many days hard labor
performed in his milling establishment
So much for the make up and character
of the old Council so highly eulogizsd
by *. of O. and as promptly repu.
dated at the recent CITY electIon by the
Knights of Labor. The citizsns at the
recent election have simply acted as
conservative business men should act
under the circumstances. They have
elected men who do not pretend tn be
other than they are; men who pay their
just debts; who are energetic and pro-
gressive, and whose ideas are practical.
These are facts which can be proven, IL
necessary, from the records of this
county, aud the knights of Labor may
justly feel proud of the victory they have
gained over deceit aud fraud.
X. of Q, with unblushinn efrontery,
asserts that the total vote of 1884 was
263, while in 1885 1t was Sc. As plausible
as this may look. presented in this in
eenious manner, 1t carries upon its faos
an absolute falsehood. la 1854 the en-.
tire legal vote of the city when polied
would not have possibly exceeded 230
when 1t is taken into consideration that
there was about IS or 40 Illegal votes
polled. At our last city election, carried
by the Knights OF Labor, the entire vote
was not polled from the fact that ths
opposition to our ticket, after canvass
ing the situation thoroughly. realized
the utter hopelessDess of again carrying
the city election sven by the old method
OF fraud, and in Consequence of this
conclusion failed to plaes their tick II
in the field. The Knights of Labor, or
the other hand, did not poll their votine
! strength for the reason that it was moi
deemed Necessary. While il NAV b.
true that the electoral vote of this city
10 not so large as II vas one year ago
yet it is owing chiefly to the fact thai
many Of our citizens have, during th,
past year, become possessed with desir,
to avail themselves Of the benefit of the
homestead and presumption laws. anc
have accordingly located on ranches in
the interior Of the county, yet retain
their interests in the city.
TX. of O." farther states that the
assessed valuation Of the property OF
our city his fallen from $500 600 tc
500! 200. all of which is accounted fo
in the actions Of these three conserva
tive business men," In the first piao,
the assessor elected BY them did no
enroll manv thousands of dollars vortl
. of property belonging to the late lament
i ed Washington Colony. and yet broueh
the entire valuation Of she city propsrt,
up 20 the neiRhbofhood Of $500, 900
which vas afterward reduced by the
! immaculate trio for reasons of thei,
!. own, as yet unexplained BY them, to lh,
Sum Of go 600.
In view of the villainous aitsck mad,
upon the members of the new Council
D BY the plant tool Of Abe old ring, anc
for the further reason that the prsseu
Council we're nominated and elected b,
: the Knights Of Labor, it is due to ths
members Of the order elsewhere, as gel
ss to the public generally, that theil
social and financial status be given in
! this article. Hen. Z II. Marcy, mavor
has invested from $500 to $1,000 In
bailding improvements in this city; h.