The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-06-02
THE LABOR ASSEMBLY.
Yesterdays Session Of the Knights Of Labor
Delegates atClsvsland.
Congress Asked to Pass Bill Making
Election Day National HOliday-Re-
ports of the Committees on Leg
islatiOn, Strikes and BOycOtts.

CLEVELAND May 3l.-The members of the
Knights of Labor who are delegates to the
convention climbed the two flights Of stairs
leading to the hall in Sloss block this morn
ing with quickeDed steps, the effort of day
of relaxation and rest After the general
assembly was called to order a letter ad
dressed to the annual convention of the
Amslgamated Association of Iron and Steel
Workers was read and adopted, and ordered
to be forwarded to the Secretary OF that
Order. The letter was one of frsternal g-eet-
! ing, showing and asking cooperation in the
cause of labor. A resolution was offered
and adopted asking Congress to pass a bill
making election day a national holiday.
Chairman Shay, of the Committee on Leg
islation presented a partial report, the fol-
lowing clauses of which were unanimously
adopted:
Your Committee on Legislation beg the liberty
| OF saying that the free and inalienabe right ID
life and liberty and happiness. includes the equal
must be supported, and that a system which CON-
pels some citizens to buy from other citizens the
right to till the unOccupied soil of their common
| country, and that permits Individuals and cOrpo-
ratiOnS Inappropriate as their exclusive prop
erty the store OF oil, gas and minerals which the
| Creator has stored beneath il for common use,
| and the value which the growth of population
| gives to land occupied by cities is violation of
natural justice, the inevitable result OF which is
| to enable those who do not work to reach the
/ earnings of those who do; to impOverish the
| farmer, mechanic and laborer while enriching the
| forestallers and mOnOpolists, and by deprving
| those who possess only the power OF labor of any
| opportunity to make living for themselves: to
| force them into deadly competition with each
| olher for the wages which some employers are
| willing TO pay. As preparing the way for the
| adoption OF better system, we demand measures
which shall restore to the people certain rights
| and privileges hereafter named:
| l. We demand the creation of a system that
shall make future generations more than tenants,
and VIII SO long as there is land that is needed
| by American citizens to live and work upon.
| 2 We demand the reservation of the public
lands ior actual settlers only, and that all lands
| owned by individuals and corporations in excess
OF l6O acres, not under cultiva.iO, shall be taxed
TO the full value OF cultivated lands of Ike char
/ acter.
| lands u' under rant To corporations or indi-
| yiGUal,. he conditions OF which have not been
| carried out.
| 4. We demau' at oil lands now held by indi-
1 VldualS and cOgl..t' ms upon which patents
| have not been issue, g watch are not fOrieita
Bile, shall be I9tentrt ,UuJ delay, and taxed to
| the fuI value Oi i1Lt I like character under
| cultivation.
| g. We demand the rebate removal OF all
| fences upon the public main without authOritv
OF law, and that equal g. lection be secured to all
citizens OF tBe tulte0 = - IN the Use OF public
/ lands for tree cultivate
| 6. We demand that q nd after a. D. 1852 the
! Government shall Oota possession Oy purchase.
| at an appraised value, al lands legally held by
nonresident aliens, an rom and after A. ID 1856.
/ aliens shall Oe prohibit, from acquiring title to
| or owning lands wit a the United States Of
| America. and that deeCs 10y citizens OF the
| United states 10 aliens ter said last mentioned
| date shall be Gull az -Oid, and that land 50
| decided shall revert to e Government.
| Z. We demand the 'litiOn OF property ,,uali-
nCatlGuS fCr voting, Sir lar to those now existing
| in the state OF Rhode Island. aud the establish.
| ment OF a graduated iucOme-ta tax law.
| = We bt lieye that the Labor Bureau is one of
| the most valuable means for the dissemination
| OF needed information, and we demand for il the
full appropriation asked for, IL at its efficiency
| g. We recommend the passage Of the several
| bills Endorsed by this body and approved by the
| Committee on Labor OF the House OF Representa-
10. We recommend that this body appoint a
/ present session to make known to the members
OF that honorable body, the wishes OF the Knights
od Labor GesPeetnE the matter named by this
The Committee on Boycotts and Strikes
presented their report the discussion upon
which. was pending when the noon recess was
taken.
The resolution in regard to election holt
| days is as follows:
| Resolved, That it is the sense OF this General
| Assembly that the occupation OF the bribegiver
| and the bribe-takeTs should be destroyed. TO do
this it will be necessary to educate those VINO
| suffer most through bribery and corruption that
/ il Is hurtful to the welfare OF the Nation to re-
| ceiye bribe or give one. In order to deal with
| this question more ehectually and inteiligently
| we Sht uld use every means within our power TO
secure tor the tOiler the right to protect himself
| upon that day which OF all days is important to
| the American eitizen-electiOn day. That he may
| have sn opportunity TO protect his interests on
/ that occasion we should ask that election day be
/ made National holiday on which no employer
/ shall have the righr 10 demand service at the
/ hands OF his employees We furthermore recon-
| mend that the working men of the Nation declare
their intention to have election day "labor's Ma
tiOnal holiday" and that they devote their time
| on that day to looking after their own interests:
over the destinies OF the Nation by guarding the
| polls from the influence of the bribe-taker and
| bribegiver; and while we recognize the RICH: of
every man to indulge in the use OF liquor to such
/ extent as he may deem necessary for his health
anu anu ioLt !et VT 10 IeSonneru Ihat on lnat
| day each workman refrain from the use OF liquor
OF all kinds, so that he may exercise with clear
head his prerogative as citizen in selecting
proper men to represent the people.
During the afternoon session the Legisla-
| tive Committee reported demand that min
| ors be prohibited from working over eight
hours per day in mines, manufactures etc.
The following in the same report was also
| adopted:
Resolved, That we hold responsible at the bal.
| lot-box all members OF Congress who neglect or
refuse to vote in compliance with these demands.
| Inc rest OF the afternoon was devoted 20 a
| discussion of the report of the Committee on
| Strikes and Boycotts, recommending that
/ the Executive Board should have absolute
control of such business.
| The convention took recess until to-mOr
row morning, with motion to adopt the re-
| port still pending
The committee recently appointed to in
vesugate the "hOme club of District AS
| sembly No. 40. held meeting in the Prospect
House on Sunday evening and examined a
| number of witnesses. IL is thought that the
committee will ask to have until October to
report, and upon adjournment they Will go
| to New York and make a thorough investi-
| CATION of the charges preferred against the
member OF the order who are on the circu-
| lar lists.
Mr.. Powderly, in speaking of the home
club business to a reporter today said:
| There are something's in the charge that
are true and many that are false. The affair
is old now and to bring it up is like waving
| the bloody shirt. 1t is a thing that at one
| time might have done harm by publicity,
but now it is only one OF those unwelcome
affairs that come up In every organization.
RASCALLY DETECTIVES.