The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-06-03
KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY AT CLEVELAND.

ASS EN- OL1 y CIEN ELAN -.
CLEVELAND, o., May 29-Among the new dele
gates to the knights Of Labor general assembly,
who arrived in the city to day. was Frank NJ. Fogg,
who was elected to represent sixteen local assem-
blies from Lansing, Mich, but whose district las
already increased to thirty assemblies.
me legislative committee III the general assem-
| bly, has been one of the hardest working commit
| tees appointed. The committee viii report on
| Monday morning, and will propose important
| legislation on public lands, railroads. education,
| alien landlords and money. reorganization that
mas been favOraDly discussed, and winch will be
brought before the executive board, is outlined by
VIM. Il. Dubers, ~ y, who takes as a basis of ar
| gument that the rigHt OF employment must be
established to cure the evils of overproduction.
Carroll d. Wright, of the labor commission,
| says: Duber5 states, in round numbers, that one
million men in this country are out of employ
meDt, who would not be idle if work could be had,
and that number is about 10 per cent of the actual
voting population of the country, think, to meet
| this emergency, the Knights of Labor should urge
the establishment, by constitutional amendment
otherwise, in every city of 300 or more inhabi
lants, of department of labor, governed by com
missioners elected by the people. The duty of
these commissioners would be to devise ways and
| means in their respective towns to give
| employment to as many as 10 per tOlt
of the voting population. There should be an
| annual appropriation by every city and town
of 5000 inhabitants sufficient to pay wages Ut
a rate of 81 day for 800 days in the year, to as
many as ten per cent. of the voters said per cent
| to be calculated from the registry OF previous
elections, and additional appropriation shall be
| made to pay the salaries of the commissioners
| and for them to purchase the necessary supplies.
Any able.bodied person who registered at the last
annual election preceding that for which the APP
| preparations are made, out of employment, by
reason ut strike, lockout depression in business
or from any good canse, and unable to find other
york, may make application for employment at
| the depal tmenG of labor and shall be given some
| useful work at the rate of 5 per day and eight
hcurs, as long as he may choose to remain and
work for that rate of wages.
Copies OF this plan the hands of several
d. legates, and will be brought before the conven-
soon as possible
The session OF the general assembly this morn
ing was passed in the discussion of motion made
Friday, concerning the report of the executive
board the relation of the order to trades unions
to the committee the state of the order.
Speeches were made by number of leading mem
bers, and from their tenOrs, it is certain that the
trades unions will not get all they ask. 1t is
than probable that affairs will remain unsettled
After a short discussion this afternoon, the whole
matter was referred to the committee on laws, who
recommended that, where practicable, unattached
local assemblies should become part of district
semblies, and transact bushes with the general
sembly through them. After a short discussion
the proposition was adopted
the secretary read letter from Galveston re-
lating to the hardships Of the strikers who
fined in Jail there for constructive contempt of
court, and asking the general assembly to do some
thing to obtain for them privileges given persons
similarly charged in other courts of the United
States
| unanimously adopted:
Whereas, The jails of Galveston, Dallas end else
where in Texas are filled with brother knights suf
| fering for contempt of court as issued by Judge
| Pardee: be it
Resolved by this general assembly, That we pc
tition Grover Cleveland, president of the United
States to exercise cemency in their behalf and di
rect United States judges to order release of all
prisoners sentenced during the strike on the south
western system, and thus be the means of causing
a better feeling between employers and employees
committee of two was appointed to draft suta
bic documents to be forwarded to the president
asking him to exercise clemency toward in prison
| ed members of the order.
The committee appointed Friday to report to a
| telegram received from the Toledo convention,
presented the following address, which was unani-
mously adopted and ordered to be sent to the sec
Rotary:
10 the Ohio Women's Suffrage association: The
general assembly of Knights of Labor accept the
| greeting and recognition of the Ohio Women g
Suffrage association and returns its thanks with
traterna greetings and congratulations The order
| or knights OF Labor guarantees TO woman and man
equal rights protection and opportunities to the
full extent of its rightfu authority. Its real mission
| is the complete emancipation and enfranchisement
| of all those who labor. 1t is imbued with the
lofty spirit of the declaration of American indie
| pend .nce, which includes the whole American fam
| lily in the rights claimed by its authors for them
selves 1t would bring the noble lives and SEN
fences of the fathers out to the sight of the dis
| franchised out to the sight of more than half
the most useful deserving, Industrious people,
whom fashions Internal dictates have misled and
whom a false pride has intimidated. 1t reminds
woman that she must cease looking to
partisans and courtiers for justice and the revival
of that vital spirit which she alone can nourish and
sustain the repubic that she must turn to herself
must respond in proper spirit to the rightfu ten
der of protection, and equality must earnestly CO.
| operate with the progressive members of the
Knights of Labor who insist upon guarantee of
perfect equality, in the full and free exercise and
enjoyment of all membership, the rights of
| equal participation in the administration, and
that the management of all government affairs OF
the order shall be practically carried ont, to the
entire satisfaction of justice, and in accordance
with the noble spirit of fraternity of the order.
The last business of the dav was the adoption of
motion that all committees should be prepared to
report IN tuil at o'clock next wednesday after
noon, aHd the session took recess until o'clock
Monday morning.