The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-16
THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
THE OFFICERS ELECTINSTALLED
BY MASTER PORDERLY,
AlrOf Them Pledging Themselves Not
TO Touch Intoxicating Liquors
During Their Term.

RICHMOND, Va, October 15.-When
the General Assembly Of the Knights
OF Labor went ino ,ssion this morn
ing at 0 o'clock the first business to
be completed was the election OF the
remaining general officers, two men,
bers of the. General Cooperative
Board. 1t WIS expected that this
would lake but @ short t me- End that
the consideration Of the report on the
revision of the constitution presented
by the Committee on Laws would be
resumed. This in turn was to
be followed by reports from other
commit eeS, nearly all of which ars
ready to report. Among the fist to
be presented is the report Of the Com
mlttee on the State OF the Order, OF
which Ralph Beaumont is chairman.
This report Endorses the report Of the
Committee on Legislation, OF which
Beaumont Is ALTO chairman, and
recommends that the supplementary
report OF the same committee in which
q plan for a congress, comp 7sed oil
representatives OF the Heights of
Lab r bo established at Washingto !,
be sent out to all the local assemblies
for their Apr lval.
Mr.. Beaumont is daily in receipt CT
letters both from Knights of l. Dor
aud others commencing his idea lhs
COMMITTEE on the state of the Order
also indorses the General Master
Workman's address to the General
Assembly and rtconm nds the 10
dorsement OF The report of Charles II
Litchmsnn, special agent appointed
by the General Master Workman to
represent the order before the Con-
Rressionsl committee appo nted to in
vestigate the cause and effect Of the
South western railro d strikes, In his
report Mr.. Litcbmann reoites that
hearings were held in various places
in Texas aud Arkansas, and says: "The
| testimony in behalf Of the railroad was
mainly to show what great damage
had b. en- caused by the strike to the
railroad property and commerce that
| it had been begun en- frivolous pre-
text without real cause, and that the
order OF the Knights OF Labor was
directly responsible for all damage
done and all acts If violence commit
ted. With the unlimi ed resources at
their command it was comparatively
easy for the railroad officials TO care
fully drill their WITNESSES in line Of
statements which should fit each
other, and this preliminary drilling
was painfully apparent in the testi
mony given. Like lot OF parrots
they all echoed the statement that the
only cause they had ever heard as.
signed for the strike was the discharse
OF map named Hall, at Marshall,
Tex"
L.C. T. scheibler, OF Massachusetts,
and j. M. Brought IN, OF Raleigh, N.
O., were elected members of the Gen
eral Cooperative Board. David e.
G BISON, of Hamilton, Ont, was elected
Canadian supply agent. His duty il
to receive supplies of printed docu-
ments of all kind, In buls, and dis.
tribute them 10 local assemblies
throughout Canada. This completed
the full corps of general officers, and
their insta lat!on Immediately fol.
lowed. Mr.. Powderly, addressing the
General Assembly, expressed full con.
fidence in the men elected, and pledged
himself to the faithful performance Of
the duties intrusted to him. He urged
upon the ass embly the importance o.
temperance, and ssked them to en-.
deavor to impress tue Importance o.
this subject on the various local as
semblies. He called attention tn the
fact that not one OF the general off "ert
elected at tits General Ass smbly used
in oxicating liquors.
Each of the general officers then
formally pie iged himself TO total ab
stinence from intoxicating liqut rs dur
ing his two years term of Office. The
General Master Workman installed
all the officers elected. None of them
made speeches The following Iesolu
ton was presented by Delegate Bar
rett, OF Pennsylvania:
WHEREAS, Reports have been circu
lated and impressions have been Gre
ated by the press If the country re-
gardirg the position OF the Knights
Il Labor upon the question OF soc!a
equal y; and,
WHEREAS, We believe the welfare
Of the order in the South require:
that this General Assembly take such
action as will dispsl thoss wrong i'm
preasions; therefore,
Resolved, That the organization Of
the Knights Of Labor promises the
civil and political equality of men
and In the broad field OF labor it re.
cognizes no distinction ON account o.
color, but it has no purpose to inter
fere with or disrupt the social relation
which may exist between the differ
ent races in various portions OF the
country.
This resolution was adopted without
debate.
Mr.. Powderly, when asked whether
the assembly would be able to adj ourr
this week, said 1t was impossible t
say.
A committee has been appoir ted tc
make arrangements FIR securing an
other hall in case the assembly cannot
continue its session in Annoy Hall Il
the sessions should be prolonged into
| pa~t xuaak