The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-18
Claiming that the Convention Is Flat Fail
ure, and that All It's Operations Are Con-
trOlled in the Interests of Ring.
Further Efforts To Be Made to Secure a
Settlement of the Chicago Strike.
The Mayor and Other Officials at Minneapolis
Develop Astonishing Dexterity in DOdg-
ing an Unpleasant Responsibility.
3HE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
Adjournment Set for Tuesday-The Conven-
ton Said To Be Controlled by Ring.
Special to the Inliianaeolis journal.

Special to the Indianaoolis Journal.
RICHMOND, Va, Oct 17.-This has been an
extremely dull day for the Knights of Labor
delegates here. Most of them have been in
Richmond three Sundays now, and the novelty
of the place has worn off. The points made fa-
nous in the late war and in the revolutionary
struggle were visited days ago. and there was
nothing for delegates to do to-day but set in
doors or wander aimlessly about in the bright
sunshine and breathe the crisp October air.
few Of them attended religious services in the
morning.
Very little was said by the delegates during
the day about the work of the convention. There
is quite enough business remaining unfinished
and demanding attention to occupy the entire
week, even though the convention bucked down
to hard work; but all concede that there must
be peremptory adjournment by Wednesday
evening at the furthest, while Mr.. Powderly
and Mr.. Hayes now fix Tuesday evening the
probable time for adjournment. The conven-
tion would adjourn tomorro were 1t not
that the delegates feel a responsibility
in their position, which demands that something
more than has been done shall be accomplished
There is. as number have this evening re-
their constituents upon their return home, and
they do not want to 60 back empty handed.
Mr. Hayes, of the executive board, says it is
not likely that any definite action will be taken
by the convention on the pork packers strike at
Chicago. A resolution sustaining the strikers
may be adopted, and financial aid voted
The delegates sent to negotiate with the
Armours are yet in Chicago, and are not
expected to return here. Satisfaction is gener-
ally expressed with the action of these delegates
Many believe that the strike will spread and
that the eight hour and any other questions in
volved will be fought out in this contest There
is a will in all of them to stand firm.
The boycott and the salaries of general officers
are among the principal matters yet to he dis
cussed.
Much having been said about the discomfort
which exists among delegates to the convention
reporter to'day sought out very conservative
Eastern knight Ia master workman who,
after being assured that his identity would not
be made public, talked freely, as follows: "What
do I think of the General Assembly, Well,
must say that think that it is sad failure. I,
with many others, came here to endeavor to
arrive at definite and coherent plan of action
forthe future conduct of operations only to find
divided ranks and scandals threatening the peace
and permanency of the order, with strong oppo.
stion to Powderly, in some cases amounting to
feeling nearly strong enough to carry vote of
censure in the district assemblies. The papers
had been full of talk about the Home Club and
40, but, if you will pardon my saying so, we la
Dor agitators have learned the difficult art of
Il.
and sometimes carry it so far as to read them
inversely, and therefore most of us were de-
termned to hold our opinions in abeyance until
we could hear officially the facts But
that privilege never was accorded US
Everything from the beginning showed cum
ningly.contrived conspiracy to con troll the ad-
mission of delegates favorable to the powers
that be, first, by securing so far as possible,
delegates from the strong districts, or, failing
subservient delegations, to bind them by in
structon, and in case of opposing delegates, to
raise every technical point that could be
imagined and refer them to the committee on
credentials, packed with adherents of the ring
Pretty strong language. you sayl Well, let US
Although it was we'll known that the
Morrison case would come before the
him. not only was representation on the com
mittee refused to Morrison, but his chief op
ponent, James e. Quinn, to say nothing oe Faris
and Hall, in sympathy with the ring, were put
on: and Morrison was not allowed even to make
statement. Powderly himself nevertheless,
made earnest appeals TO the assembly to reject
Morrison, and after refusing to inform the as:
sembly, until more than a day had been spent
in discussion, what ruling of the general master
workman applied to the case, suddenly
a1A ~ Ill. ~.
The time left was consumed by ono of
the ring, the previous question moved. and in the
uproar the report of the committee was declared
adopted, before many of the delegates knew
what had happened. This is but sample of the
shrewd but unprincipled tactics used to carry
out the plan to fasten the ring upon the order
for longer period of time and at higher saas
ries, and to crush out honest opposition Can
you wonder that old labor agitators like myself,
who place a cause above an organza-
ton and principle above men, should
feel disheartened and despair of the
future of the orderl The recklessness of the
ring may be inferred from the fact that the
Montauk District was ruled out by decision
of the assembly, concurred in by Powderly.
that the Cleveland Assembly could not alter the
constitution without submitting the action pro-
posed to the local assemblies, and yet Powdery
afterward decided that the ring constitution can
be adopted by this assembly without regard to
this democratic provision. And this is the
feature of the case which convinces the honest
friends of labor that it is well nigh hopeless to
expect this order to accomplish the end for
which il was instituted-to strive as an
institution to bring about peaceabe
solution of the labor question. The complaint
OF the laboring men OF the country is that
few favored classes rule the country pass and
execute the laws without regard to the wishes
of the masses, and here we have the spec
tacle of the same tactics employed for the same
purpose in total disregard of the provision in
the constitution inserted as safeguard.
II Powderly had been a man of principle, he
would have been ashamed to avail himself