The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-28
LABOR DISSATISFACTION.
A BAD TANGLE WHICH GROWS
WORSE STEADILY.
The Dissatisfaction Among the
Knights OF Labor Not Likely to
Result In Anything But q
Split.

NEW York, December 27.-The Tri-
bune Gays: Organized labor seems to
be in bad tangle, which grows worse
instead OF better. The dissatisfaction
in the Knights OF Labor iB growing
more widespread, and some members
of the order are afraid that the pres
ent difficulty can only result in split.
There seems to be little donbt THAI
the legal requireme nts for call for
a special session OF the General Az
sembly will bs fulfilled within a short
time, or that the all will be signed by
district assemblies in at least halt
dozen States, perhaps twice that msny.
Among the dissatisfied elements, how
ever, the feeling is tbat no matter if
the call is made ont according to the
constitution, there is no certainty tina.
the session will be held.
Ons OF them said yesterday: "0le
OF the principal things against which
we protest Is the assumption Of die
tatorship by the General Executive
Board and their evident intention to
override the constitution, whenever 1t
conflicts with their own ideas. II
Mr.. Powderly should refuse to call the
special session, what could we dO2
The general worthy foreman, the next
highest officer, would Eo, take any
action. General Secretary Litchmsn
certainly would not, nor would the
Executive Board, for with the single
exception of Barry, they are all in &C.
cord with Mr.. Powderly. Our only
remedy would be t. call spec al
session Ourselves and then all who
attended 1t, would be in open revolt
and would BIZ either expelled OF sus.
pended. This would mean a split and
whether or not We are prepared for
this, sm not able to say, but it may
come to that. / should be exceed
ingly sorry to see it, but if the orde-
is to continue to bs OF any use to the
labor movement, something mus. b
done pretty toon."
The same opinion was expressed by
many other Knights. Even some Of
the members of District No. 40, the
leaders of which are in thorc ugh &C
co d with the general eff ,ers, show
signs OF a disposition to kick over the
trace, and only The iron discipline
maintained by l.. B. Mcguire, the |
former Master Workman, who is now
on the General Executive Board, keeps |
the dis isfaction from being shown.
The local fight between the Knights |
and the open unions grows in bitter
ness, and the time is not far off when |
open warfare will be proclaimed. The
action OF the Trades Union in ColDm.
bus in the formation Of the American
Federation CT Labor, has encouraged
the trad unions. 1t is said, on good |
su hority, that J. II, Cassidy, ode OF
the most prominent members Of the
American Society Of Carpenters and |
JoinerP, announced publicly at the
Central Labor Union last Sunday that |
he intended to "declare war to the |
knife against the Knights Of Labor"
The knights show no disposition to
shirk the fight, and If they and the
unions do not find some common
ground on which they can stand, the
chances are that no strikes will be
won by the carpenters for some time,
for the Knights will take the places oil
the striking trades unionsts AVID |
uuionitts the places OF the Knights
when they strike.