Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-10-16
IMPORTANT QUESTION
CONSIDERED BY THE CONVENTION OF THE
KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
The Fight 10 Secure HeadquArtsE-OOnnitss Re
pOrs-kr. Liiehman's Report on the Great
Gould System Stiks-They Had
Long List Of Grievances.

RICHMOND, VA, October 15.-There
was business air about the delegates to
the Knights OF Labor Convention as they
assembled this morning that has not been
seen at any time during the session here.
Every one expressed himself as determined
to buckle down to work, and throwing
aside all contentious do what is to be done,
and do it quickly. There is still great
deal of business before the convention aud
it is probable that more will be accomplish
ed to-day and tomorrow than during the
ten days already consumed. As soon Us
the two members of the Cooperative
Board are elected the questions relating
to the revision of the constitution; the
place for establishment Of permanent
headquarters of the general officers; the
fine and place for holding the next an
nual convention; the large pile Of appeals
to the convention from the Executive
Board, and many other matters will come
up in their order. These things must all
be disposed of before adjournment, or
there will be great dissatisfaction.
THE HEADQUARTERS.
Philadelphia and Washington are fight
ing for the headquarters on the general Of
fees. The officers, it is reported, want to
be located at Philadelphia, but it looks as
though majority of the convention prefer
Washington, where Accommodations are so
abundant and access to Congress, the De-
partment and the Chief Executive is so
easy. Mr.. L. H. Patterson, delegate
from the District of Columbia, is working
for Washington, and informs your CORES
pondent this morning that the chances
are in his favor.
indianapolis, Chicago, st. Louis, Kansas
City, Denver, Minneapolis, st. Paul and
Milwaukee are clamoring for the next an
nual convention. 1t is conceded that it
will go West. Serious objections are offered
to all of the places named, except the first
four, on account OF distance or insufficient
accommodations, and Chicago is objected
to because there has been much labor agi-
tation there of late. Indications are that
the fight will lay between indianapolis
and st. LOUIS, with the odds in favor of
the latter.
COMMITTEE REPORTS.
Among the reports presented is that OF
the Committee on the State of the Order,
of which Ralph Beaumont is chairman.
This report endorses the report of the Com
mittee on Legislation, of which Beaumont
is also chairman, and recommends that the
supplementary report of the same commit
tee, in which plan for congress COM
posed of representatives of Knights of
Labor be established at Washington, be
sent out to all of the local assemblies for
their approval. Mr.. Beaumont is daily in
receipt of letters both from Knights of
Labor and others commencing his idea.
The Committee on the State of the Order
also endorses the General Master Work
mans address to the General Assembly
and recommends the endorsement of the
report of Chas II. Litchman. special
agent, appointed by the General Master
Workman TO represent the order before the
Congressional Committee appointed TO in
vestigatc the cause and effect of the South
western Railroad strikes.
SOUTHWESTERN STRIKE.
In his report Mr.. Litchman recitcs that
hearings were held in various places i'll
Texas and Arkansas, and says: THE tes-
timOny in behalf of the railroad was
mainly to show what great damage had
been caused by the strike to the railroad
property and commerce; that it had been
done on frivolous preteXt without re-
course, and that the order of the X. of l..
was directly responsible for all damage
done and all violence committed. With
the unlimited resources at their command
it was comparatively easy for the railroad
officials to carefully drill their witnesses
in line of statements which should fit
each other and this preliminary drilling
was painfully apparent in the testimony
given. Like lot of parrots. they all
echoed the statement that the only cause
they had ever heard assigned for the
strike was the discharge of man named
Hall at Austin, Texas"
''The ludicrOus sameness of this reply
finally
UPSET THE DIGNITY or THE COMMITTEE
after being repeated some 60 times,
never failing bringing broad smile to their
faces In the testimony presented on be-
half of the order, we endeavored to show
that'the contract of 1885 has been persist
emily broken, and that a long line of
grievances had been suffered, COM
planned of and considered by the
districts involved, and that while
the District Assembly was in session at
Marshall matters eliminated in the dis
charge of Brother C.. A. Hahn upon film
sy pretext As an exposition Of the case
from the standpoint Of the men who struck
the testimony before the committee at
Parsons, Texas, by Edward B. Hollis, one
of the strikers is quoted" Concluding his
report Mr.. Litchman says:
The testimony OF other witnesses at var
ious places was corrObOrative Of
that of Brother Hollis, and showed
conclusively the existence valid reasons
ofcomplaint and system ofpetty tyranny
on the part Of railroad under bosses, which
was beyond the power of human forbear-
ance to patiently endure. All through the
investigation one fact was plainly shown
which could not fail to gain the admira-
ton Of all, and that was the
USswERvISG LOYALTY
of the members in obedience TO the orders
of their superiors when the word to strike
came
In many instances the question was
asked would you strike again under
similar circumstances? Most assuredly
yes was the unfaltering reply. can't
but think as the result Of my investigation
that the railroad company had its spies in
our assemblies and was fully informed Of
every movement and the action cOntem-
plated.
Knowing that the descontent existing
would soon provoke conflict the com
pany quietly massed a large surplus Of
help in that section and held them in
readiness for an emergency. The COM
pany was better prepared than the men.
| have no doubt that toe claim Of Brother
Hollis was correct the the Knights had
good reason to believe the engineers would
join them, for prominent railroad official
told me personally that the road fully eI-
pected that the engineers would join the
Knights and had quietly arranged to bring
engineers from q distance to take their