Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-10-15
THE KNIGHTS CONVENTION.
Long Report ON the Southwestern
Strike InQuiDy.

RICHMOND Va, Oct. 15.-When the general
assembly OF the Knights of Labor went into
session this morning at 8 O'Clock the first busi-
ness TO be completed was the election OF the
OF the general cooperative board IL was
expected that this wound take tut short
time and that the consideration OF the
report Oh TIE revision OF the constitution
presented 10y the committee on law
would be Resumed. Tnis in turn wss TO
followed by reports from other committees.
nearly all OF which are ready. Among the firsi
10 be presented Is the report Of the Committee
on the state OF the order, Of which Ralph Beau.
report OF tue committee on legislation, OF which
Beaumont Is also chairman, and recommends
tuat the supplementary report OF the same
COMMITTEES, In which plan ior congress COM
pVsed of Representatives OF the Knights VI Labor
be established at Washington, be sent out TO
" all local assemblies Tor lneir approval. Mr..
Beaumont IL daily in receipt o. letters, both
from knights OF Labor aud otners, ,corn,neudin
his idea. -sffs-i
THE soUTHwEsTERN STRIKE INor1Ry
The oinlnittee on tue sta te Oh the order also
endorses the general master workman's ad.
oress u the general assembly and recon-.
mends the endorsement oI te report OF Charles
H. Liicninan, special agent appointed by the
general master workman 10 represent the
order before the Conversational committee ND
pointed to investigate the cause and effect OF
Lne southwestern railroad strikes. In mas re-
port MIR. Litchman recites that hearinns were
ueid at various places in Texas and Arkansas,
and says: "The testimony in beaaif Of the rail-
road was mainly 10 snow what great DANA ge
had teen caused by the strike to raiiroad
and commerce; that 1t had heen begun u
frivolous pretext, without real cause, and that
the order Of the knights OF Labor was directly
responsible for ali damage done aud ali acts II
violence committed With the unlimited re-
sources at their command II Was comparatively
easy for the railroad officials to
CAREFULLY DRILL THEIR WITNESSES
In q line v statements which snould lit each
other, and this preliminary drilling was pain
1uiiy apparent In the testimony given. Like "a
lot OF parrots, they all echoed siaieInents tus.t
the only mad p.trd tSSiy nod far
the strike Was tue discharge OF man named
HAN at Marshall, Tex. The Iudicrous sameness
vi this reply nnaily upset the dignity OF the
ccmniittee, and alter being repeated some sixty
times, never Iailed to bring a broad
smi.e 10 their faces, In the testimony pre-
sented OH behalf OF the order We endes-
vored TO show that the contract OF 1885
had peen persistentiy broken, anu that q long
IiEe OF grievances had been suffered, com.
planned ol and considered 10y the districts in
VOWED, anu that wnIie the district assembly
wa, i'll session at Marshall, matters eliminated
ia the discharge ot Brother &. A. Han upon II
f1imsy preieXL As the exposition Vi the case
from the standpoint ot the uleu wuo slruck, tue
Tex, by Edward b. Moii,s, one vi the striKers,
Is quoted. ConciudI' his report, Mr.. Litcn-
man Says: 'fue testimony OF utner witnesses at
Various places Was corroboratIve or that VI
Br,tner Hollis, and showed couclusiveiy the
existence OF valid reasons of complaint and q
system OF
PETTY TYRANNY ON THE PART OF THE RAIL-
under-bosses which was beyond the power of
human ioruearance to patiently endure. All
through the investigation I.,ct was plainly
SHOWN, which cOuId not fail to gain the admi.
ration OF all, and that was the unswervinR 10y.
ATTY OF members in obedience, 10 the orders o:
their superiors when the word to strike came.
asked, Would you strike again under
reply. caHnot but Innk as the result srns Of my
Investigation, that the railroad COMPANY had
It's spies in our assem- blies, and was Iuliy ip-
formed of every move made and the action con
tempiated. Knowing tnat the discon tent exist
Ing would soon provoke u confiict, the company
section and held them IN readines for an
emergency. The company WAS better prepared
DID THE ENGINEERS BACK OUT?
have NO DOUBT that the ciaill of Brother
Hollis was correct that the knights had good
reason to believe the engineers would join them,
for prominent railroad officisl tola me person
ally THAT the road fully expected that the
engineers would join the Knights and had
quietly arranged 10 uring engineers from dis
tuuce 10 lake their places. Fortunately, he
SAID, we were aoie TO make an arrangement by
which the engineers remained loyal and men
from u distance were not needed. Perhaps an
oppOrtune visit OF +. NJ. Arthur, chiet OF the
southwest just AT that time may have been re.
Ierred to.
THE STRIKE JUSTIFIED.
1t Is easy enough now 10 Say tnat the strike
was flLtimed. iii-advised and badly managed.
II Is easy enough now TO make Martin Irons
ont authority; but ,he truth is that every local
assembly voted to give the district board
power to demand AN adjustment OF the griev.
ances complained OF anu the reinstatement OF
Brother Hall. Il the board erred In acting pre-
natureiy aud without proper consultation witn
tue general executive board, or the knowledge
OF the resources they could command 70 carry
on the STRIKE the disastrous failure Of the strike
Is sunacienI punishment. without any harsh
cr1ttclsln from me.
THE RAILROAD BLACK LfsfA
8 Among the interesting iacts developed In
the course of the tnveSLigatiOn was the exist
euce oi blacg list, upon which was placed the
names OF ali kersons discharged. There u
reason to believe that these black lists are iu-
terchanged among the rAtiroads, thus making
IL difficult ior q nau discharged by one road
70 get employment upon another"
Mr.. IitcutnAn adds he purpooely, submtts
the report without Recommendation, aud says
he acknowledges with gratitude the consider-
alton with which he was trested ~ the Con.
gressi0nai committee.
The committee On legislation, among other
bills before Ccngres - that it recommends, names
the POiudexber Oiu In tavor OF New YORK pilots.
Charaestoa,s Slutes Drekea.
s SHOCK, THAT MADE WINDOWS RATTLE fkLf
TJklS kORNIS0.
CHARLESTox, ~ G., Oct H. There 0as 3
slight but distinct shock III ear. hQuAke shortly
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