Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-12-21
knights aGai!,s: KNIGHTS.

One Of the best known men in the labor
movement out West is Samuel L. Letting
we'll, telegraph editor OF the indianapolis
Sentinel. Mr.. Lefingwell has been mem.
Der of the Typographical Union for over
thirty years, a prominent Knight of Labor,
and has organized many local assemblies
He is we'll informed, intelligent man, and
thorough trade uuionist, and was dele
gate to the general assembly of the Knights
Of Labor at Richmond. He has commenced
the publication of "Roll Book" from
which the following is an extract:
"The reports at Richmond showed over
$4,000 in the treasury at the close of the
June quarter. The September quarter ad-
ded in charter fees and per capita tax at
least SIC, 900 more. Alter deductinp CITY
| property bought for private donation. re.
lease OF mortgages to relieve paupers on the
order anG the squandering of other costly
presents with unWarranted protligacy, there
certainly must be Left remaining ct least
SlOO,OOO Of moneys belonging to the order.
And now the Car of all the Russias' issues
his order for twenty-five cent assessment.
which will add $500, 900 to this bottoualcss
treasury. The astounding feature of this
whole farce is that every cent of the new
contribution will pass through the hands of
Charles II. Litchman, whose record stands
in bold relief as having come out on Que oc-
cason over $500 short. For manipulating
the laws and connecting tho schemes which
places Powderly in the position Of an en-
peror on the pay of prince Lichman gets
salary of $4,000 year. Litchmau was
once o shoemaker-a scab shoemaker, it is
said-but he hasn't done an honest dav .
work in twenty years. He ran a little shoe
factory while on his own account:
printed little paper for while, but for
the last half dozen years has been sort of
'scree cher in behalf of suffering humanity.
Yes, he has held out his hand without any
thing in it, in almost every State in the
Union, to help lift the down trodden toiler
from the degradation which engulfed him.
His mandolin toned voice has been heard
! on all the hills of New England, enticing
| the ground down operative to join forces
with him in placing No. 10 boot upon the
neck of tyrant capital. The cotton CD.
eratlVe will hardly content himself when he
reflects that it would require nearly eight
years of his hard labor to pay the sum of
S2,OOO to maintain man who hasn't done a
| days work for like number of years."
adopted at Richmond which LeflinrweIl
claimed was illegal and thus expresses him.
self on that point: ''Litchman. nor Pow.
derby, nor any member of the executive
board has ever offered anything in explana.
ton Of the failure to send the amended con
stitution out to the local assemblies, AS re.
quired by law. There is not a local in Tie
whole jurisdiction that would have indorse6
it. Lltchman's mnnipulatious on that in.
strument were kept a profound Sc.
cret from the order, only Powderly
! and the executive board having any
knowledge of the criminal assault in store
| for that sacred instrument. To make it more
sure of success Powderly appointed Itch.
| man chairman OF the committee On laws. to
| which the action Of i.itchman ~ chairman
on revision should be referred Does any
one suppose for an instant That any local
assembly IN the land or any strict assem-
| bly,, outside Of District Assembly -, of New
| York, would have instructed lis delegates
to vote for making the tenure Of Office in
the General Assembly two years, and that
the General Master Workman should be
paid sum amounting to nearly SIG per dav
for his services? Does any ono suppose
that district or local assemblies would have
approved Of the adjustment of the insur.
ance secretary, and the placing of the mon
eys of that department in the hands Of q
former secretary who, in one short year, fell
short in his cash accounts 1857 81? Docs
any one suppose that district and local as.
semblies, with knowledge of a mans de.
falcation and embezzIement of money, would
instruct their delegates to vote that man
into position in which he would handle
| all the money and be wholly and totally ir.
Responsible for its safe deposit with the pro.
| per officer? Not bit OF it, If the work of
| That revising committee lad been submitted
as the law requires it should have been
done, the whole trick would have been dis.
covered and the robbery stopped"