St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-03
KNIGHTS TAKE A HAND
Prominent Members of the Knights Of
Labor Recommend Speedy Consider
ton of the Dawes Bill,
Believing That the Opening Of the Sioux
Reservation Would Relieve Working
men of the Cities.
Maratta Being Opposed by Senator
Edmunds and Certain Democrats
of Dakota.
The Contest of Burke and Barrett for
the Aberdeen Land Office Grow
ing Interesting.
yyo<kingmen for the Dawes Bill

W0rEIngIMen for the Dawes h1Ai'
Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, July 1.-The Knights OF
Labor have done well in coming to the
rescue of the Dawes bill. Their committee
men, three of whom were appointed at the
repent general love-feast at Cincinnati,
have written letter to Messrs. Carlisle,
Randall and Morrison which you have
doubtless read; but many of our readers
have merely glanced at it. The letter re-
vertS to the fact that at caucus OF Demo-
cratic chairmen of house committees, and
afterwards at a regular caucus OF the whole
party, it was decided to leave the
furtherance of public business entirely
| to the speaker and to Messrs. Ran
dali and Morrison. Taking advantage OF
this fact the committeeman of the knights
of Labor wrote to the gentlemen named.
and informed them that the committee had
been appointed by the Knights of Labor to
attend the meetings of both houses OF con-
gresS and give expression of their views
upon matters which might be deemed Of
, importance to the Knights. After enumer-
ating a few other bills now on the calendar
they recommend the consideration OF the
Dawes bill. They believe that the opening
: of the public domain to settlement will re-
| leve the oVer-crowded cities and form an
outlet for
THE SURPLUS LABOR
which now chokes the commercial centers.
Therefore they recommend the immediate
consideration of the bill fopthe opening OF
the Sioux reservation. 1t is not unlikely
that their efforts in this direction may
prove beneficial. You see, the people Of
Dakota are poor orphans, without any votes.
The Knights of Labor are i'll the districts OF
every congressman. Therefore, the knights
being cosmopolitan and having votes their
wishes are worthy of consideration. Repre-
sentatives say that the letter of
the Knights committeeman lis an
admirable document" But when the Da-
kotans have pleaded for justice they have
been told that justice would come to them
after a while. If anything short of dyna-
mite can shake up heDawes bill now, it
will be brought to the surface of legislation
by the Knights letter. 1t was unexpected.
this reinforcement, but it is all the more
welcome. 1t practically takes the entire
matter out of the hands of the autocl at
from the Lone Star state. 1t casts all of
the responsibility upon the gen.
tlemen from Kentucky, Penn
syIvania and Illinois. They are
the leaders of their party, and are great
men: but they want to be reelected, just
TIE Same as SIlldll6F uO. LOU llldy NC
surprised to know that the Knights of Labor
are inclined to look at the political hor-
oscope. as an organization, but they do.
They declare that their organization is nom
political, and General Master Workman
PoWderly so states in his letters and his
circulars, but it is not any truer than gospel.
One of the
LEADERS OF THE ORDER
has told me personally that while the order
is not allied to either of the two leading
parties of the country, it is a mistake tC
suppose that they are not educated to I'M
derStand the effect of political causes upon
their well-being, or vice versa. He said
1--WE will not cast our votes for the candi-
dates of either party for congress or for the
presidency, or for governorShips, but we
will cast them for the friends of the Knights
of Labor. We are for the laboring meT
first, and all the time, and we will so vote
Referring to the letter of the com
mittee-men, concerning current legislation,
he said that it has the sanction and author
ity of the order, and that the representa-
tives who treat it with Indifference may
have some trouble in getting back to the
next congress. While it is questionable, O
at least susceptible Of argument whethe
or not it is wise to place political powe
into the hands of an organization of thi
nature. it is undeniable that the Knight
are acting reasonably, moderate, ant
with a seemingneSs of purpose t
cast their influence with the Law
and order side of both parties. Their atti
tude towards the Dawes and Oklahom
bills cannot be too highly praised. The
are speaking and working for the welfar
of the Indians, the settler and the laborin
men, all at the same time. 1t is hope
that the continuing order which has bee
obtained may be so used as to admit of til
calling up, by Mr.. Morrison or Mr.. Randall
of the bill in which we are all so much in
terested. so that it may yet be passed
With the knights on record as a friendl
body, the passage of the bill is now poss
bility, and l may say, a probability.