The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-23
A BAD LOT.
General Officers of the Knights of Labor
Overhauled by an Expelled Member.
New York


General Offfcers of the Knights of Labor
Overhauied by an Expelled Member.
| New York Herald.
| One Of the best-known men in the labor
movement out West is Samuel L. Leffngwell,
| telegraph editor of the Indianapolis Sentinel
Mr.. Leffingwell has been member of the Typo
| graphical Union for over thirty years, a prom
| nent knight of Labor, and has organized
many local assemblies. He is well'in
formed, Intelligent man. and thorough trades
unonist.
Mr.. Lefingwell was delegate to the General
Assembly of the Knights of Labor at Richmond,
and while there was very outspoken in his opin-
ions regarding trades unions and the conduct of
the general officers. He was very bitter toward
MIR. Powdery, and Charles Il. Litchman, the
newly elected general secretary, and opposed the
| increase of Mr.. Powderys salary to So, 900 per
year. He was also an enemy of district assem-
bly, No. 49, and his outspoken remarks were not
reshed by those in power.
few days before the General Assembly ad-
journed Mr.. Lefingwell was expelled from the
body for conduct unbecoming Knight" He
felt this keenly, and claimed that IL was the re-
suit of a conspiracy on the part OF ring of
offceholders, and he determined that be should
be heard from again in a manner that would tell.
When he returned home he Immediately com
menced preparing FOR the publication Roll
Book" which will contain some rich reading.
1t is full of paragraphs, some of them very
hard hit.
The Labor Press, of Brooklyn, has succeeded
in obtaining some advance leaves from the 'Roll
Book. and will to-day publish the following ex
tracts:
''The reports at Richmond showed over
$l50 900 in the treasury at the close of the June
quarter The September quarter added in
charter fees and Ter capita tax at least $40, 900
more After deducting city property, bought
for private donation, release of mortgages to
ia nan in a nd
ing of other costly presents with unwarranted
proaigacy. there certainly must be left remain
ing at least $780, 600 of moneys belonging to the
order. And now the Gear of all the Russias
issues his order for % cent assessment. which
will add $500 900 to this bottomless treasury
The astounding feature of this whole farce is
that every cent of the new contribution will
pass through the hands Of Charles III. Litchman,
whose record stands in bold relief having
come out on one occasion over $500 short.
'For manipulating the laws and connecting
the schemes which places Powderiy in the posi-
ton of emperor on the nay of prince, hitch
man gets a salary of 81, 900 a year. Litchman
was once a shoemaker-a scab shoemaker, it is
said-but he hasn't done honest days work
in twenty years. He ran little shoe factory
while on dis own account; printed a little paper
for a while, but for the last half dozen years has
been a sort of 'screecher in behalf of suffering
humanity. Yes he has held out his hand with
out anything in ir) in almost every State in the
Union to help lift the down trodden toiler from
the degradation which engulfed him. His man
doin-toned voice has been heard on all the Mills
Of New England, enticing the ground-down OBJ
erative to join forces with hin,fin placing No.
10 boot upon the neck ofsty4ant capital The
cotton operative will hardy content himself
when he reflects that it would require nearly
eight years of his hard labor to pay the sum of
81, 900 to maintain man who hasn't done days
work for like number of years"
Part of the amended constitution was adopted
at Richmond. which Lef6ngwell claimed was il
legal. and thus expresses himself that point:
"Litchman, nor Powderly. nor any member of
the executive board has ever offered anything in
explanation of the failure to send the amended
constitution to the local assemblies
CURED by law There is net a local in the whole
jurisdiction that would have Endorsed it. Litch-
mans manipulatious on that instrument we're
kept profound secret from the order. only
Powderly and the executive board having
knowledge of the criminal assault in store for
that sacred instrument To make it more snre
of success Powderly appon ted Litchman chair
man of the committee laws. to which the
action of Litchman as chairman on revision
should be referred
''Does any one suppose for an instant that any
local assembly in the land, or any district assem-
bly,. outside of district assembly No. 40. of New
York, would have instructed Its delegates TO vote
for making the tenure of Office In the General
Assembly two wears, and that the general master
workman should be paid sum amounting to
nearly SIG per day for his servicns2
assemblies would have approved of the abolish
ment of the insurance secretary and the placing
or the monies of that department in the hands of
former secretary who, in one short year, fell
short in his cash accounts $537 35l
"Does any one suppose that district and local
assemblies with knowledge of a mans defalca-
ton and embezzlement of money, would instruct
their delegates to vote that man into position
in which he would handle all the money, and he
wholly and totally IRRESPONSIBLE for its safe de-
post with the proper officer?
''Not bit of it. If the work of that revising
committee had been submitted, as the law
quires it should have been done, the whole trick
would have been discovered, and the robbery
stopped.
1T was fine thing for set of professedly
intelligent men to do, to allow Litchman to push
through just enough of the amended law as
suited the convenience of the gang and then
refer the remainder to the locals. where the
whole matter lawfully belonged. 1t was acted
upon by the General Assembly.
where is the honest Knight who will ap
prove of snch rascaliry2"