The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-06-04

Ant IxutSHtS Oh 1dDOT convention at tieTc-
land Gets Down to Observation-Disclosures in
the Membership of the Executive Board
Proposed Treaty of Peace with the
Notwithstanding of an Ali
ance with the National Grange.
CLEVELAND, O., May 29.-The general
assembly of the Knights of Labor settled
down to hard work yesterday morning
and held two sessions, business being
transacted on the eight-hour plan, from
eight to twelve clock in the morning and
two to six o'clock in the Afternoon. After
the opening preliminaries the Committee
on Laws presented its report
the first proposition of which was
substantially that the Executive Board
of the Knights OF Labor be increased
from five to eleven members, or that six
assistants be appointed to assist the
present board. After an hours discussion
the proposition was adopted without
change. 1t was then decided to
establish permanent headquarters
for the Executive Board in Philadelphia.
and, if deemed necessary, the board may
sit throughout the year, instead of assem-
bling at the call of the general master
workman.
A resolution was carried that gave the
general master workman the authority to
recall the commissions of every organizer
in the order. The subject of appointing
competent organizers and the means to be
taken for their selection was being dis.
cussed when the noon recess occurred.
The convention reassembled at two
o'clock. The Executive Board presented it's
report in the matter in controversy be-
tween the trades unions and the Knights
OF Labor, and the rest of the after.
noon was spent in hearing statements and
arguments on the report.
The report OF the Executive Board on
the trades-unions controversy embodies
the address OF the trades unions and the
terms on which they wish to settle exist
ing troubles. The address is as follows:
The officers of the National and Interna.
tiOnal trades unions desire to make the state
ment that they have no antagonism toward
the Knights of Labor, and believe that, an
order, it has a legitimate mission in the labor
movement of America Through the develop
ment of Industry and the aggregation of cap
ital the tendency is to monopolize the business
of the country Hence the various trades have
been affected by an introduction of machinery,
the subdivision of labor, the use of womans
and child's labor and the lack OF an appren-
tice system, so that the skilled trades were
rapidly sinking to the level of pauper labor.
being reduced to beggary, and to sustain
the standard of American workmanship and
skill, the trades unions of America have been
established. They are social society. and
they been a benefit in raising the
wages of workmen and in reducing the
burdens of toll, but they have fulfilled the
fraternal duty of assisting their members
when unemployed and in sickness, when dis
abled by accident and old age, and provided
for the widows and orphans of their deceased
brothers. Consequently the trades unions
have become fixed and permanent institu-
ton in America, not antagOnistic to the well
fare OF the country, but calculated to elevate
all branches of labor to a higher degree of
citizenship and larger share of social COM
fort.
For this principle the thoughtful and far.
seeing men of various crafts have founded
unions of their respective trades, and to
maintain Their trades unions the members
have sacrificed countless time and money,
and where, at first many predicted their COM
plete failure, time has proved not only their
usefulness, but has demonstrated that they
are destined to fulfill a higher mission,
and their progress is in exact proper
ton to the intellectual development of
their members. When they are founded on
such grounds there need be no fears of their
destruction, nor need there be any antagO-
niSln between them and the knights of Labor
Of late our greatest fears have not been that
the knights of Labor would destroy trades.
unions, but that the capitalists of the coun-
form of organization against the other, and
in the conflict destroy both
Within the last year the National and Inter
national trades unions have grown with giant
strides. The trades unions are economically
managed, and the most rigid accountability
is exacted from their officers in all financial
and business transactions As officers pledged
by the most sacred Obligations to promote the
interests of their respective unions the chief
officers felt it was their duty to attend the
Philadelphia conference, and the results of
that conference are such that for the future
there are no doubts that the trades unions of
America will not only grow but become more
fixed institutions
The treaty itself, of course, is the most
important part of the work, and is the
bone of contention, for if it's terms are
agreed to by the Knights of Labor it will
work radical changes in the management
and organization of local assemblies.
1t provides that no assembly. of tine
Knights of Labor can be formed
of any trade without the consent
of the nearest trades union of
that craft. When such assemblies
have already been formed they shall be re-
quired to disband and join mixed assem-
blies; no person shall be admitted to the
order of the Knights OF Labor who has been
convicted OF scabbing, rafting or embazzl-
ing i'll the trades unions without exon
Grafton from said. unions; no person
shall be admitted to membership in
the Knights of Labor who is working for
less than the union scale of wages of his
craft; whenever strike or lockout of
any trades unionist is in progress no as
sembly of the Knights OF Labor shall in
terfere until settled to the satisfaction OF
the trades union affected. The treaty
closes by STIMULATING that the Knights of
Labor shall issue no trade marks that
may in any way compete or conflict with
trade marks issued by the trades unions.
The address and the treaty were referred
to the Committee on the State OF the
Order.
edly indorse the bill now before Congress
providing for a tax of ten cents pound
on oleomargarine, and it is thought this
action will draw the grangers into the
field, thus greatly Strengthening the order.
The Knights of Labor are counting an
alliance with the agriculturists, and indi-
cations point to the establishment of close
relations between that order and the Ma
tional Grange as an outcome of the pres
ent session OF the general assembly. The
National Grange has been in existence
for twenty years. Since the date OF its
ful. In the first ten years 2, 100000 mem
bers were admitted and the total member
ship to date is estimated at 5000, OO0
In it's declaration OF principles it strongly
advises cooperation and arbitration
discountenances the credit and mort
gage system and all unhealthy rival
ries. It's chief aim is to bring
producers and consumers into direct and
friendly intercourse, and in every way it
agrees with the main principles of the
Knights of Labor. The Knights have
recognized the immense power welded by
tie grange, and the committee appointed
Thursday was instructed to use every
effort to bring the farmers under their
charter.
Queer Cause of Death.
CHICAGO, May 29.-Mr. and Mrs. Edwin
Thorne, OF England, came to this country
about two weeks ago. They reached this
city last Friday While in Washington
Mrs. Thorne noticed pin of the black,
mourning kind, in her pillow at the hotel.
Endeavoring to extricate it, she pricked
her thumb. Shortly alter reaching Chi