Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-10-07
THE KNIGHTS.
a Most Remarkable Suggestion Or
tered bv the Committee on
Legislation.
4 National Congress Of Knights TO Meet
In Washington aud Debate aud
Amend all Bills offered.
Tho Negro De'eRatc Is Forced into the or.
ohestrA chairs oftho rheater, cgus.
ing Groat Indignation.
A RnMARKAnIE snadrsr1nN


session of the general assembly neld At
Cleveland Messrs. Beaumont, Mccarthy
and Campbell were appointed a commit
tee on legislation 10 20 to Washington To
watch legislation IA the interest of labor.
Beaumont and Mccarthy were in WASH
ington during the session OF con.
gress, and shortly after adjourn
ment prepared a report which was printed
and circulated through the assemblies OF
knights OF Labor and the substance OF
which was made public through the press.
Ralph Beaumont, chairman Of the com
mittee, has prepared the following sun
Elementary report, which will be pre-.
scented at the present convention, and on
which action will be taken:
To the General Executive Board OF tho
Knights of Labor Your national legls.
a,ive committee forwarded TO you within
three days after the Adjournment OF CON
gress their report, believing that
the order should be made acquainted
with the work accomplished by
the committee at the earliest possible mo-
ment. This, With constant attention To
duty during the session, prevented your
committee from expressing IN their report
any views that they might have formed
during the time they were engaged In per-
| forming their task,in regard 10 any action
that the general assembly might see NJ TO
make In future In the line OF lnfuenc inp
| legislation In the interest of the people.
Your committee realize that the day is
near at hand when we may safely RELY
upon the members OF our order, IN sum.
Client number to WELD the very greet aud
useful power as q body, at the polls to
sustain only such candidates, as may be
relied upon TO favor our interests. That
obligation can only be accomplished BY
system of education that will develop
the highest knowledge upon thu
measures that are constantly being
brought TO the front by the Legislative
halls OF the nation. Your committee
found that the most difficult task II had
to perform WAS TO get al the true inward
ness OF measures pending before con
gress They found that among the hun
dreds OF bills now pending before the
senate aud house on the three great ques.
lions OF the future, vlz Public lands,
transportation and ilnance, that but few
of them were drawn with view of &C.
complishing the most good in the inter.
est OF the people, but on the
contrary II was the common usage
Of the enemies Of the people to introcrre
a bill that on the face Of II would seem tp
| be- a good and wholesome measure 10 the
between the lines IL would contain the
most insldious clause that the cunning
brain OF railroad attorney could invent.
| In fact, several members OF congress In
| formed your committee that N was
mkt to an mpoHslbility 10 act
an honest and fair bill through
either branch OF the Legislature.
Your committee also And that members
Of the order, and other working men in
general, are under these conditions often
led TO indorslng measures that ARE de-
cidedly Injurious to their own best inter
ests. Again, there IL no possible chance
OF educating the people in these frauds by
anything that is said In congress, as those
who have charge OF this class Of legisla.
Zion, as a rule, are the most sklliul tacti-
SLAMS in parliamentary debate in the
house, and they have succeeded in
making the rules such as to en-
able them TO smother debate
on every piece OF legislation OF vicious
character that may come before either
house In the interest Of the corporate In
terest OF the country, and committee OF
three would be more than human that
would be able TO watch every measure Of
this nature and be able 10 counteract the
same. Now, your committee Is Of opinion
that in order TO COMBAT the corporate
interests, aided as 1t IL By a
subsidized press, that something more
than q committee Is not only needed hut
must be reeorted 10 II we would arouse
the people 10 the wrongs that are con
stantly being enacted by our lawmakers,
and In view Of this opinion held by your
committee they beg leave to Offer the fol-
| lowing suggestions to be laid before the
general assembly;
"That this body establish congress OF
It's own at Washington during the balance
OF the present session OF the United States
congress, period OF 100 days, commence
lug December |, $50 This congress to
consist Of one delegate from each Of the
| thirty eight states, they to be selected
from the best speakers aud debaters IN the
order, they 10 be allowed a compensation
Of SO per d0y, and BIO allowed
actual travelling expenses TO and from
their homes They shall organize their
| body by electing a speaker from their
number, and shall appoint the
samespeakers Of committees as are re-
ported ny The aited States house Of rep
esentaiives, and they shall DO designated
| by the same tltlsg This body
shall be In session dolly
eight hours per day, from . A. M. 70
g p. m. with one hour for dinner. This
body shall as soon as 1t IL organized pro-
cure copy OF every bill that IL intro
duced into either branch 81 the national
legislature, and 1t shall also be referred
to the appropriate committee aud such
committed shan at once report the bill to
the body with such recommendation as II
In It's judgment may deem bost, when II
shall debatl the same, ard II ann II ed
by the body Il thsll az once be
appointed "a take the bill ia rs
amended form ard present the same TO
the commute Of either branch Of the ma
tionel log siainre that hae thunder consid-
GRAFTON, and reqaest fhst tle amendments
be inserted in tRe bill This body shall
hnua A. nInrk naaiAfnnt lInrL nnn !.