The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-25
THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
DELEGATES TO THE CONVENTION
ARRIVING AT CLEVELAND.
The Most Important Questions to BE
Considered by the Meeting
The Prominent Members.

CLEVELAND, o., May 24.-The officart
OF the General Assembly Of the
Knights of Labor wrrs up early ves.
terday morni0g and at work. The
two tardy mem oers OF the Executive
Board had not arrived end no SIS ion
was held. The headquarters work
was several DAYS behind, and SecIe
tary Turner and his stencgrApher, who
arrived from Philadelphia early in the
day, we're kept busy answering letters
During the afternoon and evening the
Grand Master Workman psrfeC ed a
method Of procedure and order Of
business for the convention and at
tended to other duties. The follow.
ing gentleman are among the dele
gates slready in the city: 7. V. Pow
de'ly, Grand Master Workman, See
ton, Pa. Frederick Turner, General
Secretary, Philadelphia, Pa; John w
Hays, member OF the Executive Bosrd
New Brunswick, n. j.; I. s. Killgal
Ion, Butte City, Mont; L. l.. L9fIiug-
well, indianapolis, Ind; Jas. Bilson
official stenographer, Troy. N. Y; r.
GdffithP, Chicago; Harry j. Skeffing.
ton, Philadelphia; John Morrison
New York; George F. Murray, New
York; A. d. Belt, Brooklyn, New
York; jas Cunningham, New York
A reporter asked Secretary Turner
if Irons would be present, and re.
ceivel the reply, II think not"
Have you sent for him"
Mr.. Turner seemed surprised a, tire
question, end said, mo, we don't
want him; he is not delegate"
A number of the delegates feel
kesnly the fact that Grand Master
Workman Powderly is overwcIked,
and think that he should be assisted
in some manner. Two plans have
been proposed, and will probably be
p esented at the convention. Ore is,
that State Assemblies be oJglnized in
each StBts to look after the affairs in
the district that would come under
their supervision, they in turn being
auxiliary to and under tHe supef-
vision of the General Assembly.
Each State Assembly would receive
instructions aud supplies from the
General Assembly, and distribute the
supple as needed by district and
local assemblies. The organizato n OF
new assemblies would also be- part of
the work looked after and guided by
the State organizations. The other
plan is TO have an executive board in
each State, subject to the direction OF
the general board.
The subject of the most import
auce TO come before the Cleveland
Convention is the relations of the
Knights OF Labor to trade unions
The MISTER must be discussed and
acted upon with caution" said mem
Der Of Cleveland assembly yester-
day. "l believe that the knights OF
Labor should be subordinate to no
organic alton. The difficulty between
the trades unions and our organiza-
ton arises wi h the officers of the
forme-, who are at aid that there may
be no need for trades unions in the
future, in which case their fat salaries
and occupation will be gone. The
knights of Labor are broader than
the unions. For instance, II in a
shop OF twenty-four men, twenty
three are members OF the order ind
one is not, as long as the man who is
outside receives the same pay as the
others nothing is done to coercs him
or the employers, He need not Join
the order. We invite members but
do rot force any man to unite his lot
with ours, and although he is not re-
ceived az brother, no distinction is
made other than in fraternal feeling. On
the other hand, il the same condition
of affairs existed in a union shop the
union men would force the non.
uni1nist to join their order or they
would strike. The most serious dis
satisfaction existing is with the
National Cigar Makers union, which,
/ understand, will insist that the as.
snnbly labels be ,continued, and
only the blue label of the union used.
The patrons the greatest extent, are
members Of the knight of Labor, and
ii it were not for us the labeled cigars
would never have become 30 well
known. 1t seems to me that the
breach can only be healed by a Joint
convention of the trades unions and
the Knights of Labor, although there
may be other ways of fixing up mat.
terJ,"