Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-10-14
KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
Proceedings of the Richmond
Convention.

The tenth annual convention of the Knights
OF Labor assembled at Richmond, Va, ON Mon
day, the 4th OF October. Gov. Fitzhugh Lee
welcomed the delegates to the city and State in
neat speech. Frank q. Farrell, a colored dele
gate, introduced General Master Workman
rowderly who delivered an address, remarking
that the lash OF the siave-owner had been
stricken from his hands twenty-hv years ago.
Dut that the now slave-owner-ths monopolist
lis more dangerous than his prototype OF ante
Dellum days; and that it should be the duty OF
the knights OF Labor to clutch anarchy by the
throat with one hand, and strangle monopoly
With. with the ), other. After Mr. Powderlys
hall, and the regular business OF the
session was begun in secret Nearly
Thousand delegates were in attendance at the
opening; Nothing was done at the first days
session beyond the appointment OF cOmmittees.
Mr.. Powderly addressed the convention again,
O. s6e saGpna aas gsasS Sss 81 sFsoaa .h
Richmond. As indIvIdidals' he % said, he had T no
ty Ie 70 dictate @ as t. what they should do but
sentatives of q vast constituency. The eyes of
the world were upon them while here, and their
constituency would be Judged by their conduct.
The time OF the convention until p. m. was oc-
cupied by the reading of the long roll OF over
eight hundred names. Tho committee had
reached n decision on all but eight or ten
names, and those were reforred to the conven-
tion itself. A warm debate on the report was
had, but finally it was accepted and the dele
gates whose seats were in dispute were request
cd to leave the convention. They retired quiet
ly. The work OF assigning seats to the remain
ID.
an adjournment was voted.
The fight over the right Of eight or ten dele
gates to hold seats occupied the entire attention
OF the convention at it's third days session.
There was very warm debate, punctuated by
bitter attacks on the Home" Club. The find-
tngs Of the Credentials Committee were ap-
proved in one instance and condemned in an
other, but the question Of the admission Of
Mr., Morrison, of New York remained unde-
cided. The sensation OF the day was the
threat or Secretary Turner to a Western del
egate who had denounced tho Home Club.
Turner informed the young man that he had
better be careful, as his own seat in the con-
yention was not very secure Richmond
dispatch says: Throughout the city the prin-
cipal topic OF discussion was the admission last
nght-of colored Delegate Farrell to seat in
the orchestra circle in the Academy Of Music, a
section Of the auditorium in the Richmond
theater hitherto strictly guarded from the intru-
sion OF all persons Of his race. The general
feeling among Virginians here is one OF bitter
resentment, and they regard the delegates
friendly feelings. 1t is said that ma
jority OF the local Knights are much pro-
and it was reported that few Knights living
here declared their intention of abandoning the
order and joining the Law and Order League,
organized hero in sworn opposition to the
Knights 1t was rumored to-day that the dele
gates of District 40 would again escort Farrell
to the theater, and Mrs. Powell the proprietor,
appealed for police protection, intending to
compel Farrell to sit in the negroes gallery.
The Chief of Police called on Mr.. Powderiy
to request that he use his influence to pre-
vent an attempt to force admission of the col
ored delegate, ms it would cause trouble. Mr..
Powderly sent word that he was too busy to see
him, but sent Mr.. Hayes. of tho Executive
Board, instead. The latter said he thought
Farrell would not try to enter the theater, but
he would give no assurance ON the subject
The Chief and thirty-five policemen and thou
sand curious people were ut the theater when
it opened, but the colored delegate failed to put
in an appearance"
Very little was accomplished at the fourth
asatfofi" from District Assembly 126 OF New
York, headed by John Morrison, with the ex-
ception of Mr.. Risden. As the Committee on
Cradantinla daaiead- srJsqSujsfaf, ee-f15nurJ
from St Louis the rules were suspended and
the convention proceeded to discuss the
question OF giving the support of the
order to the locked-out cotton workers of Au-
gusta, Ca the curriers' and tanners of Peabody
and Salem, Mass, and the journeymen plumb
ers Of New York. There are 5000 men in each
Of the firstnamed bodies, and about fourteen
hundred in the last. 1t was decided to support
them. An extra force of police was on duty in
the evening at both the Richmond Theater and
Academy OF Music as q precaution against
trouble il any further attempt should be made
by the Knights of Labor to introduce colored
men to seats from which they are excluded. No
attempt was made, however.