Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-12-31
REVOLT AGAINST POWDERLY
The Movement in Favor of IA Special Meet
ing of the General Assembly, and Talk oil
New Order

The Movement in Favor of IA Special Meet
New Order.
NEW YORK, December 30.-The revolt
in the Knights Of Labor seems to have as
sumed definite shape. Some of the princi-
pal men in the order here who have been
dissatisfied with the management of the af-
iairs of the order have received circulars
from dissatisfied Knights in the West sug-
gesting the formation of an improved order
of the Knights of Labor outside of the order
as it now exists, and on the lines that
were originally laid down for the Knights.
One of the principal laws of the
proposed improved order is that rs
few officers as possible shall be chosen, and
that the salaries shall be in some way COM
menSurate with the pay which the officers
could earn at their trades. The idea is meet
ing with much favor here even with men,
bers of District Assembly No. 40, who
have not been suspended, and one of the
most enthusiastic supporters of the new
movement is brother of one Of the mem
is said that copies of these circulars have
been sent to well known opponents Of the
present general officers all over the coun-
try, and that several assemblies of the i'm
proved order have already been formed in
the West.
The movement in favor of special meet
ing OF the General Assembly is growing,
and those in favor of it say that il will
! soon be so strong that General Master
Workman Powderly can not ignore it, and
that a special session is certain TO be held
within the next three months. SO certain
are they Of this that certain big trade dis
tricts, which are on the verge of with
drawal, have decided to wait until the
question of special session is definitely
settled. BY doing this they will have a
vote in the session. Unless special ses-
sion is called, there is no doubt that there
will be a secession which will include one
or more of the big New York trade dis,
tricts.
The letter Of Mr.. Powderly on the Social
lists, which was printed to-day, has caused
a sensation among the Socialists in this
city. S. +. Schevitch, the editor of the
FOLKS Zeitung, who is regarded as
the leader Of the Socialists here, said
tO-dsy: II can not conceive how a
man like Powderly, who has been mem
Der of the SOcialistic party. can have writ
ten such letter. He even now must have
an old membership card about him, and
knows we'll the principles of the organiza-
ton. The Socialists do not believe in
force as an offensive weapon in thesolu,
tiOn of the problem which the labor move,
ment represents. Mr.. Powderly knows
this, and he also knows that many
of the most active men in the
Knights OF Labor and many Of his most ar.
dent supporters are Socialists, affiliated
members of the Socialistic party. No
matter how much the capitalists may en-
ploy force and shoot down innocent women
and children, as witness the trouble In
Milwaukee and later in St LOUIS, there is
not word Of protest, and whenever So
cialist aliudes to forces, no matter whether
he flies it on or not, Immediately there
comes forth letter. And yet Mr.. Pow
derby did not always hold these views, for
| remember some years ago he made a
speech at a labor picnic soon after one OF
these affairs, and he said: If these things
continue, meaning the shooting down OF
people by the military, the trades unions
will have to get Gatling guns to defend
| themselves