The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-28
Indications that Requirements Necessary for
Calling a Special Session of tie General
Assembly Will Be Comp. ID With.
The Executive Board Charged with De-
string to Override the Constitution.
Twenty-0ne Assemblies Threaten to Secede
Unless the Trades Charter Is Granted
Mr.. POwderly's Views OF the Situation.
INTERNAL DIssENsIONs.
Disagreements That Threaten the Existence
of tho KNIGHTS of Labor.

DlSsSGreemenCS IhaC threaten the EXISTENCE
of the Knights of Labor.
New YORK, Dec. 27-The Tribune says: COR
ganized labor seems to be in ba' .angle, which
grows worse instead of better. The dissatisfac-
ton in the Knights of Labor is growing more
widespread and some members of the order are
afraid that the present difficulty can only result
in split. There seems to be little doubt that
the legal requirements for a cali for a special
session of the General Assembly will be fulfilled
within short time or that the call will be
signed by district assemblies in at least half q
dozen States, perhaps twice that many. Among
the dissatisfied element, however, the feeling is
that, no matter il the call is made out according
TO the constitution, there is certainty that the
session will ce held One of them said yester
day: One of the principal things against which
we protest is the assumption of dictatorship by
the general executive board, and their evident
intention to override the constitution whenever
it conflicts with their own ideas. If Mr.. Pow
DERBY should refuse to call the special session,
what could we dol The general worthy fore
man. the next highest officer would not take
any action General Secretary Litchman GER
tainly would not, nor would the executive board,
are all in accord with Mr.. Powderly. Our only
remedy would be to call special session our
selves, and then all who attended it would be in
open revolt and would be either expelled or sus-
pended This would mean split, and whether
or not we are prepared for this am not able to
say; but it may come to that. l should be ex
ceedingly sorry to see it, but if the Order is to
continue TO be of any use to the labor move
ment, something must be done pretty soon.'
THE same opinion was expressed by many
other Knights. Even some of the members of
district No 40, the leaders of which are in
thorough accord with the general officers, show
signs of disposition to kick over the traces,
and only the iron discipline maintained by 7. 3.
Mcguire, the former master workman who is
now on the general executive board. keeps the
dissatisfaction from being shown The local
fight between the knights and the open unions
grows in bitterness, and the time is not far off
when open warfare will be proclaimed. The
action of the trades unions in Columbus in the
formation of the American Federation of Labor
has encouraged the trades-unions. It is said, on
good authority, that j. H. Cassidy, one of the
most prominent members of the American
Society of Carpenters and Joiners. announced
publicly at the Central Labor Union last Sun
day, that he intended to declare war to the
knife against the Knights of Labor The
Knights show no disposition TO shirk the fight,
and If they and the unions do not find some COM
mon ground on which they can stand, tho
chances are that no strikes will be won by the
carpenters for some time, for the I,nights will
take the places of the striking trades nionists
and unionists the place of the Knights when they
strike"
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 27-Unless word is re-
ceived from the general executive board of the
knights of Labor to-day, granting the demands
of the assemblies of machine constructors for
local trades charter, nearly 1000 Knights in this
city. and thousands in other parts of the coun-
try, will Withdraw from the order. Twenty one
assemblies throughout the country have notified
the general executive board that unless the
trades charter is granted they will leave the or
der, and most of those in this city have given
notice that unless the demand is acceded to to.
day they will withdraw. The machinists claim
as right, under the constitution of the
order that they shall be allowed to direct the
business pertaining to their own interests.
Three members of the general executive COM
mittee are in favor of granting these demands,
but Mr.. Powderly, with a majority of the board,
is opposed to the scheme and it is not likely that
any word will be received by the dssst stisfied as
semblieS to-day. Some OF the machinists as
semblies have decided to wait until the first Of
the new year. and if the national charter is not
granted by that time they will follow the lead
of the Philadelphia assemblies, and over 80, 900
Knights will sever their relations with the order.
LATER.-The machinists' assemblies of this city
tonight voted to surrender their knights of La
hor charters and leave the order. owing to the
refusal of the executive board Knights of Labor
to grant them national trades charter.