The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-26
WANTS OF THE KNIGHTS.
Things Which They Expect the Democratic
Majority in Congress to DO.


Majority In Congress to DO.
WAsHINeToN, June 25.-The committee Of
Knights Of Labor appointed at the meeting Of
the general assembly held at Cleveland, O., have
sent the following letter to Speaker Carlisle
Copies have also been sent to Representatives
Randall and Morrison:
"WAsHrNGToS, June 25, 1886.
Hon. John G. Carlisle, Speaker of the House of Rep
resentatives:
Dear Sir--At special session of the General
Assembly of the Knights OF Labor, held al
Cleveland, o., May % TO Juno 4, 1886. com
rnittee of three, consisting of Ralph Beaumont,
James Campbell and John J. Mccartney, were
appointed TO visit the capital during the present
session Of Congress for the purpose Of
asking that body to pass laws to
in our platform of principles, a copy of which we
inclose you. The committee have selected a
few measures and embodied them in a memorial
looking to that end, and have sent out several
thousand to their different branches through the
country for signatures and Endorsements from
the. people, and We expect to be able. in a few
days, to present your body these petitions, with
the Endorsements of at least 5O0,O 600 signatures.
The following is a brief summary of the measures
they ask the passage of:
'First-House bill No. 1887. repeating timber
culture presumption and desert-land acts.
'Second-House bill No. 7072, for adjustment
Of railroad and other land grants.
''Third-Bils forfeiting all railroad land
grants the conditions of which have not been
strictly complied with.
''Fourth-House bill organizing the Territory
of Oklahoma.
'Fifth-Senate bill opening portion of the
great Sioux reservation to settlement.
s'Sixth-Bills prohibiting aliens holding lands
In the United States.
''Seventh-The bill making presidential and
congressional elections holidays, and Furnishing
bribery.
''Eighth-The bill directing disbursement of
at least $2O0, OO00 600 treasury surplus and subst
futng treasury notes for bank notes retired.
1.-THE party of which you a member is in
the majority by some forty votes, and we there
fore look to the majority party to enact the
necessary legislation to make these measures a
part of the law of the land. In making these
requests we feel that are not enunciating any
new doctrines, but, on the contrary. we find the
groundwork of nearly every one of them laid
down in the Democratic platform adopted at
chicago III 1884 on which the present majority
OF the dominant party was elected. We find
that paragraph three of our memorial is fully
covered by that document, as follows:
we believe that the public land ought, as far as
possible to be kept homesteads for actual settlers;
that all unearned lands heretofore improvidently
granted to railroad corporations by the action of the
Republican party should be restored to the public
domain, and that no more grants of land should be
Ownership OF alien absentees.
We also find that the last paragraphs in our
memorial ought TO meet with your hearty APP
proval, from the following, which we copy from the
Chicago PLATFORM
THAT change is necessary, is proven by an existing
surplus of more than $1O0,0 900 900, which has
yearly been collected from suffering people"
Therefore, again we say. in requesting the
passage of these measures, we are not asking
anything from the dominant party only to full
HI the promiseSthat 1T made to the people when
it was seeking their SURFACES, by which it OBJ
tanned its present majority. We do not ask
your party to support these petitions We only
look to you and your party to see that the meas
nres are brought forward and submitted to the
House for its action, and we are willing to trust
them TO the good judgment of the members, re-
eardless of party
I'VE remain yours respectfully,
RALPH BEAUMONT, JOHN MCCARTy.
Chairman. SecrstaryD