Rock Island daily Argus., 1888-11-16
A Heavy Shriinkage
IN the Membership of the
Knights of Labor.
HALF A MILLION IN TWO YEARS.

Powderiy Advocates an Autooracy, Ad-
vises a Less Comprehensive Policy, and
Says Strikes should Be ReIegated to the
Realm of Innocuous Desuetude, as 1t
Were-Liiehman's Report-A Refusal to
Visit Harrison in Body.
INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. l6-The noticeable
features in the session of the Knights of La
Dor general assembly yesterday were reports
from General Mas'er Workman Powderly,
ex-Secrerary Litchman, and his successor.
The latter took office Sep. 8 and the chief point
Of his statement wes that the order had been
very materially reduced in membership during
the past two years, Two years ago there were
SoO,0 600 members but now there are only 2595iS,
with probably 81, 900 unreported. There are 5,666
local assemblies. In the Boston state assembly
there 81 ,6ii but it now has only 3,9l3. Gin
cnnati has 4,527 knights, where two years ago
there were 14,5l9 The indianapolis district re-
ports 800, when it had last year :, 140 The assets
of the order reported at STA 905, consist
ing chiefly of the home building in Philadelphia
and stock in various companies, cooperative and
otherwise.
The general master workman in his report
declared in effect:
That the days of strikes are past, and that
other more effective and less wasteful methods
must come into universal use when intelligence
controls He advised the knights TO concentrate
their efforts and to abandon the policy of endeav
orng to control all things. He urged that the
knights declare strongly in opposition to the land
monopoly tendency of the present day. He holds
that the present Capitalization of power and influ
ence through land ownership is unfriendly to the
best citizenship. He dwet upon the importance
of readjustment of the financial forces of the
government, including the withdrawal of the
right from private and state banks of issuing
currency. He gave general attention to the dis
cordant elements of the order-members and ex-
members-apd recommended equal wages for
men and women doing the same work. The dis
| affection which began at Minneapolis, and has
since developed in several directions, he attrib
uted TO the unfriendly feeling between the regu-
| lar K of L. organization aud the provincial
| branch, and holds Mr. Morrison, and Others who
| took offense at Minneapolis and set themselves
apart in schismatic body responsible for all the
| trouble.
| While he did not definitely say he would
| not accept re election that is the construc-
| ton placed upon remarks bearing on that
| question. 1t is thought by others, however,
| that If the chang he suggests are accom-
| pshed he will accept the position of general
master workman again, even at a reduced
salary
Regarding the government of the order
| Mr.. Powderlv saws:
The chief trouble with our order is because of
| the lack Of onenan power. The will of this
| order should be carried out TO the letter To do
| this the duty is assigned to one man to execute
| these laws Vest is one man the power 10 exc
cute the laws which the many favor and pass
upon allow 10 interference with that man in the
| pc tormance of his duty, and you may expect re-
| suits. Allow every stifseeker. every knave
| every dsturber and fault finder IN
interpret the laws and we have
| anarchy pure and simple The man
| who tells the people that they can all act in.
| dependently of each other on every issne tha,
arises and do ii ntelligently is a demapopne
| When the laws are intr,lsted TO the hands of one
| man for enforcement every hand sbo,ld he
stretched forth to aid that man TO carry out the
will of all men rather than to have, as have had.
so many hands stretched forth to stay the work
that your predecessors have assigned TO me.
One an power IS an absolute necessity In order
~ Lis,Ia5,s .tsl.e au'eST,I ~. u. - NJ,
'u9 .olo' y. III. io"uerl y >
- M - =. va suo,
- S;s 80 pa a "a ~ %as ue' 1Le', .,sI
- -, - s. '-1'
-, s
-, ~. - - u't I,eu 70 y ss'''ii''ili@7
ene n; ~ alu NV VIII eeonSls or'e hects
r,,,r Ut S;rc tb, snesn =, 'sss ~ .,e
Ind baep reduced bv disnsrsin, win, tha
of eleven clerks a yearly saving 10 the order of
| SS.1e4 He advocated a reduction Of the general
executive board to five members. TO consist of
the general master workman, general worthy
foreman, general secretary and two members;
',ae =, VIC "l Eehf
tories Ry mis- means he sai5 so,,i,,s, - ro,
| less than 81 500 annually would res,,lt 70 IN.