Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-11-17
OF GENERAL MASTER
WORKsAN POWDERLY.
An Interesting Review ofthe Orders
Last Years Wori<-Its Troubles
and FITS Hopes,
Especial DISPATCHES TO THE REcoEo-uN1oN.I |

On account of certain formalities having been
overlooked, Powderlys report was withheld un-
til late in she afternoon. Litehmau's report was
in manuscript, but was held back for the same
reason. The General Master Workman's report
begins as follows:
For nineteen years the order of the Knights og
Labor has maintained its existence in the face
of circumstances the most discouraging and dis
heartening, Struggling forward in It's infancy
beneath the veil OF secrecy it met with opposi-
tion from those in whose behalf it conteuded
Later on it faced the world as the advocate cf
justice for the poor and found all who were the
enemies of the oppressed arraycd against it.
In all of these years it has had to brave the
taunts and insults OF many whose interests it
served.
Since the adoption of the declaration of prin-
eiples made ten years ago, this Order has had
the opposition of all who despised Its principles
but the year the ending Of which we witness at
this session, has been the most trying and dis
couraging to those whose wish was TO see the
harmonious blending of all classes OF workers
beDeath the shield OF Knighthood.
Many causes combined to reduce the mum ber
of those who swore allegiance to the principles
OF the Knights OF Labor. The circulation OF
false statements concerning the strength of the
Order drove away thousands who regarded
quantity as being superior to quality in the
makeup of the membership Of the labor organ
ization. When the rumor went forth from cur
enemies quarters that our numbers were drop
ping down, those members who looked to otheIs
Tor what they should do themselves dropped out
also.
When the divergencies of opinion between
the general officers became heralded broadcast
by those who always magnited ii, those mem
bers who looked for unity among the officers
instead of doing their duty 10y waiting until
they could replace those officers with Others
withdrew from the Order temporarily. The
story, so widely circulated and so wonderfully
magnifed, OF the extravaganza of the general
officers frightened others, and they, too, stood
still until this session should assemble.
In the ranks were men whose love OF self pre-
dominated, whose selfish desires could not be
suppressed for the common veal, and on no oc-
casiou would they consent to sink self for the
coed OF ali. The oft-told story Of their gTjeV-
ances sickened and dove many from the Order
With an Executive toard whose members We're
not in harmony with each other and who tIav
eled IRON place to place denouncing their fellow
officers and condemning actions they were not
responsible for, il could not be wondered at that
we have lost numbers
Unwise strikes, which were entered upon
against the Jaws and principles of the Knights
OF Labor swept thousands OF our members INTO
poverty. and forced them from the Order.
Added 10 all of those causes was the campaign
which has Just closed in the United States, in
which the members and Assemblies of he Or
der were pitted against each other on questions
which never were made part of the declaration
OF principles, and on which they could very
well afford TO differ without differing ON any
point in the laws or rules OF order.
We wonder, therefore, not that there has been
a falling of, but that We have passed through
such a crucial test, with ranks unbroken as we
find them to-day.
The General Master Workman then states
these trials have resulted in good for the Order,
and denied anything like official dishonesty,
inviting a thorough examination OF all the
books and accounts.
Many changes are desired in the constitution,
so as to avoid the frequent changes which are
recommended at each session. He suggests the
total abolition of the sections which provide for
organizers. The law as at present framed is a
dead letter. An examination of Sections -
and % will show that in addition to his other
duties the General Master Workman is REQUIRED
10 examine the statement OF expenses as re-
ported by the General Secretary. The Treasury
Department should be held responsible for ali
money passing through its channels, and the
General Treasurer should be vested with veto
power so far as delaying payment on bills, of
which he is in doubt, Is concerned. At present
financial affairs are intrusted to too many
hands. A responsible man should be intrusted
with the management of the finances.
After speaking of the high estimation in
W hich the Order is held by many outside of it
the General Master Workman continued =" We
have been treated to msny d!scourses during
the past year on the subject of one man power.
The chief trouble with our order is because of
the lack OF .ne-man power. Our power has
been divided in the past, and it has worked in
Jury to us. The will of this Order crystallized
into law, and imprinted upon the pages of our
constitution by the representatives here assem-
bleQ should be carried out TO the letter. To do
this the duty should be signed TO one man to
execute these laws. Where many execute law
themselves they always fail. Where each man
interprets the law for himself, there is to be
a babel of sound ard confusion. Vest in one
man the power to execute the laws which the
many favor and pass upon allow no interfer-
ence with that man in the performance of his
duty, and you may expect good results. Allow
every self-seeker every knave, every disturber
and fault-finder to interpret the laws. and we
have anarchy, pure and simple. Pandering to
ignorance by some has given rise to the i'm
preston that the man who rallied against the
one-man power was friend to the masses. No
greater mistake was ever made. The man who
tells people they can all act independently of
each other on every issue that arises, and do it
intelligently, is a demagogue. No matter how
intelligent the people may be, they must meet to
determine not what one man wants, but what
is best for all men. When they meet many
cherished theories must give way to practi-
cal ideas, and when these are enacted into
law and intrusted to the hands of one
man for enforcement every hand should be
stretched forth to aid that one man to
cary out the Will of all men rather to have. as
/ h; We had so many hands stretched forth to
sta the work that your predecessors assigned to
mt Men have been placed in Office with me
with whom would not for moment associate
in private business enterprise with any hope
of success, yet, for the sake of the good that
might follow, silence and forbearance under
such circumstances have been observed by me-
Fancy the condition in which the United
Colonies would have found themselves had the
first ten years of the United States been delegated
to such men as describe. Yet the interests of
three millions of the American People of that
day were no greater than those which were
placed in the keeping of the General Executive
Board of the Knights of Labor"
After IemarkiDg upon the influences of the
Order on public opinion, the General Master
takes up the pending questions by saying:
"The most important questions that can come
up in this body for its consideration those of
finance, land and transportation. These great
questions are up before the people tor discussion
and solution. They must be settled by the peo-
pie for il is not in the interests of the politicians
to do so. Those who control our public high
ways are reaching out with hands of steel to
grasp and control the Government itself, and it
is indeed q battle for supremacy. If the masses
remain idle and indifferent the classes will rule
through the power which comes to them
through the banking, railway and land monopo.
les II is, therefore, a duty which we should
not neglect TO select these questions which l
have pointed out and place them prominently
before our members for discussion
The General Master goes on to recommend a
special committee of three to be appointed to
take up the matter. He advocates the eoncen-
tratiOn of the energies of the Order on these
questions, and further recommends the forma-
ton of junior assemblies for educating the
younger working people. Matters OF interest.
chiefly to the Order, came in for good share OF
attention, and he favors change of time for
holding the General Assembly believing it
comes too close 10 the elections He says;
1T might happen that in the heat of a par
ticularly exciting campaign our members would
differ as to political methods and ill-feeling be
engendered. Should our annual session be held
in the midst of such contest or soon after one
it could not be productive of good as one
held at a time when every trace of excitement
anger and feeling of the campaign had died
away"
He advocates equal pay for equal work iol
women.
The Provisional Committee was referred to as
| follows: Scarcely had the gayel fallen on the
last act of the Minneapolis session then traitors
| hands were raised to destroy what it had taken
years of time and patient work to construct
| The majority of the last Convention was right
Members had legislated as they saw necessity
| for such action. They refused to pass resolu
tions with which they were not in sympathy
and at the close of the General Assembly
meeting was held in the city of Chicago will
/ the ayOMed purpose of disr1Inting the Who'll.