The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-11-16
General Master Workman
POwderly's Report.
THE SECRErARY'S STATEMENT.
Interesting The Important
Questions-Other Matters.
The X. of L. Convention.

mornings session of the Knights OF
Labor convention was devoted to
further reports and routine business
There GRs time for but two reports be-
fore adjournment-thosefr from PoWderly
and ex-Secretary Litchman. Pow
derly's report took two hours, and
Litchman followed for one hour and
twenty minutes. They were not given
to the press. Powderly's address is a
detailed review for the past two years
of his administration. 1t is said
to be an interesting document.
Only two reports were heard at the
morning session, both being very long
On account of certain little unnecessary
formalities having been overlooked,
PoWderly's report was withheld until
late in the afternoon. litchman's re-
port was in manuscript but was held
back for the same reason.
fSEHE GENERAL MAsTERwoRKMAN's RE-
PORT
begins as follows:
For nineteen years the order of the
knights of Labor has maintained its
existence in the face of circumstances
most discouraging and Cisheartening.
Struggling forward in its infancy be-
meath the veil of secrecy, it met with
opposition from those in whose behalf
it contended. Later on. it faced the
world as an advocate of justice for the
poor and found all who were enemies of
the oppressed arrayed 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 principles ten
years ago, this order has had the OPP
position of I'll who despised these
principles, but the year whose ending
we witnessed at this session has been
most trying and discouraging to those
whose wish it was to see a harmoni-
Gus blending of all classes of workers
beneath the shield of Knighthood.
MANY CAUSES COMBINED
to reduce the number of those who
sgore 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 make up of the mem
bership of labor organizations When
the rumor went forth from the enemies
ping down, those members who looked
to others for what they should do them
selves dropped out also. When differ
auce of opinion between the general
officers became heralded broadcast by
those who always magnified their hum
bugs and who looked for unity among
officers, instead of doing their duty by
waiting until they could replace these
officers with others, withdrew from the
order temporarily. The story so often
circulated and so wonderfully magni-
fed, of the extrayag nee of the general
officers, frightened others, and they too
stood still until this session would as
semble. In the ranks were men whose
love of self predOminated, whose selfish
desires would not be suppressed for the
common veal and on no OCCASION would
they consent TO SINK self for the good
of all
THE oFT-ToLD STORY
of their grievances sickened and drove
many from the order.
With an executive board whose MEM
bers we're not in harmony with each
other, who travelled from place to place
denouncing their fellow-oficers and
condemning actions they were not
responsible for, 1t could not be
wondered that we have lost members.
Unwise strikes, which were entered
upon against the laws and principles
J of Knights of Labor swept thousands of
our members into poverty and forced
NStnem from the order. Add to all these
cases the Campaign which has just
closed in the United States, in which
members and assemblies were pitted
against each other on question which
never was made part of the declaration
of principles and on which they could
verv we'll afford to differ without differ
ence as to any laws and rules of the or
der, and we wonder not that there has
been faliog off. But we have passed
through the crucial test with our ranks
unbroken as we find them tc-1ay.
Mr.. Powderly states further that
these trials resulted IN good for Inc
order and denied anything like Of
Ecial dishonesty, inviting thorough
examination OF ail the books and docu-
ments.
MANY CHANGES ARE DESIRED
in the constitution SO as to avoid the
a wbiob rooOrn-