The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-11-21
THEY STAND BY POWDERLY
Changes in Laws of Knights of Labor
to Suit His Wishes and Purposes.
This Being Done He Will Doubtless Want An
other Term as General Master Workman
An Open Letter from Thomas b. Barry.

There seems to be but little for the General
Assembly, Knights of Labor, to do, aside from
adopting ali the recommendation General
Master Workman Powderly made in his annual
address, elect officers and adjourn. The efforts
of Powderly TO have the order ruled practically
by one man and that man himself have been
bearing fruit ever since the assembly met, and
now there seems TO be no doubt bet that he will
hereafter be the autocrat, with his old title Of
general master workman. AS be appointed all
the committees, he naturally selected men
whom he knew were in harmony with his
views, and with almost a two-thirds
the committees recommend is Endorsed.
Yesterday morning the committee on laws sub
miited q partial repors. embracing certain
changes in the constitution, the first amend
ments relating to the consolidation Of Offices
and the methods OF election. In this connection
it was recommended that Section 10 of Article
III of the constitution be so changed as to pro-
vide for the following officers: General master
workman, general worthy foreman, gen
eral director OF woman's work, general
executive board o: five, including the general
master workman, instead of seven, as now;
general cooperative board OF three. including
the general worthy foreman. instead OF
six. as at present. and general
sscretary-treasurer. instead OF two separate
officers as now. 1t was further recommended
that all these officers should be nominated upon
the floor of the General Assembly. and elected
by ballot, a majority OF the vote to make the
choice. The term OF cfice WAS fixed at two
years, as now. The duties OF the various officers
were specifically named in the report. those of
the general master workman including his
acting as ex oficio chairman of the general ex-
ecutive board. The general worthy foreman
Is provided with the chairmauship ex oiicio Of
the general cooperative board. In selecting q
general executive board .he general master
workman is &c submit 10 the General Assembly
the names OF eight Knights eligible to the posi-
ton from which the assembly is TO
choose four members of the board.
The general cooperative boa.d, it is provided in
the report, shall be composed of three Knights,
taken from a list OF four TO be submitted by the
general worthy foreman.
The forenoon was spent in discussing these
proposed amendments. There was little OBJ
position to consolidating the Offices of general
secretary and treasurer. as the delegates recog-
niZed the necessity Of such q step as a matter Of
economy, but the other changes were
bitterly opposed, the opposition COM
ing from the delegates who have here
tofore contested Powderly's Autocratic
movements. Powderly did not make a speech,
but his friends urged In his behalf that a gen.
oral master workman could no. accomplish the
best results unless the executive t>ard was IN
harmony with him, and the only va to secure
a board of that kind was to allow him TO name
II himself. Charles II. Litchman spoke strong
ly in favor of all the amendments, declaring,
from his experience III the general Office. that
they were absolutely necessary. George A.
ALL A. -
;stration was putting too much power in the
hands OF q few, and removing from thu dele.
gates all there was worth having. Several
amendments to the committees report were de-
featec. One was TO allow the general master
workman to nam twelve knights. from whom
the assembly could select the executive board,
and another was TO make the term Of the gen.
eral officers one instead of two years. In adopt
ing the report ninety-three voted for, and fifty
four against 10. This action makes the amend
ments n part of the constitution Of the order.
At the afternoon session 8 resolution from
the con mitteeo on laws embodyipg tho sugges-
ton OF Powdsrly that the time of tho annual
meeting be changed so as not to come directly
before or directly after the elections was re-
ported upon adversely. It was the first time
the committee had refused to act upon a sueees-
ton from the general master workman. and a
concurrence an the report OF the ommitt
caused considerable amusement
The committee recommended that Article %
o. the constitution be amended so a. to permit
the general master workman TO MI by appoint
ment all vacancies occurring III the general ex-
ecutvs board. This was another step
in the direction OF the ons-man pow
g.. Is heretofore the vacancies could
only be supplied by the General Assembly.
Among the other recommendations were the
following: That the general secretary-treasurer
he required to submit weekly instead Of daily
financial statements; that any member of the
general executive board may audit the accounts
of the general secretary treasurer, instead of re-
curing the general master workman to do the
work, as now; that the secretary treasurer shall
furnish quarterly itemiZed accounts OF the
financial condition OF the order, and that he
shall send out quarterly a list of local Assem- olies
and their standing in the order: that the seat of
any general officer may Do declared vacant by a
majority vote OF the General Assem-
bly,; that the condemnation of the pro-
visionai committee by General Master Workman
these matters, together with several others of
minor Importance regarding the governments of
the order, were copcurred in by the assembly.
The on law then stated shat il
would not report on quite a number of docu-
msnts thai had come TO il because Of irregulari,y
In their presentation.
The cooperation committee followed with a
partial report IL recommended that the reso-
luton endorsing the Industrial News Bloom
ers papsrl, published at Toledo, be withdrawn.
This was approved. The committee on mile
age reported that the delegates would
travel, IN coming to the assembly and
returning home, q total of 1S9. $50 miles.
This will require an allowance OF 1885.
The greatest distance travelled was by the dele
gate from BELGIUM, who was allowed four cents
. mile for S.3l4 miles. AS it's concluding work
made BY Genera. Master Workman Powderly
during the last wear.