Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-12-03
DISINTEGRAIlON
Going on In the Ranks of the
Knights of Labcr.
THE NEW York TIMES CALLS POW
DERBY AN AUToCRAT,

And Says r. B. Barry is Preparing to Ex-
pose the Corrupt Workings Of the Gen
erAl Executive Board During the Time
He Was NIember---"What win the
dissatisfied knights Ds?' l5f Is.
New yoRK, Dec. S,--The Times says:
THE leayen Of disintegration in the order
Of the Knights Of Labor has been strength
ened by the injustice done to individuals,
local and district assemblies, and the intro.
duction of the system of autocracy in the
person of T. v. Powderly, general master
workman. The leayen will ferment and
froth until the mass win become sour.
ct B. Barry has gone home to prepare for
thorough exposure of the rottenness and
corruption Of the general executive board
during the time that he was a member. of il,
and he will afterwards start out on d tour to
work up new workingmen's organisation.
Other disguised delegates have already
begun the work of secret propaganda
against Powderly, his cabinet and the entire
ring that supports him. Even James z.
Quinn is displeased with Powderly, because
ne would not allow his friend Turner to be
elected general secretary treasurer.
DoNAu ~ 4NduBuuOuS ana
George w. Dunn, who had gone to Indian
apolis from the anti Quinn faction of Dis
trict Assembly No. 40, have not been idle
since their return from indianapolis, for
they have been able to form the nucleus OF
new organization. Whether it will be se-
cret society like the Knights of Labor, or an
open union, it is too early TO say, but the
promoters of the new scheme will not afil-
;ae n. A.. Il
because they have no faith IN Its leading
men. William Reed, another of the delegates
of the anti. Quinn party to the general
assembly, thinks that the order is doomed to
ruin. .t.,.
That Powderly is an absolute autocrat
no one will question. Should the general
executive board oppose him Reed believes
that he could and would expel any one of !
its members that would dare to assert him
self. He expelled T. B. Barry from the
general executive board before he was
clothed with autocratic power, and that in
spite Of the written constitution of the
order, which provides that a knight must
be tried before the court of his local assem- |
bly,.
Men who have thus far supported Pow.
derly will continue to support him, even il |
ne SHOULD De proved guilty or violating all |
Of the commandments. 1t is not because
they are ignorant or fanatic They are
neither the one or the other They are simply
politicians, and as long as they know that he
mas the disposing of SO much patronage
that includes salaries to the amount Of
s49, 900, they win stand ty him. aoi
las to whether money will keep coming
nto the treasury is another question, and
Reed believes that there will be a great fall.
ng off in the amount t
"What the dissatisfied knights will do is
1ot an easy question to answer. Reed has
10 faith in the American Federation of La
1sr, and he doubts whether Barry's move
nent will succeed. A careful canvass would
irst have to be made among the dissatisfied
members, and the new organization would
evelop very slowly, if at all. A
ecret organization on a large scale
5 hardly practicable, as has been
cen with the Knights of Labor, for as soon
S body of workmen becomes large its
nembers will talk and tine proceedings will
q published"