Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-11-16
ASSEMBLED KNIGHTS.
Proceedings Of the Indianap.
oils Conference.
POWDERLY'.s ANNUAL REPORT
He Believes in Ruling All Busy
Bodies and Kickers Out
of the Ranks.

INDIANAPOLIS, November 10. - This
mornings session of the Knights of Labor
Convention was devoted to further re-
ports and routine business. There was
time for but two reports before adjourn
ment, those from Powderly and ex-Secre-
tary Lichtman. Powderly's report took
two hours and Lichtman followed for one
hour and twenty minutes. Powderly's
address is detailed review of the past
two years OF his administration.
On account OF certain little unnecessary
formalities having been overlooked Pow
derlys report was withheld from the
press until late in the afternoon. LIGHT
mans report was in manuscript, but was
held back for the same reason.
MR.. PowDERLY's REPORT.
The General Master Workman's report
begins as follows: For nineteen years
the Order OF the Knights of Labor has
maintained an existence in the face of
circumstances most discouragipg and dis
heartening struggling forward in it's in
fancy beneath the veil of secrecy, it met
with opposition from those in whose be-
half it contended. Later on it faced the
world as an advocate of justice for the
poor, and found all who we're the
enemies of the oppressed arrayed against
it. In all of these years it has
suits of many whose interests it
served. Since the adoption of a
declaration of principles ten years
ago the order has had the opposition Of
all who despised their principals, but the
year, whose ending we witness at tt is
session, has been most trying and dis
couraging to those whose wish was to zee
the harmonious blending of all classes Of
workers beneath the shield OF Knight
hood. Many causes has combined to re-
duce the number of those who swore al
legiance to the Knights of Labor; the cir
culation Of false statements concerning g
the strength of the order drove away
thousands, who regarded quantity as be-
ing superior to quality in the make-u
of membership af labor organization.
When the rumor went forth s.irom the
enemies quarters that the numbers were
dropping down, these members who
looked to others for what they should dc
themselves dropped out also. When a
divergence of opinion between the gen
eral officers became heralded broadcast,
and those runners always magnifed
! those members who looked for unity
among the officers, instead of doing theil
duty by waiting until they could re-
place these officers with others, with
drew from the Order temporarily. With
the story 80 often circulated it is not te
be wondered at that we have
lost numbers. Unwise strikes, which
were entered upon against the laws ant
principles of the Knights of Labor, swept
thousands Of our members into poverty
and forced them from the Order. Add t.
all of those causes the campaign which
has just closed in the United States, il
which members and Assemblies were
pitted against each other on question
which never was made part of the decla
ration of principles, and on which they
could very we'll afford to differ without
differing on any point in the laws or rules
| of the Order, and We wonder not that
there has been a falling off, but tha,
we have passed through the crucial
test with well-filled ranks. And the Sc
wonderfully magpifed reports of the ex-
travagance of the general officers, FRIGHT
ened others, and they too stood still un-
til this session would 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 occasion would they consent
to sink self for the good of all. The oft
told story of their grievances sickened
aud drove many from the Order. With
an Executive Board whose members
were not in harmony with each other,
who travelled from place to place de-
nouncing their fellow-oficers and con-
demning actions they were not RESPONSE
BILE for, it is strange that the ranks are as
unbroken as we find them to-day.
CHANGES IN CONSTITUTION RECOMMENDED.
Continuing his report Mr.. Powderly
states that these trials resulted in good
for the order, and he denies ANYTHING
like official dishonesty, inviting a thor.
ough examination of all the books and
accounts. Many changes are desired in
the constitution, he says, 80 as to avoid
the frequent changes which are recon-
mended at each session. He recon-
mends the total abolition of the sections
which provide for the appointment and
government of the examining organizers.
The law as at present framed is dead
letter. An examination of Sections
22 and % will show that in adj.
dition to his other duties, the General
Master Workman is required to examine
the statement of expenses as reported by
the General Secretary. The Treasury
should be held responsible
Tor all the money passing through it's
channels, and the General Treasurer
should be vested with the veto mower.
so far as delaying payment on bills of
which ne is in doubt is concerned. At
present he thinks the financial affairs
are intrustcd into too many hands. A
responsible party should be intrusted
with the management Of the finances.
PLEA FOR MORE oNE.MAN POWER.
After speaking of the high estimation
in which the Order is held by many out
side OF it, and showing the multiplicity
of the detail he must look after, he con-
We have been treated to MANY
discourses during the past year on the
subject OF one-man power. The chief
trouble with our order is because of the
lack of one-man power. Our power has
been divided in the past, and it has
worked an injury to us. The will of the
Order, crystalized into law, and i'm.
printed upon the pages of our constitu-
lion by the representatives here assem-
oled, should be carried out to the letter.
To do this the duty is assigned
% one man to execute these laws. Where
many execute the law themselves they