Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1889-08-19
ORDER.
The Master WOrkman's Regular
Annual Resignation.
PLANS FOB REvTvIEa THE ORDER


Depleted Treasury-EIccting Delegates
10 ho Atlanta Conventional Pro-
posed Campaign Against the Reading.
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 10. = General
Ma ter Workman Powderly, SO it is an
nounced, may resign from his position
as head Of the knights OF Labor. With
perennial freshness some such announce
ment Is annually made at this season,
when delegates are being elected to the
knights general assembly, but each re-
curing year sees Mr.. Powderly still in
his place.
As John Morrison, OF New York, the
red0ubfable Home club kicker said
two years ago, it il "a venerable, time
honored, dust covered chestnut.
or. Powderly's Annual Declaration.
Just before the Cleveland session OF
the Knights general assembly, SIR Pow
derry made the same declaration,
coupled with the proviso, il the knights
wanted him to. just before the klch-
mond convention this identical dcclara-
tion was repeated; likewise before the
Minneapolis convention; and at that ses-
sion he ungualifiediy asserted that he
could not ~ induced to serve again after
the expiration Of that term. He did not
resign, however, at the ensuing conven-
ton held at indianapolis last November,
and now il remains 20 be seen whether
he will do 50 or not at the convention
which is to meet at Atlanta, Ca, i'm No
yeniber this year
In case he should, he will be sadly
missed II need not be surprising If he
does step down and out, for the circum-
Stances In which the order of Knights
just now is placed are such as to render
its leader thoroughly heart sick, hedged
about with difficulties and harassed by
humiliating embarrassments.
Elccting Delegates to Atlanta.
Among the district assemblies of the
Knights throughout the country, from
now until the middle of September,
elections OF delegates to the Atlanta con-
ventlon will be held, and it is this fact
that makes the question of Mr.. Pow
derlys resignation or continuance
timely one. 1t is important to him and
his adherents that the delegates to be
elected shall be friendly, and, inasmuch
as a statement or his intention to resign
has the effect of disarming opposition,
the utility Of such action as political
expedient is readily seen.
The Knights' Ranks Depleted.
A great change has been wrought in
the Knights of Labor. MIR. Powderly's
duties, for instance, have been so ma
terially decreased and the amount of his
leisure SO literally increased that, as q
bosom friend of his says with some de-
gree of exultation, he has been enabled
to file himself for the practice of law, and
is now prepared to hang out his profess
sional Single at Scranton or elsewhere
whenever he may wish.
A glace at tho labor field will reveal
the general situation. The ranks of the
knights III the industrial and manufac-
turing centcrs throughout New England,
New York CITY and vicinity, Newark
and south Jersey, Wilmington Balti-
more, this city and the west have been
depleted to such an extent that it is dis
heartening. The dissolution of assem-
hlies has taken place by the hundreds
almost everywhere, and In the strong
holds of the once all powerful Knights,
the name and purpose of the organiza-
ton are like song of the past. Indeed,
the revulsion of sentiment is so great as
70 be almost beyond belief, were evil
dences of the fact less numerous and Wis
ible.
rowderlyss Tall Programme.
During the ensuing winter, unless he
resigns, Mr.. Powderly proposes TO Rdvo-
cate throughout what is left of the order
the Introduction OF the eight hour work
day. ballot reform, the seizure of the
anthracite coal lands b. the government
aud the establishment of a public tele-
graph system. Besides these move
ments. conciliatory advances toward the
powerful trades unions VIII be con-
tinued, with tie object of cementing the
ranks of labor on the general principle
Of self protection. War has been de-
clared against the Philadelphia and
Reading Railroad, Coal and iron COM
paniVS, but. inasnluca as Mr.. Powderly
failed to lift d finger in behalf Of the
Reading employees eighteen months ago
when President Austin C1rbin was en-
Eaged IN smashing them. both railr0ad-
ers aud miners. il difficult to see how
the battle IS now to he waved when the
knights are no longer employed by that
CORPORATION.
Eabnr Unions pro~uerfng.
The Knights, however. have been In
stKuctcd to sign any paper disclaiming
Allegiance to labor unions in order 70
enter the Readings employ. and after
their secret organization siall have be-
come strong enough then to show fight
il an unexpected emergency.
Meanwhile + =. Barry rival order Of
KNIGHTS of Labor. and the improved and
purified order begun by the original as
Societies 1T Uriah Ii, Stevens, are
iangnishing Cor want OF members. and
the various families Of Knights. taken
collectively. are IN had way But the
open trades and labor unions. on the con-
s9ary. undcr the banner Of the American
Federation. are not only holding their
own, but iii 4 quiet way are making
steady .of0nreSs over the country
Damages for an elixir Experiment.
CINCINNATI. Aug. 10.-The doctors