Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-12-19

Third Dav.
! ST. LOUIS, Dec. 6.-Thc Farmers and La
! borers' Union closed their third days session
last night.
President Jones occupied the chair and
/ called the morning session to order at nine
/ O'Clock. Committees were sent out, and
/ quite an amount of routine work accom-
! plishcd. \ special committee, with Harry
! Tracey, of Texas, as chairman, was appoint
! ed to confer with McsSrs. POwderly, Beau
| mont and Wright in regard to cooperation
/ with the Knights of Labor. This took up the
| time on the morning session, and adjourn
ment was announced to h30 p. IL.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
] The afternoon session Was even over en-
| tirely to the representatives OF the knights
! of Labor, who appeared to eXpOund the
! principles of their order and let the farmers
! hear and know what they believed and were
striving for. General Master Workman Pow
derby was the first to address the body, ard
was accorded generous applause. He began
by reciting in a distinct, clear and concise
manner the history of the various labor
movements that have sprung up in this coun-
try. He reviewed the workings of the Ma
tional Labor Union, founded in 1853, and the
National Union, which started just after the
warm 1866. He then came on down to the
Industrial Brotherhood in 1885, and the
Knights of Labor, organized in 1878, and
! its workings up to the present time. He
gave forcible description of the different
phases of the labor movement, the obstacles
they had TO contend in fighting for recOgni-
ton before the public, and also recognition
in dealing with employers. In this review
Mr.. POwderly showed that he was thorough
ly cOnversant with all the information relat-
ing to labor organizations for twenty five
years past. He touched but lightly on the
subject of cooperation between the Knights
of Labor and the Farmers md LabOrers
Union, but his remarks in this respect were
cautious and judicious, and the sentiments
expressed were just the kind to
please the farmers, as was evil
denced by their frequent applause. Mr..
POwderly told them that whatever the
Farmers and LabOrers' Union was working
for, he thought there would be no trouble
in having the knights join in in part, and, in
fact, he believed the Knights would go the
entire programme with them. He did not
come to ask the farmers to indOrse any
thing in the knights of Labor platform that
they deemed inconsistent with their views,
and on the other hand he didn't think the
farmers would ask the knights to indorse
any thing contrary to their principles. But
there was unequivOcally some great prin-
cples identical to both bodies, upon which
both could unite, and with their
combined strength and influence bring about
legislation that both classes desire.
These questions identical with both
bOdies-Or, at least, some of them-were
land ownership and taxes, transportation of
products and financial matters. The knights,
he f1atteringly, but sincerely declared, are
willing to aid the farmer in obtaining laws
that will allow Il proper remuneration for
his labor and produce. The cooperation of
the two organizations could be effected on
these lines by establishing sort of trustee
ship, or commission, composed of Knights
and farmers, who would have charge of all
matters of Legislation agreed upon by both
bodies. 1t might be called National execu-
tveGommittee of knights and Farmers, who
would look after legislation.
General j. \. Weaver, of Iowa, appeared
on the platform in the afternoon, and made
aspeech at some length, the main argument
of which was confined to the great corpora
tiOns. He said that the Constitution of the
United States declared that the Government
should control and regulate commerce, ana
that Daniel Webster in a speech in the Senate
interpreted that to be three prominent fact
ors: lj Currency, which was promoter of
commerce, and the Government could regu-
late that. (2) Transportation of the products
Of the country. 81 Transmission of ntelli-
gence by the postal and telegraph systems.
Mr. Weaver said the Government had
farmed ont these great prerogatives which
belonged to the people. The National cur
called National banks. The transportation
of products had been farmed out to great
railway corporations. The transmission of
intelligence in the form of the telegraph was
owned by one man virtually. The result was
that the Government was nothing but bull.
The first thing the people want to do is to re-
gain the possession of these rights farmed
out to corporations. When they have ACCOM-
plished that they could then consider that
the Government had been restored to the
peoplc-whcre it belongs.
Mr.. Ralph Beaumont, of New York, and
Mr.. y. NJ. Wright, of Toronto, Ont, members
of the Knights of Labor committee, spoke
three quarters of an hour each on knights
of Labor prize iples.
stump" Ashby, of Texas, in his own witty
way, replied for the farmers, and assured
the knights that cooperation could no
doubt be effected.
During the afternoon the National ALI
ance in a body was admitted with a cordial
greeting. No consolidation has yet been ef-
fected. The matter comes up for considera-
tion day. The joint committee of the two
bodies decided upon plan like this: \ CEN
trail organization composed of members from
both bodies should be established to con-
tinue for a year, but work independently,
yet in line with the National Farmers and
Laborers' Union, and also work on some
specific questions not noticed at present by
the Farmers and Laborers' Union. At the
end of the year if the States had ratified the
proposition, then the Alliance
would die and be merged into the Farmers
and Laborers' Union.
The night session heard partial report of
the committee on constitution. The Mer-
chants Exchange sent an invitation for the
farmers to appoint n committee of confer
ence to improve Western waterways.
Fourth Day.
ST. LOUIS. Dec. T-Yesterday's session of