The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-07-25
TO MEET IN THE SOUTH.

TO MEET IN THE SOUTH.
r,c General Assembly Of the knights Or
Labor to Ec Held In Atlanta. Ga., ON
Tuesday. November 1g-The Executive
Hoard in session in Chtcago-Powderly
Says tho Order Is Prospering.
CHICAGO. July 11---Tcrcnce v. Powderly
Grand Master Workman of the Knights of
Labor. Is in this city with several members
Of tho Executive Committee Of the Grand
Lodge, discussing mcaIs for rcviyifyinr the
o-dcr.
The members of the board present b0-
fidcs Mr.. Powdcrly are John ". Hayes, OF
Philadelphia, general secretary treasurer;
John Dcvlin, Detroit, Mich; J. J. Holland.
Jacksonville, Fla: A. W. Wright, Toronto,
Ont. and John Costello, president.
About noon the executive board Of the
Knights OF Labor went into executive ses-
sio:I, which was continued throughout the
day and evening until late hour. The
hrst business of the board was the selec-
tion Of tho time and place of the next gem
eral assembly It was decided that 1t
Eiould be- held at Atlanta, Ga. on the
sccond Tuesday in November.
In an interview Mr. Powderly says tho
present meeting Of the board is a quarterly
meeting called In Chicago for the con-
vcncnce OF Northwestern assemblies to
save them tho time and expense of jour
ncy to Philadelphia The statement that
this is an exceptional meeting Mr. Powder
y claims to be untrue. and says: Every
one knows we meet wherever convenience
suggests. and rs a matter of fact met here
In Chicago two years ago" The board will
continue IN SCssion several DAYS
Mr.. Powder.y was told of the many con-
lectures made rs to the object of this West
ern trip-that the order was so broken up
In the East that it was to be abandoned and
rally in the West made; that the board.
alarmed at Barry's activity, was coming to
extend him the olive branch; and that
many other equally extravagant departures
we're In the minds or the master workman
md his staff. Mr.. Powderly smiled pleas
antly at some OF these and sayagcly at
others, while for all he had nothing but
contempt
I'VE are not here to abandon the East, y
said lle THE suggestion is born Of an in.
sane fancy or the most malicious design.
1 never heard or dreamed of such thing,
and these wild commentators might rs well
say that We came to Chicago for any other
foolish purpose that their folly or venom
] prompts them to say.
.Wc arc not here" he then said, ITO cx-
tend to MIR Barry the olive branch or to
! give him any notice or consideration what
ever. II he is in Chicago do not know II,
nor does his whereabouts affect the course
Of my movements any moro than the dust
I i'll the road We arc not in the least iota
influenced by Mr.. Barry or his people. He
! and they are not OF ua
The general master workman was then
told that there We're q number Of I'm ghts OF
Labor who pretended to be in good stand
ing in the order who were also members Of
Barry's so-called brotherhood
| what will be done ii tho cases of these
men are brought up" was asked
"The names of all SUCH" said Mr. Pow
derby, emphaticaily, will. when brought to
orr notice, be erased from our list unless
.iaey surrender their membership to the
other No Knight OF Labor can or will
belong to Barry's organization or any
other association formed for the pur-
pose OF undermining the order of the
knights Of Labor. This does not include
OF course. the Trades Assembly. Central
Labor Union and other associations work
ing celiaterally and in harmony with us;
hut it does most positively bear on Barry's
scheme Z
Tic many reports OF the failing condi
t!oa OF the Knights of Labor were brought
to ilr. Powderly's attention.
That said he, is an impression par.
ticu.ariy marked in Chicago by the fact thai
.hc order has suffered from factional fcud.
here 1t is not to be found SO elsewhere
consider the order in healthy and
growing condition. far outstripping the
showing OF last year. We grew with toe
rapid strides and to moderate
Il. ;,,
attendant upon the eight-hour movement
That we should experience . relaxation
from this glut Of numbers was natural
We entered 1886 with 5000 members II
good standing. and on September of tha
year had 100000 names enrolled on ou
books. We didn't want such big crowd
Much Of it was unfit material for the or
der
DO you refcre to the socialistic ele
ment:' was asked.
Yes; to that" said Mr. Powderiy. .'ans
other overweight or ignorant element
which soon found themselves not ut home.
"What is your present membership Of til,
ORDER
Something more than .oo, ,OcO. and grow
ing with n steady, intelligent growtl
Now, while we show decrease j,
the matter OF numerical membership
since 1885, We show a very tattcrin,
advance over last year. The cncmie
OF the Knights of Labor always omi
that fact The truth is, the orde
is fiourishing and as strong almost as it
most ardent friend might wish Il am fire
to say. however, = he continued. that thcr
has been unusual trouble In Chicago
Though we still have about 1,O09 left her
there is much to be done TO improve til
order. and am confident that it will b
DONE"
Mr. Powderly was asked about the eight
hour movement laid out for next year, be
ginning May |. He said that the projec
had not originated with the Knights 4
Labor but with the Federation of Trade.
and he could not speak upon Il
Furthermore, he hesitated to max
an open declaration upon sue
q matter of principle. US he pre-
ferred to leave that to the Judgment of th
order, and personally avoid the charge {
autocracy. He was, however. very plaini
in favor Of the eight-hoAlr movement I
any rat:onal procedure toward fewer hom
Of labor.