The sun., 1889-11-11
DEctIMr OF THE EvreMrs OF LAsoa.
This VIII Ne strikinEly Illustrates hy she
EnnM NunnhAr NJ the Gaming Gnnxrntlnn.

| This VIII he Strikingly Illustrated hY sh,
Small Number at the CornlnE Convention.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 10-The knights o.
Labor leaders at the headquarters in this city
have packed up their baggage and effects ant
have left with all speed for Atlanta, where the
General Assembly will be convened on Tues.
day afternoon. General Master Workman
Powderly left Scranton yesterday morning for
the scene OF the coming Convention. and John
W. Hayes. General Secretary and General
Treasurer and executive officer Of the General
With four big trunks filed with important "
documents. papers, certificates, reports and
charters. He went in advance, go that he might
prepare beforehand the preliminary business
OF the Convention, In order to avoid unneces-
sary delay. A. W. Wright. ]. ]. Holland, John
Devlln. and John Costello, the other general
officers, have also started on their way to At
lanta, aud have left the headquarters here abb
solutely deserted. the four clerks employed
there having taken q vacation. and even the
iAnitor having knocked of work until the
managers OF the North Broad street establish
ment shall have returned.
These officers and about seventy-flve dele
gates will constitute the General Assembly OF
the once great order that at Richmond In 1885
comprised 700 delegates from all over tho
country. The present delegates will go main-
ly from the interior Of New York State. from
Pennsylvania, and the farming districts OF
Western and Southern States. The cities will
be but scantily represented. Philadelphia
sends one representative. Robert Clymer, en-
ployed at the headquarters: Pittsburgh sends
one. and New York city one or two
Tho attendance OF delegates and the geogra-
phy OF their representation will show more
than anything else the remarkable decline Of
the Knights. Although 1t is reported that 1870
new locals, with membership Of S,34O. have
been formed within tho past two months. 1t is
certain that the shrinkaGe on the whole has
been enormous since the General Assembly
met last November In indianapolis. The roll
call on Tuesday afternoon will be notable from
the large number Of prominent labor men con-
bsr will be Robert 3, Layton Of Pittsburgh.
city. John Morrison and George Murray Of
HsyT.o HSeT YORK; Charles sdn LtchmSp. Albert A.
Joseph r Buchanan Of Chicago. and i. B.
Barry of East Saginaw. Mich. ali Of whom
have been eminent In past Conventions. but
Raye Rnye, now IoresWorn connection with the
What will be done at the Convention will not
bureh that q light viii be made s to secure e such
alterations in the Knights constitution as to
make the further indefinite reelection Of, Mr..
Powderly impossible. and that there will be a
deal @ Of Of pickering over various other matters.
But that is Improbable. inasmuch as everything
50 arranged by Mr.. Powderly as to give him
everything he wants, enabling him to crush all
successive General Assemblies BY 9S gerryman. n
dering the locals In such a manner that the
districts opposed e him are weakened and
those supporting him strengthened by sus-
pending or expelling outright as many mall
contents as are deemed to, be dangerous.
matters Of internal government. 1.-THE the most most i'm n
portant TOPIC Tor labor interests generally to
6s 10 Of t W be
movement. In accord with the request OF the
American Federation OF Labor. which sets
circulars were sent out some time ago from
the Knights headquarters here to all the local
so that delegates to the Atlanta Convention
nigh might 60 fully informed as to the views Of
eral discussion of the question among the
various assemblies throughout the country,
interestins @ Subject Of debate W at the GO ConVen @
ton. The American Federation Of Labor.
writing their plan for the Introduction OF the
eight hour work day on May next as form9-
by h s. Of the
before the knights Assembly at an opportupe
Federation. What he Wants is hafmonious
action between the two big labor orders in the
os the
iect by Mr. PoYdery before he left for Atlanta
1t Is probable that he will not give q very en-
thusiastic support 70 the designs Of the Fedora
ton but will cGipSeide nevertheess in the gen.
The Knights can only take definite action
in relation to this movement after the General
will be guided fully by the conclusions of the |
General Assembly; The Executive Board are
must be guided by the Convention alone I |
believe in Q shorter workday. and have been |
quoted on that often enough to make 1t plain. |
Arbitration Is all that can bring It about"
Speaking upon the status Of the Knights Or |
There is not a word OF truth In the statements |
that the Knights Of Labor have been losing
oer On t6e the a ordee
has been growing rapidly within the last year.
and the greatest cause ofthe growth is the feel
manner conducive to the best interests OF the