Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-21
MIR. DEwEY's SUSPENSION.
What Prominent X. Of L. Men Here
Think and Say of the Action.

what prominent NJ OF Il. Men Here
Think and Say of the Action.
THEY THINK HE BELIEVED HE WAS RroHr IN
DOING As HE DID AND II HE WAS WRONG
OTHERS SHOULD ALSO BE DIscrPLrNKp-sour
OF HIS ASSOCIATES TALK.
The General Assembly of the Knights of
Labor at its session in Denver yesterday sus-
pended Mr.. A. NJ. Dewey for five years for his
action during the recent election In Pennsyl-
vania. when, it 10 charged. Mr.. Dewey at.
tempted TO influence the X. of L. vote in favor
Of Delamater. Dispatches from Denver
state that his offense was slandering
members in the press, surreptitiously
and improperly using list Of adj
dresses Of secretaries of local assemblies and
offering his services to write articles for q
the order and its oficers. Had 1t not
been for Powderly. the press dispatches say,
he would have been expelled.
MIR. DEwEY's CAREER HERE.
A. NJ. Dewey came to this city in July, 1889,
and has ever since filled tho responsible posi-
ton Of storekeeper at the government printing
Office, where all the supplies. except only heavy
paper, pass through his hands. He has been very
prominent in K. Of L. and temperance matters
and has frequently addressed local audiences
He holds his K. OF L. membership
in Philadelphia assembly. Those who know
him say he 10 conservative man and very pop
ular. He was for time editor and BUSH
ness manager of the Knights of Labor Journal
and under his care it was enlarged and I'M
proved materially. Through his efforts the
circulation of the Journal was raised from
rs 900 to 90, 600, and he made it the finest labor
advocate in the world Mr.. Dewey ia in Denver
at present. having gone thither to attend the
meeting OF the general assembly.
MR.. PATTERSON TELLS STORY.
$50 they have suspended Dewey" said L. H.
Patterson. proof reader in the government
printing Office and a prominent Knight Of
Labor, q member Of the general assembly of
that order. He was talking to STAR reporter.
81 knew Powderly and Hayes were both after
him, but didn't believe they would get him in
a corner. What was the troubled It's not a
long story.
dewey was president Of the Pennsylvania
state labor convention which met at Harris
burg last year. As evidence that he was recog-
nized as president OF that convention il may
be stated that he was authorized to call the
next convention and fix the time Of its meet
ing. At the opening OF the convention of 1889
complaint was made because the former chair
man had made no movement on behalf Of the
knights in the matter of labor legislation. Mr.
considered it his duty under the circumstances,
the secretary having died, to interrogate the
candidates for governor as to their views on
labor bills likely to come before them for their
signature. Mr.. Delamater answered promptly
and very satisfactorily. After waiting three
weeks and not receiving any reply from Patti
son, Dewey notified the assemblies throughout
Pennsylvania of the result Of his inquiries,
giving the questions propounded and the an
swers of Mr.. Delamater, also copies OF the let
ters he had sent Mr.. Pattison.
In the meantime Mr.. Powderiy was sending
out similar questions, and learning what Dewey
was doing he wrote him protesting against his
action and denying his authority. Mr.. Dewey re-
piled, defending his position, and the correspond
ence was afterward made public through the
newspapers. So far as I am aware the answers
of the candidates to Mr.. Powderly's letters, if
any answers were ever received, were not sent
to the assemblies, as they should have been.
OTHERS OUGHT TO BE DISCIPLINED.
1T is rather surprising that Mr.. Dewey
should have been singled out for discipline
He did only what he believed to be his duty.
Why is there no action taken in the case OF T..
b. Mcguire and Hugh McGarvey and John
Butler? Mcguire is very prominent knight
and lecturer in the order. Hugh Nc
Garvey is hardly less prominent and both
are members Of the general assembly. Both of
them stumped the state against Delamater,
but they are allowed to escape. John Butler
arranged a number Of public meetings In the
interest of Delamater and used all his pc wer
as one OF the strong men Of the order to aid
the republican nominee. Nothing has been
done in his CASE
what has been the nature of Dewey's rela-
tions with Powderly?' asked the reporter.
dewey has always been regarded as a friend
Of Powderly's. but when Dewey left the Journal
of the Knights OF Labor-the official paper
there was some personal Misunderstanding be-
tween him and John w. Hayes, the general
secretary. Dewey had applied to Hayes for a
list Of assemblies in the state before sending
ont his circular and Hayes refused to loan il, so
Dewey used the old list
"WiIl Dewey call tho convention now that
he has been suspended by the general assem-
bly?"
II expect So" replied Mr.. Patterson, "he
has not been suspended from membership in
the order and it is therefore almost certain
that he will call that convention to meet in
Harrisburg next month"
NOT MUCH MAaNANIMITY.
A member Of the order who has been posted
on the various proceedings in the Dewey case
stated to STAR reporter today that the mag
nanimity OF Mr.. Powderly in influencing the
order to suspend instead Of expelling Mr.,
Dewey did not amount to a great deal. The
suspension for five years would lose to the order
the good will and adherence OF Mr. Dewey and
many of his friends, and his expulsion would
have effected no more. Mr.. Dewey's technical
offense, he said, was the having in his posses
sion an official list Of addresses of the assem-
biies, something which could lawfully be in the
possession Of the secretary Of the executive
committee only.
MIR. Dewey had and made use of list which
he had obtained two years ago, while he was
editor Of the knights OF Labor Journal
The members of the order in Pennsylvania,
The STARS informant stated, generally sup
ported the democratic party in the late election
because that party favored the Australian bal
lot system, while the republicans there opposed
ii. Knights Of Labor favored it because they
wanted u system by which workingmen could
vote without fear Of espionage or any form Of
bulldoZing at the polls
The controversy between Mr.. Powderly and
Mr.. Dewey would have been dropped entirely,
said the knight Of Labor, If a man in Balti-
more to whom Dewey had written letter had
not sent the letter to Powderly. In this
letter Mr.. Dewey had criticised Mr. Powderly.
After Mr.. Dewey's circulars were sent out to
the assemblies in Pennsylvania Mr.. Powderly
sent out one to counterfeit its effect, stating,
that Dewey was acting without
authority and rejecting personally upon Dewey.
TWO GIRLS JOINED TOGETHER.
A Twelve-Year-Old Risks Her Life to