Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1890-12-15
MIR. POWDERLY'S POLICY.
SOME OF HIS RECOMMENDS TONS TO
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,.


for IA One Plank Platform-what the
Success of the Farmers Means-A Rail-
way Fedora tion-.New York Notes.
The general assembly of the Knights
of Labor. which met in Denver recently,
did nothing Of Importance. unless the
election of officers can be so classed.
Mr.. Powderly was quoted as saying be-
fore the convention assembled that 1.-The
election OF officers" 1t is certainly not
IN encouraging state of affairs when the
annual ln-cting Of this once great organ
ization. whose aims have been so high,
can lind nothing to do of more conse-
Quence than the distribution Of the posi-
tons which pay. And hope / will not
he deemed unraturally prejudced when
say that the convention did poorly in
disposing of this one important" mat
ter. The Knights of Labor has long
needed new blood at the head, and it
was hoped that Mr. Powderly and his
official associates of the past four or
five years would realize this, and for the
sake of the order be willing to stand
aside. But the hope has proved for
lorn one.
AS | said some time ago in this CORE
spondence, when an organization be-
comes known as the property of one
man it's days of usefulness are over; and
the Denver convention showed beyond
all doubt that the Knights of Labor is
the property Of Mr.. T. V. Powderly.
For three years he has made the pro-
grammes. and they have been carried
out. It is true there has been opposi
ton, hut it has not been OF sufficient
strength to break the grip of Mr. Pow
derby. What the results of this one
man power have been is clear to all.
members. The statement that the G.
NJ w. and his associates We're reelected
as an appreciation Of their excellent add
ministration of the orders finances
during the past year is buncombe. The
deficit of $4,000 a year ago and the sur
plus of $1S, 900 at present proves nothing.
The same master hand has been at the
helm since long before the deficit was
reported. And it is said that the present
surplus is due to money advanced by
District Assembly No. 81.
The general assembly. at the sugges-
ton of the q. M. W.. discontinued the
cooperative board. This board had been
in existence since 1884. and its discon-
tinuance is an admission that the order
AS promoter of cooperation has been
dismal failure. The members Of the
board have not been altogether to blame
for this failure: they have been handi-
capped by the general officers. 1t was
said at Denver that the board was not
needed, as everything relating to CO
operation had to come before the execu-
tive board anyhow. There is where the
trouble has been. The money squandered
by the general officers in 1885, S7-some-
thing like quarter of million-if put
into cooperative enterprises, would have
done the order inestimable good and
have put it in possession of something
more substantial to build upon than
mere name and the fame of one man.
There is no sense in the great gusto
which has followed the Recommendation
of Mr.. Powderly that assemblies discuss
the tariff question. The suggestion is
only All echo Of what has been heard in
the unions and assemblies for years. II
on this and other economic questions he
has intelligent opinions--knows which
side he is on-why does he not come out
fat footed and announce his principles