Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-09-24

The TRIBUNE recently called the atten
ton of its readers to the actions of Sc
of so-called leaders of the Knights o
Labor who were attempting to sell ou
the votes of that organization in thi
State, according to deal made between
these alleged leaders and the Republi
can party. That the betrayers might de
Quay's bidding more effectually the
members of the Legislative Convention
were reassembled at Philadelphia OF
Saturday. The call for the meeting haC
been issued by M. H. Butler, one of the
traitors and member of the X. of l.
Legislative Committee. Butler had NJ
authority whatever to call a convention
that jurisdiction being vested only in
Chairman Wright and Secretary Catfrey.
Hugh McGarvey, of Beaver Meadow,
made a vigorous protest against Captain
Buffers act. Butler admitted his mistake,
and the call was declared off.
However, it was decided that as the
delegates were present 1t would not be
worth while to adjourn without ac-
compishing something, so, acting upon
its own call, the body reconvened. The
nlotters saw that in order to carry their
point they would have to move eau
tiouslv. and POwderly led off with a
constitutional convention. The idea was
movement, and then, while the delegates
were still hot for it, to have them in
dorse the G.. NJ. W.'s candidacy as
legate-at-l large. The result was a
miserable failure so far as it tended to
fulfill the stipulations of the bargain
made with Quay. This bargain also
I.I g. 81 nf af
speakers in the field, under the guise of
constitutional convention advocates, but
to really work in the interests of Gregg,
Morrison and Quay. These lecturers,
according to programme, were to be pro-
fessional labor leaders, so common in
this State, and were to be paid by
the Knights. This had been all cut
and dried beforehand, but when it came
to deliver the goods as per contract, the
alleged leaders found themselves in a
hopeless minority, the feeling among
the delegates being in direct opposition
to consumating the deal. The constitu-
tional convention was indorsed, and a
committee appointed and instructed to
work for its success, but Powderly's
jump into the Republican party was un-
tremendously ignored.
L ne next tOHltSI CtIle WIell Il lHOllOll
was made to indorse the majority report
of the Legislative Committee, the one
signed by Wright and Butler. This has
been already commented upon by the
TRIBUNE and has been denounced by
Knights in every portion of Pennsyl-
vania. 1t is a partisan report of the
worst kind, but entirely in keeping with
the deal, and was to be used extensively
by the Republicans during this and the
next campaign. The report failed OF
adoption, and the minority report of p.
f. Caffrey was taken up, indorsed and
declared to be the only authorized report
of the Legislative proceedings.
Thus it can be seen that Butler and
Wright have been officially tabooed by
the representatives of the X. of L., and
any further gush that may emanate from
them will have no weight with voters
They, and those who were to assist
them, have been foiled in their attempt
to sell out the votes of labor organiza.
ton. 1t was a grand scheme, well
worthy to be conceived by that most
corrupt politician of the age, Matt Quay
but its death-warrant was read on Satur
| day.