The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1891-1893, 1892-11-17
THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
SiNrEEN TIL GENERAL ASSEussI.y
IN SESSION IN ST. LOUIS.
sIrahd Master Workman PoWderly
Delivers His Annual NIes.are
Reports of OHicers-General


ST. Louis, Mo, Nov. ia general
desire to get through the work in hand
as quickly as possible, prevails among
the delegates to the sixteenth general as
sembly of the Knights of Labor.
Last night committees were in session
as late as midnight, and this morning
Mr. Powderly says he hopes the conven-
tion may be able to adjourn by next Sat
urday night, but it is not probable that
his hopes will be realized The disposi
tion to keep the names Of the delegates
to the convention out of the papers as
much as possible prevails, as at former
assemblies of the body, though in q
lesser degree. In past years large mum
Der Of delegates attended the convention
without the knowledge of their employ
eis and did not want publicity given to
their presence for fear OF losing their
positions.
w. j. Bishop, secretary of the Massa
chusetts state assembly, Knights of La
Dor, urges Boston as the next place of
meeting. The Knights have bitter enc.
mics in Boston, and the presence of the
general assembly, Mr.. Bishop argued,
would serve to encourage the local
Knights at the Hub to be steadfast to
their duty as members of the order
The annual address of Grand Master
Workman Powderly was extremely
lengthy. occupying over an hour in its
delivery. He congratulated his hearers
upon the present condition of the order.
reviewed its many periods of prosperity
and depression, and said that although
since its existence the mem bership Of the
order had ebbed and flowed, yet to dav
it was on the increase. All through the
exciting times incident to the Presiden-
tial election the order had steadily grown
in membership and influence; at no time,
however, had the membership exceeded
600, 900 in good standing. Reviewing
the labor movement, Mr. Powderly sal
that there are too many labor organiza-
tions struggling for supremacy.
After speaking at length ON the ques
tion Of ballot reform and on the initiative
and the referendum scheme and urging
that the general assembly take specific
action on both questions, Mr.. Powdery
proceeded TO dwell in detail on the mat
ter of immigration. He said that 81,
years ago he had declared in favor of the
restriction of immigration, aud although
his views were not received with favor
by the order, he had not changed them
but on the contrary he made them mort
rigid. He b, ,l!eSe | III the total exclusion
of all immigrants who are not self sup
porting on lauding in this country
There should be fixed term of years
ten would be enough, during which
no immigrant should be permitte(
to land with a view to remaining
|, unless he could prove that he had suffi
cient means to sustain himself and thos,
dependent upon him for one year. Their,
was great danger that in the babel o
Il tongues we might forget that We ar
d free men in this country and losin
= sight of that fact might allow the in
E. coming hordes to Europe anize us befor
g. we could Americanze them. Hundred
10 of thousands of foreigners were thru.
4 4 upon this country every year, some a
n lured by Misrepresentation and other
B sent direct from the penitentiaries an
ly prison pens of the old world, viii
others were hired on the other side {
the water by those who would lower IL
standard Of wages in this country.
Strikes and lockOuts next claimed NJ
Powderly's attention. He said tbs
during the last six months the people
is this land had witnessed such attempts
!. making the power of aggregated weall
II supreme as were never dreamed of befor
h Whether it was at Couer dAlene,
d Homestead, at Buffalo, or in Tennessee
the instinct which guided the rapaciol
hand was the same. The undergrouI
wire which directed these attacks all rs
of to the same centre from all these place
" 1.-THE railroads are public highways, b
ID long to the whole people, and the who
o people should know it," he said "Ti
campaign which has just closed wstnesst
an interesting, if not very intelligen
Z. discussion Of tariff, but there is more
" a revenue illegally drawn from the poe
n cts of merchants, manufacturers al
q, workmen in one month Of the year by Il
y railroads and tclegraphs, than we pay
We tariffs in a year. These and all question
MS connected with them, must occupy Il
ST. attention of the industrial organizatit
~ of the future and the strike of the futu
:, must be strike for the rule of t
or people"
n In concluding his address, Mr.. Po'
of derly said that the order should make
effort to get closer to the industrial SIS
Citations aud recommended that here ST
lie the general ass emily should meet at
at same time and place chosen by the f;
mers alliance He also favored /
adoption of social or bene& cial featu
of the order. He recommended I
dissolution of the alliance with the m
,oa ira ers'progressive association on the grOu
w. that the latter had not lived up to
for pledges and that, as a matter of fact,
lip, knights had suffered greatly by the
llie lance. The salient features of the m
' .es sage were received with prolonged {
4 of plause from the delegates, and the d
ook ferent subjects treated of were referr
,li;., to special committees for appropri
Of action.
sal- Mr.. Powderly was followed by G
7 of eral Secretary Treasurer Hays, who Il
read his report 1t shows that at
a. time of the last general assembly
- balance on haud was Sc, 263, and t
the receipts from all sources during
year had amounted to S54, $50, or tt
z. of S60,614. The expenditures
reached total of $50, 1874. In report
ued upon the condition of the benefit I'M
rp- ance association, General Treasurer Fl
y yoI expressed his regret that the exhibit
uvn nn not as favorable as those that had !
/ l2 ceded it.
said The report of the general execut
ter board of the Knights of Labor was t
b;n him made. 1t refers, among other matte
ded to the famous Rochester clothing b
cott, which is made the subject of
@ies. @ extended notice.
east lne oaoo vi NV o'
the Workman Hughes, of the Garn
Ga Workers. national trade assembly,
Is of ! oo,no,,od ON U;s trial and cOn
G or tion is denounced. The board does
.nds comment upon the action Of Cover
Is OF Flower, of New York, in refusing
y 'he he don to Hughes on the ground tina,
would be assumed that he granted 1t
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