Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-24
AN EXCITING SESSION.
Mr.. Powderly Forced to Adjourn the
General Assembly, X. of l..


AS announced in yesterdays Star, John
W. Hayes was reelected. secretary-treas-
urer of the knights of Labor at Philadel-
phia yesterday. The Times says:
The morning session opened with the pre-
sentation of the report of the committee on
law. The first item in the report was in re-
gard to the resolution taking from the gen.
eral master workman the power to name
eight delegates from whom the convention
must choose the four members of the eXecu-
tive committee and giving the convention
itself the power to both nominate and elect
the board from the delegates on the floor
This resolution was reported or adversely
for the reason that all changes in the
orders constitution must first be submitted
to the local assemblies throughout the coun-
try. This left Powderly's opponents no
other method of defeating his wishes save
by again declaring his seat vacant and
electing one of their own party. AS the re-
port was In consonance with the fundamen-
tai law of the order 1t was adopted without
opposition.
The Powderly faction demanded that the
convention proceed with the nomination and
election of officers. For general worthy
foreman, the second most important office
in the order the Powderly men nominated
Hugh Cavanaugh of Cincinnati, the present
incumbent and a staunch friend of Powder
ly. The opposition nominated Michael ].
Bishop of the state assembly of Massachu-
sets and one of the shrewdest leaders of
the ants. Election is by secret ballot and
consumes about three-quarters of an hour
When the result of the ballot was an
nounced 1t was: Bishop. %; Cavanaugh, p.
Then followed an event, under the cir
cumstances, of equal interest with the pre-
vious days election for general master
workman in the election of the secretary
treasurer. Had the opposition succeeded
nllSfinO thn inc, ahsaut
John w. Hayes, would not have been
candidate for reelection, but, 1t Is said,
would cheerfully have gone out of office
himself in order to drag down his chief.
After Powderlys successful coup de force
OF Wednesday in re-electing himself. how
ever, the opposition changed their tactics
and decided that Hayes should also be re-
elected. He was placed in nomination, and
against him the Powderlyites nominated
one of their leaders. Charles Martin.
A western delegate Kenney of Colorado,
and heretofore considered a Powderiy man,
nominated Hayes. and concluded very
eulogistic speech concerning him with:
If Powderly is retained by an accident of
last nights session. now that We are cool
and reasonable, we should also re-elect
Hayes. the watchdog of the treasury,
against whom there are no charges and in
whose favor is the fact that the officers
now in charge want him retired
Povderly, who had left the chair, being
replaced as usual by Mcbride, exclaimed
Il have been INDICATED by my reelection
as j ought to have been, considering what
| have done for this order but that man
Hayes should not be thus indicated"
Then raising his voice to its highest pitch,
he cried:
IF Hayes Is elected 1 won't serve"
At that the hitherto quiet delegates let
themselves loose again There were shouts
of disapproval and cries of Resign" and
one delegate arose and addressing Powderly
exclaimed: .r.I
I'VE didn't come here to spend two weeks
in the interest of you, Powderly. but to adj
vance the interest of the order, and we will
do what We deem best for the order in the
election of officers" ~"s
Powderly shouted back:
I've been vindicated-'
An interrupting voice: IF you're salts
fed, are"
Quiet being restored with some difficulty.
the election was proceeded with. 1t resulted
In a most complete opposition triumph.
The vote was: Hayes, D. and Martin, p.
This second indication of the complete or
ganization of the opposition caused conster-
nation in Powderly's forces
The afternoon session opened with a mo-
ton from the Powderly faction to proceed
with the election of the executive board at
3 o'clock.
Powderly now nominated his eight candi-
dates for the executive board. He named
the old board with one exception, T. B. Nc
CURE, the only one against whom no
charges were made, and according to some
of the opposition the only honest man
among the general officers. The following
were fONuerly nominees. A. w. wright
Toronto. Canada; John Devlin. Detroit:
Congressman John Davis. Kansas: Hugh
Cavanaugh of Cincinnati. Charles Martin of
| Ohio, John Costello of Pittsburg. John
O'Keefc of Philadelphia and Thomas
O'Reilly. at whose house, at 416 South
Broad street. all the secret caucuses of the
Pow derby faction have been held.
Hardly had these names been mentioned
when delegates sprang to their feet. some of
them Powderlys former supporters de-
nouncing his nominees.
motion was made that the convention
demand that Powderly take these names off
and give eight new names. Powderly de-
clared the motion out of order. Then a mo-
ton was made to put McGuire's name on.
Powderly ruled this out of order. saying:
Il can't. I've got eight names now"
Then the authoritative announcement was
made that Congressman Davis would not
serve. that he had gone home in disgust and
without the formality of bidding the con-
vention 'adieu." and had remarked just
before he left that he would not serve on
the board with Powderly.'
Then said Powderly. pointing to Charles
S. Davis. the Congressran's son:
Il will put Davis. jr., on
Another howl went up: That's the way
you treat u.s.. r. s.
Another motion was made demanding
eight new names and again ruled out Of
order. e-1
A riot seemed imminent. when a few cool
heads advised a recess to calm down.
\ motion to adjourn was heard Powderly
refused to put the motion.
Excited delegates cried, 1--WE will call the
newly elected worthy foreman to the chair
to put it,
II won't take the motion" insisted Pow
DERBY.
Take that motion or we will take your
head" was the response.
We've enough OF this"
we must be heard: yor can't dictate
The day of hero-worshir is gone"
what can we expect from a man who
has proved himself a liar today He said
he would resign II Hayes was elected and
he is still in the chair
THE man who would preside over his
own trial would do anything"
AS Powderly saw the delegates crowding
about him with blood in their eyes and
hands clenched he turned pale and trem-
blingly put the notion to adjourn, after
which the delegates poured out into Broad
street wildly excited as a band of Co.
manche Indians.
The general master workman, the general
worthy foreman, the secretary-treasurer
and the executive board constitute the trus-
tees of the orders property. Their unani-
nous consent is necessary to sell the prop
erty. The opposition now have two of the
officers and are fighting for the executive
happens they have blocked Powderly's
scheme to dispose of the property
LAUREL.
Bailiff Robey, who was cut so severely
MIC iS