The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-15
DENOUNCED AS FALSE
Powderly Says There Is No Scheme
to Disrupt the X. of l..
He Hints, However, at a Federation of
Labor OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Meet
ing of the General Assembly.

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 1.-THE seven
teenth General Assembly of the knights of
Labor met at Industrial Hall this city at
1880 this morning. Nothing but routine
business was transacted during the morning
session. DR.. A. II. Pleuf, master workman
of District Assembly No. /, Philadelphia,
delivered an address of welcome. To this
Mr.. Powderly responded briefly, manifest
ing his pleasure at being received by the
local head OF the order, referring pleasantly
to Philadelphia as the city that gave birth
to independence and TO the organization of
the knights. He took occasion to emphat-
ically deny a story that this would
be the last convention of the order
and that there was a scheme
to disrupt it. The story alleged that Pow
derby and two or three other members of
the general executive board were in a con-
spiracy to break up the order and gain con-
troll of its property, including the SIC, ~
headquarters, $3.50, 600 worth of coal land in
Indiana and 5000 worth of real estate in
New York. "The story is absolutely false"
said Mr.. Powderly. There will certainly
be a motion to adjourn without a day for a.
future meeting. but not with a view to the
disruption of the order. Other orders, nota-
bly, the American Federation of
Labor, which meets Dec. 20, will
take similar action. 1t will
then confer with the leaders of these other
orders and agree upon a common day and
place for a meeting of all these orders.
Each order will have it's individual meet
ings and retain its autonomy. But, meet
ing at a common place and date, the dele
gates of these various orders will rub
against each other. and. learning that their
nm ana ends arP G1nllar fhO rDCIIlf vii
be unanimous action in many things where
now we disagree"
At the conclusion of Mr.. PowderIy's adj
dreSS the committee on credentials report
ed. and discussion on the matters brought
up by them consumed the entire morning.
There was some difference Of opinion about
the acceptance of the credentials of a half
dozen delegates from isolated districts made
ND of local unattached unions, but all were
finally favorably passed upon. All the Gre
dentialS were disposed of.
The afternoon session was devoted to
hearing a report of General Master Work
man Powderly. Two hours were consumed
in reading the ocume and at its con-
clusion Mr.. Powderly received applause.
The report denied that the order was retro
grading, and asserted that the officers were
IN possession OF statistics to show that the
organization was prosperous. 1t denied en-
phatically that the knights of Labor or it's
chief is conspiring with the heads Of the
Catholic Church in this country to subvert
the national government 1t extols Pope
Leo XIII. and says that even those who be-
long to no church will say that no better
friend to humanity ever occupied the papal
chair. 1t characteriZes the State National
Guard as q standing army, and says that
the militia is a drain upon the workmen and
a friend to the capitalist in time of trou-
BILE. 1t also urges that the movement to
establish colonies in the South be pushed
forward. Mr.. Powderly says very little
upon the subject of immigration, except to
deplore their settlement in the large cities
OF the East. The report favors "a trinity
of money"-gold, silver and paper-and is
IN nNynr nf Cilxvnr nino or. ~ fhn a%E -
Is to l. 1t concludes with a statement that
there is no doubt but that the action of the
knights of Labor in demanding the repeal
of the Sherman act had great influence.
There was nothing in the proceedings TO in
dictate that the convention would be marked
by any bitter personalities, as anticipated