St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-11-26
POWDEKLY RESIGNS.
Great Surprise Among the
KNIGHTS of Labor
the

knights OF Labor.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 25. = L. V.
Powderly resigned his position CT gen.
eral master workman of the Knights of
Labor this afternoon. He was unable
to keep the delegates in the line he had
marked out for them, and this decisive
move seemed the only thing lett for
him to adopt.
Immediately after his resignation was
offered he left the hall, as he said. to
attend to some personal business.
This step was a surprise to all the
delegates, although few of them said
it was what he should have done long
ago. No action was taken on the mat
ter, although it was the topic OF discus
sion which lasted until the assembly ad-
iourned at o'clock. The causes which
led I'D to the resignation are as follows:
After Mr.. Powderly had been repeat
edly urged by the assembly to substl-
tute a new list of names for members of
the executive committee, he acquieSced
in these demands. The second list was
not much more favorably received than
the first one, but be was most persistent
in his efforts to have it accepted.
McGuire, of New York. was the only
one elected, and the assembly adjourned
| yesterday without getting any further
along. Today the fight was begun with
a new vlgor. Every point raised by the
master workmen was Stubbornly fought
| by his opponents. Still no result. ln
the afternoon new life seemed to have
| been instilled into the anti-Powderly
faction, and they began to elect board
| that would best suit them. Inc hrSt
| man chosen in this way was IL. B. Mar
tin, of District Assembly 79l, who got a
majority vote OF "a: James M. Kenny,
| of ID. A. 80, got a vote OF %, and j. A.
! McQuirk, of Washington, polied %
! votes, bare majority.
| Mr.. Powderly'S efforts to have his
slate considered were all in vain. He
was almost fruitlsss in his endeavors to
impress upon the assembly that he was
| only exercising the powers his ofhce
gave him. He wanted his appointees
| elected. His opponents told him ne had
| misconstrued the meaning OF the con-
stitution. This only added fuel to the
flames.
Mr. Powderly would not accept the
committeeman the delegates had elected.
He declared their election illegal. Then
the climax came.
The defeated leader spoke with re-
markable clearness as he said: Gen
tlemen, you must either obey the spirit
o! the constitution or declare the Office
of general master workman vacant.
now tender you my resignation.
With that he left the hall. All dele
gates were more than surprised. They
were astounded. The subject was dis
cussed in all its phases. Would they
accept it, OF would they not? While
they were talking it over the hour ar
rived for adjournment.
Mr.. Powderly was asked tonight II he
had really resigned.
when | was Wroth to stem the tide
that was bearing some of the men, and
the truesI of the men, downward" he
replied. II told the delegates that they
must either declare my office vacant Of
accept my resignation, as | would moi
longer serve. In a day or two VII
make a statement, but at present J d(
not feel that l should do so. When
left the hall it was to attend to some
private business"
Nearly all the delegates are suffering
from severe attacks of cold, and Secre
tary Treasurer Hayes was considered
extremely ill tonight. The heads o
both factions are, therefore, practlcaIl!
out of the way for the time being.
While the outcome of Powderly'S res
ignation is still in doubt, some talk a
to his probable successor is being treei.
INDUCED in. Mr.. Sovereign, of Iowa
and Mcclure, of New York, are thos
most prominently named, with the for
mer somewhat in the lead.