People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-06
he INDUSTRIAL LEGION.
CONFERENCE AT INDIANAPOLIS
LAST WEEK.
The Constitution Materially Modified.
Address by the COmmander-in-
Chief.

TUESDAY, dec. III, there was con-
ference of the officials and delegates
of the Industrial Legion at Indian
apolis. The changes made in the
constitution adopted at Memphis
were important. The order, which
was intended to be semi military, is
Invested Of all but a semblance of
It's military features. The different
classes~-the senior, junior and the
woman's relief corps-were abol-
ished and all members will be ad-
mitted OF the same basis. The fea-
ture Of the extreme secrecy is also
eliminated, it being General Wander
voort's views that all the secrecy
necessary was to keep from the
enemy the knowledge of the Le-
gion's plans and movements. In
lhe divesting of the Legion of this
secrecy feature, the ritual was abol-
ished and q simple pledge was sub
stituted for the iron-clad oath that
had been prescribed. In this line
also was the elimination of the sec
ton providing for court-martial and
dismissal, in place of which it is pro-
vided that an offending member may
be expelled from a local lodge by a
bwo-thirds vote. Under the revised
constitution the prime requisite Of
membership is that the candidate
shall subscribe to the principles laid
down in the Omaha platform.
By the changes thus made, the
scope and policy Of the Industrial
Legion has been materially changed.
From semi-military organization it
has become a purely political one, its
purpose being the creation of an
army, or machine, to fight the po-
litical battles of the Farmers ALL
ance and Peoples party.
In accepting the Office of COM
mander-in-cbief, Hon. Paul Wander
WORT, of Nebraska, read an address,
which follows IN full:
Hon. J. H. Turner, Adjutant- General:
DEAR SIR AND BRoTHER-Your
official notice of my election as Com
mander in Chief Of the Industrial
Legion OF the United States re-
ceived. I deem it proper to state, as
you know, I was not present at the
meeting at Memphis, and did not
know such an order was to be or
gained. I am assured that the
Legion does not interfere In any way
with any Of the Industrial orders
which have SO grandly done their
part in educating the people, but
simply fills the long-felt want of sup
plying a compact political body, in
which al can unite in one common
creed, and the only test of member
ship be loyalty to the platform of
the Peoples party. If [ deemed
that we sho1ld in any way conflict
with any of the great industrial or
labor organizations, I would have
nothing 10 DO with it. We must
meet, the combined money! power OF
the nation in conflict such as the
world has never Witnessed, and we
cannot do it without 3 perfect or
ganization. We must in some way
weld into one strong potent, political
body sill who sympathlze with our
pause and win and educate the
masses to . proper sense OF the con-
dition of the country and teach them
that the only way out Is to over
whelm the money-kjngs at the ballot
box. The only secrecy surrounding
the order is simply enough to pre-
vent the enemy from finding out our
plans. I deem it my duty to accept
the position SO cordially and unani-
mously rendered and to pledge to
she unseltish, devoted workers who
founded the Legion my. unfaltering,
loyal support to the cause it advo-
Gates. | realize the burden thus
Imposed. The overwhelming cor
respondence and the calls made for
me to come and organize demon
Btrates the fact. can trnly say that
l have made a continual sacrifice for
the good of others, and l pray that
strength may be gwen me from the
Giver of all Good to bear the bur
den. I will need the hearty, undi-
vided support of all the true, unset
fish members of our party The
rank and file of the Peoples party
march so far in the front and are so
inspired by the holy cause they love
that they need no leaders. No man
is absolutely necessary in this move
ment. When our great hearted, no.
bic brother, Polk, fell in battle for
the right, and persisted a martyr in
our cause, the ranks closed up and
moved forward with his precious
name written on all our banners.
When one firm regulates the value
of all the cattle and hogs in the
land; when sugar trust raises the
price at their viii when q coal COM