Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-18
FROM PowDERLY's FRIENDS.
A Circular Sent Out Attacking John
w. Hayes.

1t will be remembered that when the
general assembly of the Knights of Labor
met at Philadelphia recently there was
great discrepancy in the accounts Of the
meeting. The troubles ending in the down
fall CT T. V. Powderly and the election OF
Mr.. Sovereign to the Office of general mas
ter workman are not ended by any means.
Though the defeated chief proclaimed his
loyalty to the order Immediately after his
forces were routed his friends have not
been falling over each other in their ef-
forts to secure harmony.
In fact, they are at loggerheads with the
present management This Is borne out in
a secret circular issued to the membership
OF the knights at large, from Pittsburg.
under date of January IA. The original
circular purports to be signed by eighteen
of the delegates to the general assembly.
The names are. however. omitted from the
proof sheets issued for general distribution.
The document begins:
For the first time in the history of the
Knights Of Labor it has become necessary
to send to the order statement which
will enable the rank and file to learn of
the doings of their representatives in the
general assembly. This is made necessary
on this occasion partly by the fact that
the general secretary-treasurer and his as
sistants have. either from design or be-
cause of want of ability, so kept the min
utes of the assembly that the official rec
ord gives no Ineligible idea of what was
done. and partly by the fact that much
OF the time of the general assembly was
spent In committee of the whole so that
no record appears upon the minutes"
After calling attention to the fact that
during most of the proceedings the as
sembly acted as committee of the whole.
the circular continues: Besides his regu-
lar annual report. which will form part
OF the proceedings, the general secretary
treasurer read prepared statement in
which he made a number of charges against
the general master workman and two men,
ners OF the general executive board. Broth
ers A. w. Wright and John Devlin
Should these charges have been mer-
ited the sisners say these men should have
been expelled. but after five days exam
inetion and an Investigation by the finance
committee. IL was reported that the charges
were without foundation
Attention Is then called TO the fact that
under section 2,l of the constitution any
member who shall make false charges
against another shall be exneIled The
slgners then declare that the general sec
retary-treasdrer, after admitting his chary-
es II be false, was not punished. How Il
was done. the circular continues We know
in part; why 1T was done may never be
known.
In explanation. the document declares
that from the beginning of the session
faction composed of the personal friends
and followers Of the general secretary
treasurer began to hold caucuses In num-
bers TINS faction scarcely rose TO the dig
nifty of responsibility. but as the session
advanced ii became evident that what they
lacked III numbers they more than made un
in unscrupulousress and in determination
not to be restrained by any regard for
fairness or decent considerati ton for the
rights OF others. Discovering that a num-
Der OF the representatives would be unable
TO remain. should the session be protracte1
to az unusual length. they resorted to dila
tory methods and filibustering tactics 10
rrolong IT. for the evident purpose of get
ting control Roll calls. motions to adjourn
points Of order. appeals from the decision
of the chair and every known artifice and
trick of INSCRIPTIONS obstructionists were
II peatedly reSorted to for the purpose OF
blocking the business OF the assembly"