The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-06-15
POWDERLYS MANIFESTO.
He Tells Why He Had to
Resign.
Too Much Espionage in the
General Office.
Denial of the Charges Against the
Executive Board.
Mass of Charges and Csunter- Charges.
The Order Asked to Grant No
Paper Charters for Use At
Now Orleans.

Powderly, ex xmasterworkmsn OF the
Knights of Labor, has Issued for private
circulation among the members OF the
order, q statement containing the inside
history OF the movement which COM
PEELED his voluntary retirement. 1t
forms pamphlet Of "a pages. In q
review of the circu stances leading up
to the events of last fall, which have
proven 80 momentous to the Knights of
Labor, Mr.. Powderly alludes to the eau
didacy of John O'Keefe in 1892 against
Mr.. Sayres for the Office Of general Sec
retary-treasurer, W hich was followed by
O'Kesfs's discharge by Hayes from his
position in the general Office.
Mr.. O'Keefe's complaint to the gem
eral executive board brought to light
complaints from other general Office
employees about all members of the or
der being watched, dogged and brow
beaten.
"They asked for redress" says Mr..
Powderly, land the general executive
board gave them hearing in the gen.
eral Office. The G.. s. T., who was pres
ent when the clerks and other en-
ployees were called before the general
executive board, explained and refused
to be present at the hearing. The state
ments made at the hearing were taken
down in shorthand and disclosed con-
dition of affairs which gave the mem
bers Of the general executive board no
little uneasiness. Listening at key
holes, picking OF pockets, watching each
significant move, reading of pers ona |
letters and, in fact, such practices as
would not be tolerated in any factory or
other industrial institution in the Ian d..
were stated to be OF daily occurrence in
the general Office"
When the g. S. T.. was requested by
the bosgo i aPR9lsaa thfu Fl sSs5e@ gg Sh5s g.
he denied that any such condition of
affairs existed. When pressed too hard
he said, in substance: II have inform
ion that will damn the whole of you.
| can 20 to the world with statement
that you are all engaged in stock job
bing, land speculation. and in every wny
neglecting the business of the order for
personal affairs"
when told that that would not be
true, he said: 1t don't make bit OF
difference once lie is uold it will 90,
and will lie whenever I want to score
a point"
Mr.. Powderly then takes up the pre-
sentation by A. r. Hayes. of charges
against the general executive board,
which he denies in every detail.
Recounting the consideration OF
these questions in the last general as
sembly, Mr.. Powderly says: when
had spoken for 4 hours and 20 minutes
all told, and the general secretary
treasurer (Hayes) had concluded his 13
hour talk, Hugh GreenaL of ID. A. 404
stood up and asked the general secreta-
ry-treasurer If there was any truth in
his charges, and he said there was
not.
Ibid these men missppropriate any
of the money OF the order? Did they
use any of it for their personal ende :?
Have they equandered the iunds2' were
the words of Greenan as near ae I can
remember them. The answer of the
general secretary-treasure was no to
each question. When making his
speech, the general secretary treasurer
said:
"'I always wanted to get rich, l want
to be rich and l will get rich if can.
At another time after explaining the
workings of the gas scheme he was en-
gagged in. he said:
~ am the manager, the treasurer
and the board OF directors of the com.
pany. l made $4,000 on it this morning,
and I have the money in my inside
pocket now.'
when the st. Louis general assem-
bly, was in session." continued the state
ment, flames Hughes told me that the
national Democratic committee had
$4,000 there to defeat me for re-elec-
ton. l paid no attention to his state
ment and told him it could notsbe true
He said he had the proof. At banquet
given by the st. Louis Locals that even
lag James r. Sovereign, who sat oppo-
site, wrote on a card and handed il 10
me. From the card now before me
quote these words: There are $4,000
here from the east to defeat your re-
election. Say nothing, it will fall
In conversation he said he was pos
tive that the statement was correct and
he knew who had the money"
The ex-general masterworkm kman closes
with an appeal to the members to hold
their old assemblies together, but to
scrutinize all new ones and not allow so
many paper ass m blies" to be organ.
lied, that the genuine ones would be
outvoted at the next general asee m bly,
at New Orlsans.