The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-07-11
THEINSIDE STORY
Present Strike Was Planned
Months Ago.
Sovereign Wanted to FolIowCoxey With
t-Done to Strengthen Official Hold.
Special 10 the Ne,os.

| Special tO the Neios.
PHILADELPHIA, July 1.-The Press
says: prominent knight OF Labor, for
merly standing high in the councils of II.
v. Powderly, and while a secret opponent
| OF j. w. Hayes aud the new executive
board OF the Knights, enjoying their con-
fidence, told the story of the carefully
| planned uprising, its inception and
growth which led up to the present great
railroad strike.
"The present strike," he said, chad its
inception last January, and has been
spreading ever since.
"Atter he defeat of r. v. PowderIy in
the knights OF Labor convention last fall
and the election OF j. r. Sovereign, general
master workman, a month sufficed to
show tie new executive board that the
order was In critical condition and that
Dissatisfaction was rampant in its ranks.
"Ihey relied that something must be-
done TO ailay this dissatisfaction or the
utter disruption OF the remnant of the
order which still hung together was al
most unavoidable. Danger also threat
ened the order from other sources.
"Ihe more modern labor organizations
when had grown up about ii we're planned
upon lines OF organization hostile to the
very existence of the Knights.
"But one OF the young and vigorous
labor orders OF the country was built up
on the lines OF the Knights and massed
men earning II per day with those earn
ing 70, and demanded that they support
each other by sympathetic strikes.
THAT one order was the A. X. u. with
Debs at its head. From Debs alone could
the new officials OF the knights expect as
sistance In their battle with their rivals.
taced by these two dangers, either OF
which threatened the utter destruction OF
the order, the members of the general ex-
ecutive board, menaced by enemies in
their own and other labor camps, these
new leaders concluded that their only sal
yation lay In general uprising of labor's
forces against capital.
AT secret meeting Of the majority of
the general executive board of the knights
last January this action was, am in
formed, decided upon. No stated time
place, or occasion for the uprising was
nxed upon, 1T simply being determined
that within six months, at the first
favorable opportunity, such an uprising
should be brought about, and in the
meantime that funds should be raised and
preparations made for the occasion.
"in furtherance of this plan secret or
ders were sent to the master workmen of |
all the local and district assemblies |
throughout the country appealing to them |
To urge their members to contribute five |
cents per capita per week to fund to be |
used to meet a tremendous emergency of |
national Importance.
This appeal was most successful, espe-
cially in the West, and the fund grew |
apace.
shortly after the sending of these or
ders the Coxey movement began to take
form. The leaders held conference and |
finally decided that the arrival of Coxey's
army in Washington would be the proper
time for the consummation Of their
plans.
"The idea was to land 5000 men in
Washington upon the day of the arrival
OF Coxey's army. But when the organi-
ho mi ox.A
strong, arrived in speaking distance of
shington with a shabby 200 'hoboes',
the leaders OF the Knights, who were
not fools, postponed the uprising and
waited for more favorable opportunity.
"This they believed had come when the
call was issued for the labor conference in
ST. Louis, June They expected that
he smaller orders wouI' join with the
knights and A. II. u. ia any scheme 10
down the Federation Of Labor and similar
organizations. The miners were in re-
volt, to.
''With this idea in mind the representa-
lives OF the Knights went to the confer
snce armed with a resolution which. IL
put into effect, would have brought about |
he present uprising a month earlier.
lhis resolution recommended that the
executive board of all labor organizations
u America issue an order within the next
hree days TO all their members from the |
Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the Gulf
% the Lakes, to refuse unitedly to do any
more labor until the miners strike is
ettled.
"At the conference were three represen-
atives each from the Knights of Labor,
brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, /
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen.
brotherhood of Railway Trainmen,
OF Railway Conductors, Am
rican Federation OF labor, Union of
ireen Bottle Blowers, American Railway
jnion, Brotherhood of Railway Tele-
raphers, Masons' and Bricklaycrs' Inter-
ational Union.
sit was found when the convention
let that the conservative delegates from
rders like the Brotherhood OF Locomo-
i've Engineers held the balance of power
nd consequently the resolutions were not ,
resented. i,
"a conference, however, was held with /,
ebs, which resulted in that gentleman's !.
'king the leadership in the movement :
nd plans were at once inaugurated for
ringing about the present strike. At =
ne of these conferences all manner of !;
mes, places and occasions were dis :
lssed for the uprising.
"To show the GOODNESS with which the
roposed uprising was discussed it is only :
to cite the fact that statistics :,
ere quoted and argued over pro and con :,
lowing what months in the year had in =
odern times furnished the most general q
I'd successful uprisings OF the people,"