The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-11-16

| knights OF Labor assembly whose
rights TO seats were contested on tho
| ground that under the constitution the
proper apportionment had not been OBJ
served. was disposed OF Wednesday af-
ternoon by the admission OF Delegate
DE Leon, OF New York assembly dis
trict No. 40. and O'Brien. OF district as
fembly No. 80 Of Massachusetts,. Both
OF these men are said TO be anti-admin-
istration delegates, and will aid In the
fight TO Dust the administration now in
power in the general assembly. Their
admission was a compromise, IL APP
pears. however. that the administration
people have a very comfortable majori-
~ of the votes in the assembly. The
report of Grand Master Sovereign was
endorsed as read. A synopsis is as fol-
lows:
After n lengthy denunciation OF tho acts
OF ex-ofiicers OF the organization. who, he
says, In effect. found nothing too low 10
stoop TO In order 10 further their own sell
fish ends and disrupt the order. Mr.. Sow
ereign says.
To-day. for the first time In many years.
our order stands before the world a united
whole with an unbroken 'front.' battling for
OF labor from the thraldom OF greed and
the so-called Independent movement.
which had It's origin I'm selfshness and dis
honor has sunk behind the horizon In the
Industrial field TO be mourned by monopo-
lies OF the country who fondly hoped II
would crush forever the order or the
knights OF Labor.
Now that this order has proven its abil-
ity TO live In spite OF the aggressions OF
organized capital, and Withstand the as
saults OF designing persons. who sought 10
subordinate it's usefulness TO their selfish
dealres. 1 would urge that this session OF
the generalfassembly be devoted as far as
possible 20 the work OF extending the fields
OF our operation.
Labor is now between the devil and a
deep sea, with the devil running down the
beach and the tide flowing In. Capital has
monopolzcd the elements or production,
aud labor Is Ia competition with itself for
the right to live. and there can never be ex-
act justice 20 labor and a final solution 10
the Industrial question while the compete
tive and wage systems continue 10 pamper
the passions OF greed and grind the faces or
the poor. money oligarchy Is fast wip-
ing out the last vestigo OF individual lid
erty Construction by judicial authority
AZ already given 10 law, placing all labor
organiza tons In the category or crifnlnal
conspiracies. Misdemeanors OF the most
trivial character have been raised TO felony
without sanction OF law and used TO I'M
prison representatives OF labor organlza-
mons. and lnjunctions followed by charges
OF contempt have been used 10 condemn Ia
hor lenders 10 the felons cell without evil
dence OF guilt or trial by jury. The assoc
clated banks have declared war on the
money OF the people, and the whole pluto
cratic fraternity has invaded the realm OF
free government and constitutional Sc
curity. Year by year the laws become
more exacting In their application 70 the
poor and more liberal in their application
10 the corporations and the idle holders OK
idle capital. Year by year labor grows
weaker and more dependent, ana the possi-
bilitics of resuscitating more doubtful. The
fndustrial masses are fast being reduced
TO circumstances that overshadv" lhuc-
pendence and manhood with the struggle
FOR bread and shelter. 49,,
with these facts before us take the lid
erty 10 urge upon this general assembly the
necessity OF preparing for an aggressive
campaign against the common roe
Mr. Sovereign expresses the belief that
tho constitution should be liberaiized and
that the greatest possible measure OF nome
rule and local government compatible
with the security OF the order should be
granted TO local, state and district assem-
blles. Throw additional safeguards around
the test OF membership. he says, by
strengthening tho obligation. and most of
the differences and contentious between
members and assemblies Will pass away.
II earnestly recommend that this gem
eral assembly ipaugurate a movement
looking TO the organization OF a national
trade assembly composed entirely OF
farmers and farm laborers A movement
OF this kind VIII enable US 10 successfully
refuic the arguments OF the cmissaries OF
the capitaiisii1 classes in their efforts to
convince the farmers that they have no In
terests In common with the wagcworkers
OF the towns and cities. and will give 10
both farmers and wageworkers additional
power and prestige"
Mr.. Sovereign strongly denounces the or.
ganlzed bankers OF the country. He says:
''They have boycottcd every kind OF the
peoples money they were not forced BY
law to receive and boycotted every class OF
citizens their selfish purpose suggested.
aud at their session recently held at At
lanta, Ca, they turned their batteries
against the greenbacks and treasury notes
and demanded the destruction of all forms
OF government money not under their abb
solute supervision and control, and insisted
on their right 10 issue and supply the pco-
pie with the currency OF the country--a
proposition which. ~ put into effect. will
force the Industrial masses into absolute
slavery 20 the money lending classes and
viii enable the associated banks 10 con-
tract the currency at VIII. reduce prices,
staEnato business, turn labor into tho
streets. foreclose mortgages and con.is-
cate collaterals, until the liberties OF tho
people are gone forever and labor so re-
duced In circumstances that organization,
agitation and rcadjustmcnt viii be rem
ucrcd Impossible. This Ii no idle dream and
no stretch of Imagination
after carefully reviewing the wreck
and ruin wrought by the money power aud
the designs OF the sound money clubs
which propose bonds and Calling guns for
solution OF the labor question. issued
boycott on the notes OF national banks. and
II 1 were TO die tomorrow l would declare
IL the most righteous act OF my life. IL e~-
posed the unsouud money OF the sound
money advocates, threw plutocracy on the
defensive and forced the national banks
into humiliafing confession OF their pre-
posterons acts OF bad faith with the peo-
pie. And now l urge this general assembly
TO indorse that boycott and give II every
| possible force OF official sanction. The con-
dict between tho working people and the
iCle holders OF idle capital Is inevitable.
The wealth OF the many Is gravitating to
tho few with increasing ratio. and labor Is
drifting towards sorfdom faster than ever
Aafnra